Meet the Seres 5: an electric newcomer that will be available with up to 585 hp fully electric powertrains, but will also be supplied with a range extender. The Seres 5 will come to the Netherlands this year and should cost less than 50 grand.
After the 3, which has just been reintroduced in a refreshed form, the Seres 5 is the second achievement of Seres to come to the Netherlands. The Seres 5 takes a completely different approach than its smaller brother. At least, partly. Seres puts the 5 emphatically as premium high-tech model in the market. Although such descriptions are of course easy to use, Seres promises beautiful finishes and lots of equipment. An agreement with the Seres 3: importer Astara does not seem to want to win the top prize for it.
The electric Seres 5 SF…
What exactly is a Seres 5? The Seres 5 is a 4.71 meter long SUV whose silhouette reminds us somewhat of that of Infiniti’s FX. In terms of size, it is comparable to cars like the Audi Q5. The Seres 5 comes with three different powertrains. The first two are completely electric and are called Seres 5 SF. There will be a 300 hp and 420 Nm strong rear-wheel drive variant (Standard) and a four-wheel drive version with – hold on – 586 hp and 940 Nm (Premium). The Standard has a top speed of 180 km/h and reaches a speed of 100 km/h from a standstill in 6.8 seconds. The four-wheel drive version runs a little faster at 200 km/h. They both come with an 80 kWh battery that you can fill with electricity with 120 kW. Seres speaks of a WLTP range of 500 kilometers. Interesting: a Flagship version of the four-wheel drive Seres 5 SF with a 90 kWh ‘semi-solid-state’ battery will also follow later. Seres couldn’t yet tell us what exactly that means. However, with that later package, the Seres 5 SF should be able to travel up to 530 kilometers on a full battery.
Fun fact: Seres calls the fully electric version of this SUV ‘Seres 5 SF’. The letters ‘SF’ stand for Saker Falcon, a falcon species with the Dutch name Sakervalk. The complete shape of the side window of the Seres 5 SF is inspired by the shape that a bird of prey takes when it takes a dive. Marketing talk? Possibly, but we do see a window that tapers towards the rear that an otherwise motorized variant of the Seres 5 would have to do without.
…and the Seres 5 with range extender. This is actually an Aito M5: a Seres 5 modified by Huawei and Seres that is now coming to the Netherlands again as Seres. Confusing.
The Seres 5 will also be available without the SF addition. It not only has a different front, but also a completely different side window and a different rear. How does that happen? Hold on. The electric Seres 5 SF is secretly a completely different car than the Seres 5 without SF addition. The Seres 5 with range extender is an Aito M5 that is far-from-Seres. The Aito M5 is in turn a variant of the Seres 5 SF adapted by Seres and Huawei. Are we still there? Good: the Seres 5 without SF addition is always electrically powered, but has a 120 hp 1.5 four-cylinder on board that acts as a range extender. This ‘plug-in hybrid’ Seres 5 has a 40 kWh battery that is large enough for a range of up to 150 kilometers. The total range – with the help of the petrol engine – must be more than 1,000 kilometers.
Seres 5
Less than €50,000
The electric Seres 5 SF, like the Seres 5 with range extender, should have a starting price of less than €50,000. The final Dutch prices will be announced later this year, as will an introduction moment. What is certain is that he will have to come this year. Just like the Seres 3, the Seres 5 is also good as standard, regardless of the chosen drivetrain. These cars also always have a panoramic glass sliding/tilting roof, a 360-degree camera, leather upholstery and a large (15.6-inch) infotainment screen. The Seres 5 also always has electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated front seats. Charging other electrical appliances or even other EVs? Also possible thanks to V2L and V2V technology. There are also options: massage seats, rear seat heating and steering wheel heating.
