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Some cars promise to do it all, but never quite live up to it.
However, this one – the all-new Omoda 9 from Chery’s breakout luxury sister brand – could be a little different, offering a taste of a caviar lifestyle on a fish-n-chips budget, as well as the power of a sprinter with the efficiency of a marathon distance runner, and the ability to green your conscience and drive like an electric vehicle (EV) around town without wasting your time or money on a long-distance road trip.
So, let’s dig a little deeper and find seven things we like about the Omoda 9 that might just help it live up to that promise.
1. Colour is the only choice
Omoda makes it simple, with just a single, highly-specced version of the Omoda 9 available – the Virtue SHS priced at $61,990 before on-road costs.
So the only choice buyers need to make is picking one of four exterior paint colours – silk white, ink black, dove grey or the shadow grey of our test car.
2. Sharp exterior styling
Whichever one you choose, the Omoda 9 is a classy looking vehicle with a unique visual aesthetic.
The front end is dominated by a cascading diamond-shaped grille and a lighting signature that includes a full-length light bar which links each of the LED headlights, as well as vertical daytime running lights.
It’s an unmissable face that proves Omoda has moved beyond the copycat design philosophies that still plague some of its Chinese rivals.
The lights also do a dance when you approach the vehicle with the key fob, while the wing mirrors project the Omoda logo and a wide beam of light onto the road, which are nice touches.
The multi-spoke 20-inch wheels sit nicely in the wheel-arches, and the Aston Martin-esque spear that pierces through the front doors and into front fenders adds a little detail to the beltline.
Overall, the Omoda 9 plants a footprint somewhere between a mid-size and large SUV, measuring 4775mm in length and 1920mm wide on a 2800mm wheelbase, making it roughly the same as a Toyota Kluger.
But the Omoda’s sportier profile, thanks to its sloping rear roof line, means it is only a five-seater.
Still, it’s a pretty good looker among some of its boxier, more slab-sided rivals.
3. Long list of standard equipment
Even more so than its handsome design, the Omoda 9 amplifies its value for money equation with an extensive list of standard equipment that, beyond what we’ve already mentioned, includes:
- Panoramic sunroof
- Rear privacy glass
- Power tailgate
- Leather interior trim
- Power adjustable steering column
- Heated steering wheel
- Power-adjustable drivers and passenger seat
- Power-adjustable reclining rear seat
- Heated and ventilated front and rear seats
- Dual-zone climate control
- Rear air vents
- In-built fragrance dispenser
- Cooled centre console
- Multi-coloured interior ambient lighting
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Embedded satellite navigation
- Bluetooth connectivity
- DAB+ digital radio
- Hello Omoda voice commands
- Wireless phone charger
- 14-speaker Sony audio system
4. Luxurious interior treatment
Now, it’s all good and fine to tick plenty of boxes, but that doesn’t always translate to being useful in the real world.
But the Omoda 9 is different, and its cabin is presented with a genuine sense of luxury and practicality.
For starters, there’s a hint of Mercedes-Benz in the overall interior design, from its large sweeping centre console bin topped by twin side-hinged arm rests to the cavernous chilled binnacle between the seats, the ring of LED ambient lights that flow around the dash and into the door cards, and, most obviously, the door-mounted controls to adjust the front seat positioning.
But then again, the Omoda 9 has some truly unique elements too, like the twin double-spoke steering wheel with flat bottom, and the sci-fi graphics at either end of the twin digital screens.
Somehow, it all comes together rather nicely with top quality materials, including the leather trim which extends beyond the seats and onto the lower portion of the dash and into the door cards, and a mix of chrome, piano black and fake woodgrain highlights.
The seats aren’t quite as plush as they look, especially if you’re taller or larger than average, with a short base cushion and snug side bolsters, and they are positioned quite high, which provides a commanding view of the road ahead but does compromise headroom.
However, there’s ample space in the rear for three kids or two adults to travel comfortably in, thanks to generous legroom, rear air vents, USB power outlets and decent-sized door bins.
Being a large SUV with only two rows of seats ensures the Omoda 9 has plenty of boot space, with a claimed cargo capacity of 660 litres with the 60:40-split folding rear bench seat in place, and up to 1783L when it is folded flat.
5. Long-distance driving range
The real kicker is the under the bonnet, where the Omoda 9 has a plug-in hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with three electric motors – two on the front axle and a third one on the rear axle – linked by a three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission.
Omoda calls this a Super Hybrid System (SHS) that delivers the best attributes of an EV with the long-distance cruising range and convenience of a conventional SUV with an internal combustion engine.
The petrol engine on its own produces just 105kW of power and 215Nm of torque, but the combined output of the PHEV system amps peak power up to a staggering 395kW, giving it the ability to sprint from 0-100km/h in less than five seconds, which is rapid for a big SUV.
The three-speed transmission works with the two electric motors on the front axle, with the rear-mounted electric motor providing all-wheel drive traction.
The powertrain can be used in multiple modes, including a dedicated EV mode that employs the 34kWh battery pack to deliver up to 169km of zero-emissions driving, and enables Omoda to claim a combined fuel consumption figure of just 1.4L/100km. That means the 9 has a theoretical maximum driving range of 1100km before the battery needs to be replenished or the 70L fuel tank has to be refilled.
6. Advanced safety systems
On top of the whiz-bangery under the bonnet, the Omoda 9 is kitted out with an extensive array of advanced safety and driver assistance systems, including:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Forward Collision Warning
- Lane keeping assistance
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Traffic Jam Assist
- Rear collision warning
- Rear cross traffic alert
- Door opening warning
- Driver attention monitoring
- Speed sign recognition
- Automatic parking assist
- Front, rear and side parking sensors
- 360-degree parking display
- Eight airbags (Dual front, side and curtain, as well as driver knee and centre airbags)
7. Peace of mind
Omoda Jaecoo – the luxury spin-off brands from Chery – both offer an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for all of their models, including the Omoda 9, including free roadside assistance and capped price servicing for the entire period.
Currently, Omoda has a special incentive for new buyers until the end of September, offering free servicing for the first five years.
The Omoda 9’s service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, with each visit costing between $299 and $499 during the first six years, with a major service due at 120,000km that costs $750.
CarExpert’s Take on the Omoda 9
All in all, the Omoda 9 is one of the most convincing new models under the Chery umbrella to arrive in Australia so far.
It looks good, drives nicely, is smooth, quiet and deceptively fast when you need it to be, and it’s as much of an electric car as it is a long-distance cruiser. It’s also loaded with tech, spacious and well presented inside, and ticks all of the boxes for safety.
And it doesn’t break the bank to give you a little slice of luxury.