2020 Chery eQ5 Electric SUV. 1st generation
The Chery eQ5 is an electric compact SUV manufactured by the Chinese auto giant Chery. The vehicle is positioned as an intelligent city car. It was introduced back in 2019 under the name S61, promising to be ‘a game changer in exterior and interior design’. However, it went on sale in August 2020 as the eQ5, and almost immediately underwent a minor restyling, which touched the intelligent options of the vehicle. Estimated prices in the world market are from 29 to 36 thousand dollars. In 2022, it will appear in Israel. The importer and price are still unknown. But we will tell you everything we know at the moment.
The new Chery eQ5 belongs to the so-called ‘ant’ series, all cars of which are united by a single name Ant (蚂蚁, ‘ant’). While there are few cars in the family: the Chery eQ1 city hatchback, known as the Little Ant, and the Chery Big Ant, which is how the eQ5 compact SUV is called in China. The rear-wheel drive 5-seater eQ5 is built on an aluminum platform specifically designed for electric vehicles. The high-strength platform is composed of an aluminum-magnesium alloy and is officially only 60% of the weight of a standard steel platform.
Exterior
The 2021 Chery eQ5 has a well-balanced body and an impressive front end. If desired, you can really see the similarities between its front face and the physiognomy of an ant. But if you don’t look closely, you might not see it.
The vehicle’s unusual design was developed by the Italian studio Pininfarina. Similar in size to the Nissan X-Trail or Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs, the electric eQ5 is 4,630 mm long, 1,910 mm wide and 1,655 mm high. But the wheelbase of the Chinese vehicle is much longer (2,830 mm), because it is based on the original electric platform.
Powertrains and chassis
The manufacturer initially planned to release three rear-wheel drive SUV variants, including low-power, standard and high-performance versions, with a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle. So, there are currently ‘big ants’ with motors producing 164 hp, 178 hp and 204 hp. The electric ‘ant’ is quite dynamic, accelerating to 100 km/h in about 6 seconds and developing the maximum speed of 200 km/h. The vehicle comes with a single-speed transmission.
The new low-power and standard Chery eQ5 models use a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 70.1 kWh and a weight of 456 kg, which, according to NEDC standards, allows you to travel 510 km on a single charge. The high-performance version of the electric vehicle is powered by an 88 kWh lithium-ion battery with a nominal NEDC range of 620 km. It is worth remembering that the NEDC cycle is Chinese and slightly outdated. Most likely, in real conditions, the declared driving range will be lower. DC chargers need 30 minutes to charge the battery to 80%, while standard chargers require 11 to 13 hours to fully charge the battery.
Interior and equipment
The 2021/2022 Chery eQ5 features a fully digital dashboard. The central infotainment display comprises two 12.3-inch monitors. The ‘Big Ant’, like many modern Chinese cars, is richly equipped with advanced options, and therefore is positioned by the automaker as an ‘intelligent car’. The list of options includes:
- fast wireless charger;
- facial recognition system for owners;
- air quality monitoring system;
- level 2 autonomous driving system.
The front seats are electric, heated and ventilated. Moreover, the vehicle comes with a panoramic roof, an all-round visibility system and adaptive cruise control with three radars and a camera under the glass. As for the safety features, the new eQ5 has parking assistance, forward collision avoidance, blind spot monitoring and lane keeping assist. These and other functions are combined into a single intelligent system that is updated via the Internet.
