It still has Chinese challenges, but the C9 is a class act
It seems Omoda is confused whether to call its plug-in hybrid C9 the SHS or the PHEV. But it all means the same thing. This 440 kW 915 Nm SUV shares its power source between a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine and a herd of electric motors to deliver quite astounding performance, great fuel economy, a ridiculously long driving range and surprising levels of luxury. All this side of a million bucks.
Downsides? Sure. Its Chinese. So as we often tell you, worth its discount. But this one has a few extra positives so let’s tackle all that first. Walk up to the C9 and it conveys a wafty, luxurious feel. Sleek and curvy, it’s very good looking. It’s outgrown its smaller C5 siblings good but gawky looks to deliver a balanced design that works well with all its shiny bits and trinkets. Not least those 20-inch aluminium alloys in 245/50 rubber on red brake callipers.
Omoda C9 possesses a Bentley-like feel
Step aboard and first impressions are even loftier. It possesses a spacious, Bentley-like feel on beautifully crafted, heated and ventilated Nappa pews with an almost boat-like aura to the dash, and all. Best of all it even has a few mighty knobs with most of the basic, important controls easy at hand. Not hidden in some deep cyber compartment. See, the Chinese can do knobs and buttons. Even if we’d prefer even more.
The twin 12.3-inch info and driver’s screen backed by a head-up display are stunted by the typical small Chinese graphics and icons and some lingering odd Mandarin interpretations. Although its’ much better in CarPlay, for instance. We found some of the systems to be overbearing intrusive and unnecessarily unrelenting, however. Which is also typical of Chinese motoring. That really needs to change to fight the best.
There’s also Auto, if yours is an Android device and there’s a 50W wireless mobile charging pad. It seemed to struggle with, and made my iPhone hot, partly because it was often in the direct sunlight. The sunlight also tends to fall on and shine up the central screen to make it difficult to see. There’s Hello, Omoda voice control, which struggled with my diction and accent. Perhaps more time will help it learn me.
Best of all it even has a few mighty knobs
Remote keyless and push-button start is all well and good. But we left the key fob in a golf bag, loaded it in the spacious, if shallow 660 litre boot that expands to 1783 litres via its adjustable rear backrest, and the car locked us out. Took several hours for the AA to come to the rescue. BMWs and Mercs don’t do that. Before we step back out, there’s an impressive 12-speaker Sony sound system, a sweet cabin fragrance system under a panoramic sunroof and C9’s acoustic laminated glass has second row privacy tint.
So, thus far we’d say this Omoda C9 is among the better Chinamen we’ve tested of late. It gets better, though. Packing that 95 kW 215 Nm turbo 1.5 petrol engine and a trio of electric motors, two up front and one at the rear, it musters an electric 335 kW and 700 Nm. Combined output is a monster 440 kilowatts and 915 Newton-meters.
The four power sources are united by Omoda’s specialized 3-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission. It delivers nine different gear combinations to effectively marry gas and electric output. To be frank, this very early version is still crude in operation and can do with quite some refinement. We look forward to tracking that in future. But for now, this Chinese system once again seems to suffer from a lack of proper development.
A sophisticated, if compromised power unit
Fed by a significant 34.5 kWh lithium-iron phosphate underfloor battery, C9 has an electric-only range of up to 150 km. 70 kW charge capable, they say that the C9 will DC fast-charge 30 to 80% in 25 minutes. Good luck finding a nearby fast charger in Africa! More importantly, it will happily recharge overnight on either a home wall box or even on regular Eskom 220V. Capable of 1.4 l/100 km charged up, range is up to a lofty 1100 km.
Packing every warning, control, alert and anagram you can imagine, from adaptive cruise to automatic braking, blind-spot, rear cross-traffic, all the lane devices and more, it can be overbearing. But the ridiculous attention monitor is OTT. A plausible deal breaker. There are also front and rear parking sensors, 540-degree cameras, front dual, front-side, side curtain, driver knee, and bolster airbags. And the rest.
The Omoda C9 SHS’s real trump card is however its sub-five second 0-100, ten second zero to 160 and 13-second, 176 km/h quarter-mile performance in the Auto Test. Never mind 3.53 seconds 80-120 km/h overtaking ability. It could be even quicker if it launched properly. It takes a few tenths to get its act together. That refinement, you know?
C9 SHS is a rocketship in its own right
To properly weigh the Omoda C9 SHS up, its perhaps pertinent to compare it to the similarly plug-in hybrid BMW X3 30e. Producing only 220 kW 450 Nm from its 2-litre petrol four-pot and 134 kW synchronous electric motor through typical BMW 8-speed automatic all-wheel drive, we trapped it at 5.85 seconds to 100, 14.30 seconds to 160 with a 14.1 second 400 metres at 159 km/h in the same Auto Test.
The Beemer launched properly, lacks any jerky interface between power sources and bore all the Teutonic Bavarian excellence we’d expect. The X3 is also day and night better at just about every aspect of ride, handling, feel and feedback. But it’s slower and less powerful than the Omoda. And costs a third more.
Which in our mind, puts this Chinese pretender in a very strong position. If you're inclined to be seen in a Chinese car, of course. Point is, whatever the answer to that one is, there may come a time when you will be more compelled to buy Chinese. Yes, this Omoda suffers some infuriating and wholly unnecessary nannies, it’s far cruder and crasser than the Beemer, falls flat in dynamics and feels under-developed in ways.
But believe us when we say that those compromises will only improve in good time. And at three hundred grand off, the Omoda C9 PHEV may very well already be compelling enough already. Warts and all. - Michele Lupini
Images & testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Omoda C9 1.5T PHEV Explore AWD
Engine: 95 kW 215 Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol
Hybrid: 375 kW 700 Nm 3x Electric Motors
Total system output: 440 kW 915 Nm
Battery: 34.5 kWh lithium-iron phosphate
Drive: DHT AWD
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 2.22 sec
0-100 km/h: 4.98 sec
0-120 km/h: 6.96 sec
0-160 km/h: 10.98 sec
400m: 13.1 sec @ 176 km/h
80-120 km/h: 3.53 sec
120-160 km/h: 4.02 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 180 km/h
Fuel Charged: 1.4 l/100 km
Fuel Petrol: 6.9 l/100 km
CO2 Combined 32 g/km
Range Electric: 150 km,
Range Overall: 1100 km
Warranty/Service: 7y 200K/7y 100K km
LIST PRICE: R999K
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