Omoda is the premium sub-brand of Chinese brand Chery and made its South African debut in 2023 with the launch of the C5 midsized crossover.
Last year the line-up was joined by the larger and more luxurious C9 as a more affordable rival to SUVs such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Lexus NX and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
The more aspirational model is available in two 400T guises powered by a 2.0l petrol turbo engine: a front-wheel drive priced at R785,900 and an all-wheel drive for R885,900. Steep pricing for a Chinese car, it may seem, but a significant saving over the abovementioned German and Japanese rivals, which retail for between R986,000 and R1.2m.
On the surface the Omoda C9 has the goods to challenge its legacy competitors, particularly with its refinement, luxurious interior and eye-catching styling, but there are some foibles when you scratch a little deeper.
It is a strikingly athletic and suave design, with a borderless diamond-shaped grille, sleek LED light bars and coupe-like silhouette, with flush-fitting door handles that pop out when unlocked.
The lush cabin competes favourably with its long-established rivals in perceived quality, and it feels premium with stitched nappa leather upholstery, metallic embellishments and ambient lighting. It is a very roomy interior, with stretch-out room for four to five adults. The 660l boot has a full-sized spare wheel and swallowed an impressive stack of luggage when we took the car on a weekend camping trip.
The all-wheel drive C9 brims with standard features, some of which would be extra-cost options on German competitors. It includes an electric tailgate, heated front and rear seats, a fragrance system, panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker audio system including one in the driver’s headrest, underbody protection, off-road driving modes, adaptive headlights and continuous damping control with three suspension modes.
The dashboard is neat and uncluttered as per the modern trend, with most gadgets operated via the large touchscreen, though I was happy there were physical buttons for the climate control system to help minimise driving distraction. The infotainment system is relatively simple to learn, and when driver-assist functions such as the lane-keeping assist become overbearing, they can be disabled and the car remembers the setting when it is switched off.
There were a few glitches in the test car, however, including the Android Auto system, which intermittently cut the wireless connection with my phone. For most of the three-hour drive to the camping getaway we were without Google Maps and access to my phone’s music, which was irritating.
Getting the driver’s electric seat to memorise a favourite setting was also a hit-and-miss exercise, and an annoying feature was a driver alert function which blinked a warning every few seconds I wasn’t paying attention to the road. The sensor thought my eyes were closed because I was wearing sunglasses. I covered the sensor with tape — problem solved — but Omoda’s engineers need to go back to the drawing board on this one.
There was also a random loud beep in the cabin, with no explanatory warning symbol in the digital driver’s display. It eventually went away.
The digital gremlins put a dampener on an otherwise enjoyable driving experience, particularly with the Omoda’s cushy ride and refinement. The route to the camping destination included gravel roads, which the Chinese SUV tackled with impressive bump-soaking poise. Along with the comfortable ride it seems a well-engineered vehicle with the solid feel it displayed on rough surfaces, with no judders or rattles.
The C9 is not a full-blown off-roader but its elevated ground clearance and all-wheel drive system made for grippy and confident progress along muddy and rutted dirt roads, and there are driving modes for off-road scenarios.
Along with a gutsy 400Nm of torque (that’s what the 400T badge refers to), the C9’s 2.0l turbo engine has 192kW of power, which makes for easygoing gusto and swift overtakes. The engine becomes a little vocal at higher revs, but in general the drive is impressively hushed.
The eight-speed automatic transmission feels sluggish in Eco and Normal modes, but livens up in the Sport setting, and there are gearshift paddles on the steering for drivers who prefer to have more control. It is a relatively frugal car and the tester averaged 9.5l/100km, not too far off the 8.5l/100km factory claim.
Omoda is part of a flood of new Chinese brands entering SA, shaking up the old order with better prices and more features. The marque has been embraced by consumers so far, with the C5 selling about 500 units a month and the C9 around 60.
The C9 is a premium SUV that appears to offer good value and there’s substance behind the flashy facade with its refinement and seemingly solid build. Resale values are an unknown factor for such a new brand but the seven-year/200,000km warranty, 10-year/1-million km engine warranty for the first owner, and seven-year/100,000km service plan, provide some peace of mind. There are 45 Omoda dealers around the country.
The digital glitches we experienced can be exasperating, however — hopefully they can be sorted out with software updates.
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