Chery Omoda O5 GT in Mexico – sporty sedan with Lexus-like grille, 194 hp 1.6T ; rival to the Honda Civic

This is the Omoda O5 GT, a sporty sedan which was launched in Mexico in August 2023 to join the regular O5 that arrived earlier that year. Both models are essentially rebadged versions of existing Chery models, namely the Arrizo 5 Plus and Arrizo 5 GT.

Priced at 459,900 Mexican pesos (around RM126k) for the base Life variant, the O5 GT is also available in the range-topping Unlimited for MXN539,900 (around RM148k). Regardless of variant, the sedan is powered by a 1.6 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine rated at 194 hp and 213 Nm of torque, with drive going to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

These outputs justify the performance-implying ‘GT’ in the name, as the regular O5 only offers 146 hp and 169 Nm from its 1.5 litre turbo four-pot engine – this is mated to a CVT. According to the carmaker, the O5 GT will get from 0-100 km/h in six seconds.

It isn’t just the powertrain that sets the O5 GT apart from the standard model because there are also notable styling differences, with the most obvious being the Lexus-like grille at the front that is accompanied by sharper headlamps. Around back, you’ll find quad circular tailpipes surrounded by trim that is patterned to look like carbon-fibre weave.

The differences continue on the inside, as the O5 GT sports a Mercedes-Benz-like dual-display setup on dashboard, with one being the digital instrument cluster while the other is an infotainment touchscreen – both measure 10.25 inches diagonally.

This also sees the air vents be located further down just above the climate controls, although the centre console remains very familiar. Sporty touches in the cabin include fake carbon-fibre trim, bucket seats with red piping that is available in black or red leather upholstery as well as aluminium pedals.

The higher-spec option gets nice features such as heated and ventilated seats as well as an expanded suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, lane change assist and blind spot monitoring.

In case you’re wondering, the O5 GT measures 4,691 mm long, 1,814 mm wide, 1,493 mm tall and has a wheelbase spanning 2,650 mm. Comparatively, the standard O5 is smaller at 4,680 mm long, 1,825 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall, although its wheelbase is longer at 2,670 mm.

For context, the Honda Civic we have here is 4,678 mm long, 1,802 mm wide, 1,415 mm tall and its wheelbase spans 2,735 mm. So, what do you think of the Omoda O5 GT? Is this something that will be well accepted here?

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