Chinese cars have come a long, long way, very quickly
There’s an old Chinese proverb. ‘Sān fēn tiān zhù dìng, qī fēn kào dǎ pīn’. OK. Let me help you. Google translated to English it means, ‘three parts fate, seven parts hard work.’ It basically tells you that hard work and perseverance, not destiny, best achieves success.
Well, if that applies to anything, it’s the Chinese auto industry of late. This latest Omoda C9 is the latest Chinese car that has us asking, how the hell did they achieve that? Well, hard work is the straight answer. Perhaps there’s a bit of state aid behind it. Maybe the sweat shop helps. But this is once again a hell of a lot of car for what they want for it.
C9 is hell of a lot of car for what they ask
We’ve known the Omoda brand for a bit. The Chery offshoot arrived in South Africa a year or three back. We were immediately impressed with its first effort C5. OK, that grin was perhaps a bit too cheesy and we were left wondering about the infotainment, the car to human interface and its feel on the road. But still it’s a smart car. For bicycle money. Quite literally considering some of the kit I see at the coffee shop every morning.
C5 and its many variants served Omoda well as a one car range. Now there are two. Meet the Omoda C9. Slated as a luxurious new flagship, the C9 comes in this front-wheel drive and its slightly upmarket AWD sibling. Omoda calls its C9 styling avant-garde. We’re sure that from the pictures, you can understand why we concur. There’s enough Lexus in here to confuse you.
Never mind more than just a passing tribute to Urus there to confound you. Edgy creases and LED lighting, 20-inch alloys and an attitude to satisfy downtown Paris and Milan, as much as New York and Hong Kong. It doesn’t end there, either. As Omoda says, C9’s elegant cutting-edge styling is backed by a sublime looking cockpit packed by an immense list of standard luxury features.
A little Lexus here, some Urus there…
Splendidly resplendent under its airy panoramic sunroof, the multi-colour ambient lit dual-zone climate controlled space is decked out with quite stunning heated and ventilated quilted black leather, power front seats.
A smart heated steering wheel sits ahead of neat 12.3-inch digital dials joined by the 12.3-inch infotainment screen combined as a single curved display. And backed by a heads-up driver’s display too. There’s also wireless smartphone charging, smashing 8-speaker Sony sound and a 540-degree camera system with parking sensos just in case.
The rear cabin climate has a its own controls and vents, there’s a powered tailgate and a raft of highly advanced and sophisticated driver-assistance safety features.
Omoda C9 challenges 8 seconds to 100
No slouch under the bonnet, the Omoda C9 is powered by a creamy 192 kW 400 Nm turbo 2-litre petrol turning this one’s front wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Its impressive, too. Challenging the late sevens to 100 km/h, it pulls strong and virile yet remains impressively economical when taking it easy on the road.
The AWD model adds adaptive suspension with off-road driving modes, Nappa leather upholstery, a black-and-brown interior colour scheme, red brake callipers and 12-speaker Sony sound system. Add an integrated fragrance inside and an adaptive front lighting complete with an intelligent welcome for a hundred grand premium.
One of the better looking cars on the road, this one’s well balanced and smart. Build quality is good and the cabin, on the face of it, is splendid. That job is done. The Chinese now build brilliant looking cars. This doesn’t even look or feel Chinese. Until you drive it. And especially when you start to use the infotainment.
Even more is coming. Like tomorrow morning’s sun.
To be honest, it’s a step in the right direction, but if there are areas where they can still improve, it’s in ride quality and feel, handling and dynamics. We had a top European car in the driveway at the same time. Let’s just say there\’s no comparison in those areas.
And then the infotainment. Yes, it looks great with all the smoke and mirrors. But good luck running it. Even if this one has more knobs and buttons.
But as we discussed up top, these Chinese know how to work. Rest assured; they’re working flat out on these aspects while we sleep. Yes, they say fate has a smaller part to do with it. But that hard work is making this fate ever more ominous.
The shortfalls are already a fraction of the discount. Just imagine when there are no more shortfalls. And somehow we feel that is coming. Like tomorrow morning’s sun… – Michele Lupini
Images & Testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Omoda C9 2.0TGDI 400T Inspire
Engine: 192 kW 400 Nm 2-litre turbo petrol I4
Drive: 8-speed automatic FWD
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 3.86 sec
0-100 km/h: 8.09 sec
0-120 km/h: 11.53 sec
0-160 km/h: 18.45 sec
400m: 15.8 sec @ 148 km/h
80-120 km/h: 6.98 sec
120-160 km/h: 7.61 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 230 km/h
Fuel: 8.2 l/100 km
CO2: 190 g/km
Range: 795 km
Warranty/Service: 7y 200K/7y 100K km
LIST PRICE: R785K
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