It has been a couple of frantic years for new brands gracing our shores, MG and Opel making a comeback, as has Great Wall Motors, now known as GWM, and Build Your Dreams, aka BYD, a newcomer here. All are heavily invested in electrification, especially BYD which is an electric-only proposition here. To this list of newbies, add Omoda.
It’s essentially the rebirth of a company that used to be known as Chery. The latter launched here a decade ago but failed to thrive. The company is still known as Chery in some markets but in most, including here, it will be simply known as Omoda.
The new brand name is a contraction of O for Optimism and Moda for modern, as in lifestyle and future tech. It also sounds Japanese to me, and indeed is a surname there, meaning ‘plentiful, splendid or thriving’.
Anyhow, the brand hasn’t officially launched here yet – the press drives it in the new year and first customer deliveries begin in March – but Omoda has been going strong in Australia for the better part of 2023, selling over 5000 units of its C5 compact crossover. That comes with a 1.5L or 1.6L turbopetrol which might seem odd but the latter evidently outputs 34kW more than the former (108kW /210Nm) for a total of 147kW and 290Nm (0-100 in 7.9sec). The 1.5 runs a CVT, the 1.6 a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission. Evidently, two spec variants will be offered, the top one coming with adaptive LED headlights, leather trim, 18-inch alloys, and a powered sunroof. Next year the E5 will be added to the line-up, a fully electric version of the same crossover.
The various drive trains will launch here simultaneously. Most will be front-drive but AWD versions of the 1.6T will also be on offer. We know little about the E5, except that it has a closed-off grille and will pack a 61kWh battery that can be fast charged to 80 per cent in 35min. It’s evidently sufficient for 450km of travel, the mean energy use figure a claimed 15kWh/100km.
Also coming next year is the C9 and the E9 PHEV. The following year the C7 and E7 PHEV will be added to the roster, all crossover type vehicles.
But wait, there are more models on their way, under the Jaecoo banner, styled and aimed at a ‘more mature’ audience. Two models will be coming, J7 and J8, each with ICE and PHEV power.
Here in New Zealand the operation has kicked off from literally no base. Already 12 dealers have signed on, most in the North Island (five in Auckland) ahead of the March launch next year. In the near future, dealers will be added in the South Island. There are 14 people employed by the fledgling brand.
Omoda is targeting, appropriately, younger buyers who aren’t afraid of being adventurous in their purchases. Styling is deliberately a mix of minimalism and futurism, or ‘Art in Motion’ as the designer described it. The C5 styling features a ‘shark nose’ for a sense of aggression and dynamism, while contrasting colour highlights add a sense of fun and style. Upper variants ride on 18-inch two-tone rims, while inside are a pair of 10.25-inch digital screens, sports seats, Qi charging stations and intelligent voice control. Expect 64 colours of ambient lighting. These can evidently be programmed to change to the beat of the music. There will be six paint options.
Also found in the more upmarket models are level 2 autonomous driving, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, a 360 degree camera and traffic sign recognition. Omoda C5 underwent ANCAP testing in 2022 that resulted in a five-star safety rating.
Pricing and full specification will likely be available towards the end of January 2024 when a launch for the press is tentatively scheduled. Expect sticker prices to be sharp because Omoda is aiming to be the value leader in the sectors in which it competes.
