Serres 5. There are some hints of a Porsche Macan, but at least it looks different from other Chinese/Ronen Topelberg
Price (base/test): 215 / 235 thousand NIS
Competitors:Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, Skoda ENIAC
We liked:Equipment, performance, urban
comfort We didn't like:Road handling, fast
charging rate Score:8.5/10
Once a week or two, a new Chinese electric crossover lands here with a lot of pretensions. This week it's Ceres 5, the higher-quality model of the young brand, which belongs to one of the oldest Chinese manufacturers, Dongfeng, so it's not just another startup that should hopefully survive to supply spare parts in the future.
We are familiar with the cheaper Ceres 3 sold here until recently and were not enthusiastic: a simple electric without active safety accessories. The 5 is a completely different story, a more advanced vehicle, produced since 2019, and this year finally received full European standardization, allowing its import without restrictions.
Its price: NIS 215,235 for the base version with rear-wheel drive and NIS 5,<> for the dual, puts it directly against the top and most successful crossovers, the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq <> and Skoda ENIAC. A piece of competition. Can he resist it?
High-quality driver environment and relatively large multimedia screen. But why does all the operation have to go through it?/Ronen Topelberg
Design: To its credit, the Ceres 5 will say that it is not just another replica of an existing vehicle. There may be some references to the Porsche Macan, no less, and an attempt to place a kind of coupé crossover. Overall handsome, somewhat reminiscent of perhaps the MG Marvel R.Cabin: when you sit in, the cockpit places it straight in the high-quality Chinese group.
In terms of material quality, design, and we haven't talked about the specifications yet. The operation is performed almost entirely from the multimedia screen, including adjusting the ventilation openings, and switching between the screens as in a smartphone, moving a finger from top to bottom. I felt briefly elderly when I initially looked for a home button to help me orient myself, but once you understand the rules, the system is friendlier – but physical operation buttons are still missing.
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The strong point is the equipment. The Ceres 5 costs in the rear-wheel drive version like the basic Ioniq 5 and ENIAC, and is 10,000 shekels cheaper than the basic Tesla Model Y, but it is as well equipped as their models, which cost tens of thousands of shekels more. A partial list: driver and passenger seats with electric massage and adjustment, panoramic roof, Nappa leather upholstery and plastic wooden panels.
The center screen is 15.6 inches and there's a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. There is also wireless charging for two devices at the same time, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, meanwhile via wire, and from next month also cellular software updates (OTA). The driver also has an efficient head-up view of the driving data on the windshield. There is also a built-in dashcam (DVR), one of the few cars that offer this required accessory.
Safety: The Ceres 5 has not yet been tested in the European crash test, but in the corresponding Chinese test it received 5 out of 5 stars. Three radars, two at the rear and one at the front, along with 3 cameras, enable autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot vehicle detection and rear cross-traffic detection, adaptive cruise control including crawl mode and lane keeping, driver alert alert, door opening warning when a vehicle passes, and more. The vehicle has 6 airbags.
A luggage compartment with a volume of 367 liters is not impressive for a car of this size/ Walla system!, Udi Etzion
The dimensions are competitive for the group, with a length of 4.7 meters, a width of 1.93 meters, a height of 1.62 meters and a wheelbase of 2.875 meters. So no wonder the clearance is very good, front as well as back, where the floor is flat, the seat is not too low and there is an air conditioner port and USB sockets. There is also a lot of light, and on sunny days also heat.
The panoramic sunwindow comes without a blackout curtain as standard, it's not clear why everyone should copy Tesla's screw-up. The importer promises to provide buyers with a folding curtain that can be placed when parked or while driving.
The luggage compartment, like many Chinese cars, is modest compared to the size of the vehicle, with a volume of only 367 liters, and a front compartment of 67 liters.
Excellent performance in the all-wheel drive model. Competition for the Tesla Model Y Long Range, for NIS 35,<> less / Ronen Topelberg
Performance: The basic Ceres 5 at NIS 215,295 has rear-wheel drive, 500 hp, a combined range of 0 km and 100-6 km in 8.235 seconds. The test car was in the all-wheel drive version, NIS 576,95, with all-wheel drive and two engines, 483 hp combined and note the torque figure - 4 kg - a combined range of 2 km and only 0.100 seconds from 0 to <> km/h.
A blow to the back and if you are not also careful of <> for a very quick license revocation.
Good comfort in the city, but the price for the soft suspension is paid on the wavy road / Walla system!, Udi Etzion
Range and charging: Every Saturday has a Saturday night, and on trams - anyone who presses will be stressed when the battery starts running out faster. The 80 kWh battery in both models is larger than usual, but the vehicle is heavy and on test days the combined consumption was 22 kW per 100 km, which means about 360-380 km. We have already seen scarier numbers in crossovers with such performance, but here the fast charging is not impressive enough with a maximum rate of 100 kW, which will delay you charging from 20% to 80% battery in another ten minutes compared to the competition, Mainly the Hyundai and Tesla.
Comfort and handling: The Ceres 5 surprises with good ride comfort at city speeds, less good on undulating roads and imperfect on intercity speeds. The handling is not as sporty as the performance, the soft suspension increases body tilt at turns, and mute steering does not help. At least the ride is quiet. Drive slowly, it also extends the range.
Given the pace of progress from 3 to 5, it will be intriguing to drive the next vehicle from Ceres/Walla!, Udi Etzion
Bottom line: Although the powerful version is faster on paper than the Tesla Model Y Long Range, better equipped and 35,20 NIS cheaper, the base version is actually the better buy. The equipment is the same, the performance is still good, and you can save another NIS 5,3. And it's all for now: sales tax on trams will jump in January, importers will reprice at current currency rates, and the gaps – like the price – will soar.
The Serres <> is truly pampering in its level of equipment, well executed and pleasant to stay and travel. A whole different world from SARS <>. The behavior of the road is proof that even the Chinese cannot close a gap of years with the Europeans and Koreans so quickly, and the range could have been longer. Chinese is not cheap, but it gives value for the cost.
On the technical side: Serres 5
Engine:Electric, power 576 hp, torque 95 kg
Transmission:Automatic, direct transmission. All-wheel
drive Battery:80 kWh
Maximum fast charging speed:100 kW
Dimensions:Length (meters):4.71
Width (meters):1.93
Height (meters):1.62
Wheelbase:2.875
Luggage compartment volume (liter):376 at front, 67 liters at rear
Performance:0-100 km/h (sec):
4.2 Maximum speed
(km/h): 200 Combined Range (manufacturer, km):483
Combined Range (test, km):360-380
Safety:European Crash Test Score:
Not tested. In the Chinese crash test received 5/5 stars
Active safety: autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot vehicle warning, lane departure correction, passing vehicle warning when door opening, rear traffic alert, automatic
high light Warranty:
4 years or 100 thousand km per vehicle, 8 years or 160 thousand km per battery
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