Both SUVs come loaded with premium comfort equipment, powerful turbocharged drivetrains and a raft of Advanced Driving Assistant System (ADAS) features.
The five-seater Omoda 5 has a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, mated to a 9-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT), which produces 156PS and maximum torque of 230Nm at 1,750 to 4,500rpm.
Fuel consumption for the Omoda 5 is rated at 6.9 litres per 100km, according to Chery Automobile.
The Omoda 5 is Chery’s first global model targeted at younger customers.
It adopts a brand-new “Art in Motion” design language featuring a borderless grille, a double-layer sports tail and 18-inch sports rims.
Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda 5 (below) dashboards.
Meanwhile, the three-row, seven-seater Tiggo 8 Pro has a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), producing 256PS and maximum torque of 390Nm at 2,000 to 4,500rpm.
Fuel consumption for the Tiggo 8 Pro is rated by Chery Automobile at 7.4 litres per 100km.
The leather-clad cabins of both SUVs look plush, with smooth, polished surfaces and soft-touch materials that exude a premium ambience.
The Omoda 5 has a sunroof with a manual sunshade, while the Tiggo 8 Pro has a large powered panoramic sunroof.
We were told by a Chery executive that both SUVs have thicker sound-dampening glass for a more refined driving experience.
Both SUVs have a curved co-joined dual screen on the dashboard (20.5-inch screen in the Omoda 5 and 24.6-inch screen in the Tiggo 8 Pro), consisting of a touchscreen for vehicle settings and multimedia functions, as well as a digital display screen behind the steering wheel for vehicle and driving data.
Air-conditioning controls are also via a touchscreen panel, next to the engine start-stop button.
Features include wireless charging for smartphones, an eight-speaker Sony audio system, and Apple Carplay and Android Auto with voice commands.
The Omoda 5 and Tiggo 8 Pro offers 17 and 12 ADAS features respectively.
Omoda 5.
ADAS features include adaptive cruise control (ACC) to maintain a safe following distance, Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) for safer driving on congested roads, ICA (integrated cruise assist), Blind Spot Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), a 360-degree view camera system, lane change assist, lane departure warning, lane departure suppression, emergency lane keeping, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency brake.
LED headlamps and rear lights are standard.
Both cars have the Cerence voice recognition system, which enables convenient and quick control of multimedia functions and air-conditioning.
The SUVs will be locally assembled at Sime Darby Bhd’s facility, Inokom, in Kulim, Kedah.
First impressions
The Omoda 5 which will compete against the likes of the Proton X50 and Honda HR-V, is certainly the more distinctive looking with its borderless front design and diamond matrix grille, split headlights, T-shaped LED daytime running lights and dynamic fastback shape.
The motoring media had a very short drive in both SUVs which included a brief but steep uphill climb.
We noted that the test drive unit of the Omoda 5 had GitiComfort F50 tyres sized 215/55 wrapped around 18-inch wheels.
With two occupants in the SUV, we slowed nearly to a standstill to make a tight left turn into the steep uphill road, and after a bit of hesitation, as we stepped hard on the accelerator pedal, the Omoda 5 easily sprinted up the hill.
However, when driving downhill, the brakes felt soft and needed a longer pedal travel for more stopping power.
Tiggo 8 Pro.
Meanwhile, the Tiggo 8 Pro is likely to compete with Proton X90, Mazda CX-8, Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, Nissan X-Trail and Peugeot 5008.
It also has a striking exterior design, with a three-dimensional grille featuring chrome “stars in a black sky”.
Step inside, and we liked the premium-looking interior fitted with brown leather seats covered in a diamond-stitched pattern and Burmester-styled audio speaker covers.
The test drive unit of the Tiggo 8 Pro had Cooper Evolution CTT tyres sized 235/50 wrapped around 19-inch wheels.
On the same steep uphill road, the Tiggo 8 Pro’s abundant power and torque made the climb quite effortless.
A slight niggle for us was a lag in response on the display screen which caused us to scroll past the drive mode (Eco, Normal and Sport) we selected when using the rotary dial to switch between the three drive modes.
Perhaps a software update can fix this.
We had the chance to check out the Tiggo 8 Pro’s ride quality in a stone-strewn unpaved area and noted that there was remarkable ride comfort as we drove over the uneven terrain.
The ride felt quite well cushioned, and the suspension did a great job of soaking up impacts and bumps on unpaved surfaces.
