The DR 5 is the volume model of DR Automobiles, the Molise company that has been importing Chinese vehicles and completing them in Italy since 2006. This one is a Chery Tiggo 4, shipped in and finished at DR’s plant at Macchia d’Isernia, where it gets its badges, part of its equipment and, on the bi-fuel version, its gas system. It replaced the DR 5.0, a Chery Tiggo 5x derivative sold from 2020, and sits between the DR 3 and the DR 6 in the range. The body measures 4,318 mm long, 1,831 mm wide and 1,662 mm tall on a 2,610 mm wheelbase, with five seats and a 340-litre boot.
The engine that does most of the work is a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder with 95 CV (94 hp) and 130 Nm, driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual to a top speed of 143 km/h. WLTP consumption is 7.6 l/100 km and CO2 is 172 g/km. The version that makes the car unusual is the bi-fuel, which arrives with an LPG tank and a second fuel system fitted on the line and covered by the standard warranty rather than added by a converter afterwards. On gas the same engine makes 88 CV and 124 Nm, consumption is 9.5 l/100 km and CO2 falls to 160 g/km, and DR quotes up to 1,200 km of combined range across both tanks. DR fits the same factory system across its DR, EVO and Sportequipe badges.
A full hybrid joined the range in 2026, DR’s first. It pairs the 1.5-litre engine with a 150 kW (204 CV) drive motor and a 1.8 kWh LFP battery through a DHT single-speed transmission, with the engine frequently running as a generator rather than driving the wheels. DR quotes 299 CV combined, which is the engine and motor figures added together rather than a measured system output; top speed is limited to 150 km/h, WLTP consumption is 5.3 l/100 km and CO2 is 120 g/km. The hybrid weighs 1,550 kg against 1,326 kg for the manual petrol.
Two trims are offered, the DR 5 and the DR 5 Collection, the latter costing 1,000 euros more and adding matt pastel wrap finishes and its own alloy wheel design. Both carry a twin-screen dashboard panel behind a single piece of glass, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, automatic climate control and a level 2 driver-assistance package with autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian and cyclist recognition. List prices run from 19,900 euros for the petrol to 26,900 euros for the Collection hybrid, and DR runs promotional pricing below those figures for parts of the year.
