New Omoda 5 and electric E5 arrive to take on Nissan Qashqai, priced from £25k

• Omoda 5 costs from £25k
• Electric Omoda E5 costs from £33k
• Both on sale now

Chinese brand Omoda has taken its first steps into the UK car market with the launch of two new mid-size SUVs – the Omoda 5 and the electric Omoda E5. Both are available to order now, priced from £25,235 and £33,055 respectively.

Following in the footsteps of MG, BYD and GWM Ora, Omoda is the latest brand from China to set up shop in the UK. A subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned car maker Chery International, Omoda says its focus in the UK will be on “futuristic compact SUVs”, squaring up against best-sellers like the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.

What do I need to know about the Omoda 5?

The Omoda 5 is the first of the two new models to reach the UK. The five-seater SUV is 4,400mm long, which is near-identical to its key rival, the Nissan Qashqai. There are a few similarities in the styling department, too, including the large geometric front grille and the shoulder-line kink above the rear wheel, although the Omoda 5 leans into the popular coupe-SUV shape, with a roofline that slopes down towards the raked rear window.

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Things are fairly minimalist on the inside, with a giant full-width dashboard housing a pair of 10.25-inch displays. There’s one for driving information and one for infotainment, the latter compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All cars also get wireless smartphone charging, a heated steering wheel, a Sony sound system and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

There’s only one engine on offer in the 5 – a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder. It’s hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which sends all 183bhp to the front wheels. Performance looks to be surprisingly nippy, with the 0-62mph dash completed in 7.9 seconds, although a combined fuel economy figure of 31.4mpg is some way behind its rivals.

What about the electric Omoda E5?

The Omoda E5 is the electric twin to the petrol-powered 5, sharing the same platform and body. From the outside there’s not much to separate the two cars other than the E5’s lack of a grille – it gets a blanked-off front end and large ‘OMODA’ script across the nose instead.

Unusually, Omoda has fitted the 5 and E5 with different interiors, with each model getting a unique dashboard design. The latter gets a larger display setup consisting of a pair of curved 12.25-inch screens, although it runs the same infotainment software as the 5. The heated steering wheel and electric seats are shared between the two models, but the E5 doesn’t get the Sony sound system as standard – you have to upgrade to a higher trim level.

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The Omoda E5 uses a single front-mounted electric motor, powered by a 61kWh battery. It’s the quicker of the two SUVs, but only just – the motor delivers 204bhp, enabling a 0-62mph sprint time of 7.6 seconds. Range stands at a WLTP-rated 257 miles and charging speeds top out at 80kW.

How much do the Omoda 5 and E5 cost and when can I buy one?

Prices for the petrol-powered Omoda 5 start from just £25,235 – nearly £5,000 less than the cheapest Nissan Qashqai. That gets you the entry-level model; upgrading to Noble trim adds £1,800 to the bill but brings an electric sunroof, red brake callipers, faux-leather sports seats with four-way adjustment for the front passenger, and ambient lighting.

The electric Omoda E3 costs from £33,055, or £34,555 for the Noble version. Upgrading to the pricier model gets you the same sunroof and sports seats as the 5, but you also get the Sony sound system (standard-fit for the 5), a 360-degree parking camera, heated front seats, a powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control and a cabin air filter.

Both models are available to order in the UK now, and come with a seven-year, 100-000-miles warranty.

Read about the new MG HS, another affordable mid-size SUV from China…