It is possible to purchase a luxury crossover for as little as R359,900 in South Africa.
The model in question is the Omoda C5, which recently welcomed a new member to its family, dropping its starting price by a staggering R88,000 in the process.
High-end travel at a low price
Omoda is one of two sub-brands under the Chery umbrella in South Africa and made its debut in 2023 with the C5.
While Chery’s efforts are centered around mass-market options with its line-up of Tiggo Pro SUVs, Omoda is focused on upmarket crossovers with flashier looks and oodles of creature comforts.
The two brands have a relationship similar to the one between Lexus and Toyota, which means the C5 is now the most affordable SUV from a luxury-focused automaker in South Africa by a wide margin.
Naturally, the Chinese manufacturer had to strip a few items from the crossover in order to lower its price tag by such a large amount, but the C5’s new entry-level “Style” trim is still one of the most feature-packed models in its segment.
It comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, front Sports seats, a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, cruise control, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and six speakers.
This is in addition to various assistance functions like a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, front seatbelt reminders, tyre-pressure monitoring, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, and four airbags.
The only things the Style is missing out on compared to the Tech specification that it replaces include dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger, folding electric mirrors, ambient lighting, and front parking sensors.
Crucially, the newcomer is still powered by a 1.5-litre, turbocharged petrol engine that is considerably more potent than what you can find on its rivals.
It produces a total of 115kW and 230Nm, which is sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT), resulting in a combined fuel consumption of 6.9l/100km.
The price tag, fortunately, did not result in any cost-cutting on the after-sale support.
Every C5, including the Style, is sold with a 5-year/150,000km factory warranty, a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty for the original owner, a 2-year/30,000km service plan, and 5-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance.
Join the discussion