The Omoda C5 SHS has officially touched down in South Africa, and it’s making a strong case for itself as one of the more compelling hybrid crossovers in the Chinese brand’s growing local line-up. Priced from R479,900, this is the flagship of the entire C5 family — and it arrives as Omoda’s third hybrid offering in the country, following the C7 SHS and C9 SHS that landed here last year. To sweeten the deal for early buyers, the brand is throwing in a R10,000 launch discount for the first month of sales.
Unlike its C7 and C9 siblings, it’s worth being upfront about something: the C5 SHS is a standard hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), not a plug-in hybrid. That means there’s no charging port, no all-electric driving mode, and no claiming free kilometres from a wall socket. What you do get is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine working in tandem with an electric motor and a 1.83kWh battery pack, combining for a healthy 165kW and 295Nm through a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) driving the front wheels.
To put that in perspective, the regular petrol C5 models produce 115kW and 230Nm — so the hybrid system adds a meaningful 50kW to the equation. For those wondering how it stacks up against the Chery Tiggo Cross CSH hybrid, which pushes out 150kW and 310Nm, the Omoda edges ahead on power but gives away a little on torque. In real-world terms, the C5 SHS sprints from 0 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds and tops out at 175km/h — respectable numbers for a family crossover.
The bigger story, though, is what happens at the pumps. Omoda claims an average fuel consumption of just 4.9 litres per 100km, compared to 6.9l/100km for the standard petrol C5. Paired with a 51-litre fuel tank, that translates to a theoretical range of over 1,000 kilometres between fill-ups — a figure that will resonate strongly with South African drivers who deal with long distances and fluctuating fuel prices on a daily basis.
What the Omoda C5 SHS Brings to the Table as a Hybrid Flagship
As the range-topper, the C5 SHS doesn’t hold back on the equipment front. On the outside, it rides on 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 215/55 tyres, gets red brake calipers, a sunroof, powered tailgate, roof rails, and full LED lighting with automatic activation. Six colour choices are available — four single-tone options including Bloodstone Red, Carbon Crystal Black, Khaki White, and Phantom Grey — as well as two dual-tone combinations featuring Carbon Crystal Black paired with either Aerial Silver or Khaki White.
Step inside and you’ll notice the interior has been redesigned compared to the standard C5 petrol models. There’s a more symmetrical dashboard layout and a cleaner bridge-style centre console that replaces the floating design found in the ICE variants. The cabin is kitted out with leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, ambient lighting, and acoustic glass windows for a quieter ride.
Tech highlights include dual 12.3-inch screens — one for the driver display, one for infotainment — along with an eight-speaker Sony sound system, a 50W wireless phone charger, voice command functionality, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On the safety side, buyers get seven airbags, a 360-degree camera, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, front and rear parking sensors, and electronic stability control. Boot space checks in at 372 litres, expandable to 1,072 litres with the 60:40 rear seats folded flat.
Every C5 SHS purchase comes backed by a 5-year/150,000km factory warranty, a 5-year/75,000km service plan, and a remarkable 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty for the first owner. As we see it, Omoda is clearly playing the long game in South Africa — and with the C5 SHS sitting at R479,900 against a spec sheet that rivals far pricier European alternatives, there’s a genuine value proposition here that budget-conscious but tech-hungry South African buyers are unlikely to ignore.