At yesterday’s opening of the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, Chery has confirmed that it will be launching its first battery EV model in Malaysia – the Chery Omoda 5 EV – sometime between end-2023 and Q1 2024.

The battery EV variant will complete the Omoda 5’s trio of powertrain offerings, will include regular internal combustion engine, plug-in hybrid, and battery EV.

Currently, the Omoda 5 is available in China with either a:

• 156 PS / 230 Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine paired to a CVT-type automatic transmission with 9 virtual ratios
• 197 PS / 290 Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission

The 1.5-litre variant is currently available in Indonesia, locally assembled (CKD) at PT Chery Sales Indonesia’s plant in Bekasi.

Chery has yet to announce the specifications for its battery EV Omoda 5 variant, but preliminary specs reported by the Chinese media say the electric 5-seater SUV will have a 550 km driving range, making 203 PS. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h is around 7.5 seconds.

The display car shown in the photos is a pre-production model, with a sealed boot but visually, what you see here is a very close representation of the production car.

In February 2023, Chery Malaysia confirmed that it has already signed an agreement with a Malaysian partner to locally assemble (CKD) two Chery SUVs here – the 7-seater Chery Tiggo 8 Pro and 5-seater Chery Omoda 5. Whether this will include the EV Omoda 5 variant is yet to be confirmed, as is the identity of its local partner.

Chery says a formal announcement will be made in the second half of 2023.

Also read: CKD Chery Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda 5 to start production in June 2023 - deal with Malaysian partner signed