You would possibly count on the cabins of the 5 and the E5 to be equivalent, however the electrical automotive’s inside is “half a technology” forward, within the phrases of 1 Omoda exec.
The variations are small however they add up: the E5’s sprint has softer trim, the transmission tunnel has a cleaner design, and there may be smarter integration of issues like window switches and speaker covers. Inside, the electrical automotive feels fairly a bit extra plush, as nicely it’d with costs beginning not at £25k however £33k.
The important format is similar for each automobiles, nevertheless, and it’s a moderately profitable one. The driving place is a contact excessive however there’s simply sufficient adjustability within the steering column and the seats (electrically adjustable, irrespective of the trim degree) themselves are extra sculpted than you’d sometimes discover on a automotive at this worth. You will get comfy and on acquaintance the 5 feels grown-up for the cash, particularly with its side-by-side 10.3in shows, which perch atop the sprint however aren’t in any respect intrusive, as is commonly the case. Full-width vents and a steering wheel squared off at its base are straight from the Audi playbook.
Beneath all of the superficial slickness, this cabin is clearly constructed to a worth, and you’d count on nothing much less. Each materials, irrespective of the way it seems, is fabricated from plastic, and there’s play in a number of the switchgear. Plastics exterior of direct view are additionally typically laborious and unsculpted and really feel very primary.
Oddment storage is ok, and the central cubby is deep and might be fed by the air-conditioning system, must you need to preserve, for instance, a sandwich in there. The sloped part of the centre console additionally cradles telephones, and that’s helpful if, for no matter motive, you don’t need to hyperlink up and use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto by way of the central show. The graphics and menus of the native system are superb however do really feel a contact ‘aftermarket’.
The place the 5 struggles to be aggressive is from the second row again. That rakish, sloping roofline comes on the expense of head room within the again (to not point out a really small rear window, inhibiting visibility). At 680mm, rear leg room can also be in need of what you’d discover in a Nissan Qashqai and even some smaller automobiles such because the Hyundai Kona. The shortfall isn’t too marked, however together with the best way the facet rails sit low, it creates a way of tightness.
Boot house can also be poor, at an official 380 litres – or 76 litres lower than within the significantly smaller Ford Puma. A Qashqai affords 504 litres and an MG HS 463 litres. We suspect that Omoda’s determine doesn’t issue within the shallow cavity beneath the boot flooring, however that is nonetheless a small house.
When taken with the constraints of the second row, it’s clear that the 5 isn’t significantly intelligent in packaging phrases, given its near-4.5m of size to work with.
