Omoda is a spin-off brand from Chery. We think. Photo: James Coleman.
“I don’t know what it is – I’ve never heard of that brand before – but that is a very nice car.”
So the valet man announced as he brought my car around to the front of the hotel.
I know what he means. In the Omoda 9, it’s easy to think you’ve accidentally wound up in a Mercedes instead. The same acres of quilted leather. The gilded metal-look seat adjustment levers are at the top of the door cards. The dark glossy wood. The sweeping screen, with its royal purple graphics.
The difference is that all of this costs from $61,990.
Chinese automakers really are reaching the point where it’s becoming hard to justify spending big on an established luxury brand, or the same amount on a Japanese car, where heated seats are still regarded as the pinnacle of luxury. Cars like these are gutting both ends of the market.
But, should you really buy this car over a Mercedes? Or a Mitsubishi?
What is it?
Like the valet man, I’m not entirely sure.
Chinese brand Chery returned to Australia in 2023, after its initial entrance in 2011 turned into a bit of a flop – think cars with asbestos exhaust gaskets and one-star safety ratings.
Initially, the Omoda was one of their small SUV models (in fact, we reviewed the electric version last year). But recently, Chery decided to set it apart as a standalone brand – a bit like Toyota and Lexus, or something.
Alongside it is Jaecoo, another Chery spin-off, which many have likened to a Temu Range Rover. Except the Jaecoo has a better chance of working and a much lower price tag.
There will eventually be a string of Omoda models, but for now, we start with this – a five-seat SUV called the Omoda 9. There is also only one version, the Virtue, priced from that slightly unbelievable $61,990.
It is definitely a looker. A bit generic, and eerily similar to the BYD Sealion 7, but sharp and well-proportioned. Except for the fake quad exhaust pipes – that’s a travesty.
What is it like to live with?
While the Japanese brands have struggled to get the everyday consumer to understand what on earth a plug-in hybrid is – and how it’s different from an EV and a hybrid – the Chinese have pulled off a rather genius marketing stunt. They’ve dubbed them ‘Super Hybrids’.
MG does it, Chery does it, and now Omoda does it, too.
It means you have a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet, a beefy battery under the floor, and a trio of electric motors throughout. This gives you over 150 km of pure-electric range if you hit the ‘EV’ button on the centre console, and a rather heady total of 1100 km if you run both parts of the system in ‘HEV’ mode.
Having effectively two cars underneath means it is heavy, at over 2.2 tonnes. But also quick, with a 0-100 km/h time of 4.9 seconds. It’s also very Scrooge-y on the fuel, with an average consumption of 5.9 litres per 100 km in my time with it.
There’s clearly a lot of oomph, and the body feels a bit too soggy to cope with it – pitching under acceleration and rolling in corners. The steering isn’t all that connected to the front wheels, and engaging Sport mode to improve this means putting up with a strange whine from the drivetrain.
But it does glide along beautifully, and you’ll be too busy lounging in one of the most comfortable driving positions ever. The centre console not only swoops down like the control panel in a Star Wars fighter, but it’s also perfectly placed to lean your arm on. You can drown out the whining with the Sony sound system, too.
My only real complaint? The park brake won’t release unless your seatbelt is on. That’s perfectly fine most of the time, but infuriating when you just want to move an extra metre up the driveway.
The rest of the safety tech is very well tuned – provided you can live with the odd message flashing up that “you have been distracted” when you’ve looked at the speedo a little too long.
The verdict
An EV sceptic colleague took the Omoda 9 out for lunch one day and returned to the office a changed man. Gushing, in fact. And pondering loudly about why anyone would buy anything else.
The Omoda is not a particularly racy or dynamic choice. A Mercedes would handle better, a Mitsubishi would probably last longer, and the indicator in both wouldn’t sound like it’s monitoring your heart rate.
But for an SUV that does everything most people want – with an eight-year, unlimited kilometre warranty to boot – the only tough decision is working out how to explain what it is you’ve just bought.
There are shades of Cadillac Lyriq about that face. Photo: James Coleman.
2026 Omoda 9 Virtue SHS
- $61,990 (plus on-road costs)
- 1.5-litre turbo-petrol 4-cylinder, 3 electric motors, 395 kW
- 3-speed hybrid transmission, all-wheel drive (AWD)
- 1.4 litres per 100 km claimed fuel consumption, 95 RON
- 145 km claimed electric range, 1100 km claimed total range
- 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds
- 2203 kg
- 8-year, unlimited km warranty
- 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
Thanks to Chery Australia for providing this vehicle for testing. Region has no commercial arrangement with Chery Australia.
Original Article published by James Coleman on Region Canberra.
