Chery is set to launch its first EV in Malaysia very soon. Bookings for the Chery Omoda E5 have been opened here for a couple of weeks now, and the Chinese carmaker recently revealed that the electric SUV will be launched in Malaysia this Wednesday on 6 March.

According to Chery Malaysia, the Omoda E5 is estimated to retail at RM160,000 on our shores. That is quite a bit higher than the pricing of the ICE Omoda 5 (RM108,800 to RM118,800). But it does undercut one of its main rivals, the BYD Atto 3; the highest-end model of the SUV – which is most comparable to the E5 – goes for RM167,800.

Only one variant of the Omoda E5 is expected to be offered for the Malaysian market. It features a front-mounted electric motor that can do 204PS and 340Nm of torque, allowing it to go from 0-100kmph in 7.6 seconds with a top speed of 172kmph. It also has a 61kWh battery that can provide up to 430km of range on the stringent WLTP cycle.

As for charging time, the E5 can do 80kW DC charging that can juice up the battery from 30-80% in 28 minutes. AC charging, on the other hand, is set at 9.9kW. Beyond that, it supports 3.3kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) function as well to power electrical appliances and devices.

To recap, the Chery Omoda E5 will be launched in Malaysia later this week on 6 March with an estimated pricing of RM160,000. We’ll find out this Wednesday the finalised price of the electric SUV. More details on the E5 can be found on Chery Malaysia’s official website; you can also register your interest for the EV there.