It’s taken Mazda over a decade. Arguably longer for Volkswagen. But Omoda, the latest Chinese brand to make its move in the increasingly crowded Australian new car market hopes it can succeed as a ‘semi-premium’ brand immediately.
Well, technically speaking Omoda cars have been in Australia since ‘way back’ in 2023, when the Chery Omoda 5 launched. But that has since evolved into the Chery C5 and Omoda has been spun-off as a more premium-focused sub-brand that will sit in its own showrooms alongside the equally-new Jaecoo brand.
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It’s all part of a wider Chery Motors strategy to launch the three separate brands around the world, whether or not each individual market is ready for it or not.
The first standalone product for the brand is the new Omoda 9, which has just arrived in Australia – and we’ve driven it.
The Omoda 9 Virtue SHS (to give it its full name) is a mid-size SUV powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which makes it a direct rival to the likes of the Mazda CX-60, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and BYD Sealion 6. The premium push from Omoda means it will also look to poach sales off the likes of Volkswagen, which like Mazda, has managed to position itself in the space between mainstream brands like Toyota, Hyundai and Kia and the true luxury options, such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus.
It means Omoda has set itself a huge task, given Mazda spent so long elevating itself beyond its rivals, only to struggle when it made its major commitment with the CX-60, CX-70 and co.
Omoda is keeping things simple, with a single model available in a single specification – the Virtue SHS.
Priced from $61,990 (plus on-road costs) it ticks the boxes of what you’d expect from a semi-premium offering. There’s big 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillight, in-built navigation, leather seats, a 14-speaker Song sound system and even an in-built system that diffuses scented fragrances into the cabin.
It also has a distinctive design language that visually separates it from the Chery range (with the obvious exception of the C5), which is critical for Omoda to establish itself as distinctively different. To be blunt, there are some obvious elements of the shape that appear very similar to some more established luxury brands, but taking ‘inspiration’ from rivals is not unique to Omoda.
Inside the Omoda 9 does a good job of presenting itself as a more premium SUV, with all the standard elements you expect these days – large screens, leather seats, plenty of technology and good space.
Where things start to deviate from the positive potential for Omoda is the driving experience. On the plus side the Super Hybrid System (hence the SHS acronym) is a very good powertrain. The combination of a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and three electric motors (two at the front and one at the rear for all-wheel drive) make an impressive 395kW of power.
That’s great performance for a big SUV, and it’s backed up by a 34kWh battery that provides a claimed 145km of electric-only driving range or fuel consumption as low as just 1.4-litres per 100km – on paper, at least.
Unfortunately the chassis just doesn’t match the performance. As Mazda found out the hard way, buyers looking for a premium SUV expect a pampering driving experience while retaining sharp handling. The Omoda 9 simply doesn’t deliver that.
It’s by no means a ‘bad’ SUV, and if it was part of the Chery brand with a more affordable price it would be acceptable. But it just lacks the polish and precision that is needed to be considered properly premium.
The ride is too busy, feeling like it fusses over every bump in the road, while the steering is not weighted evenly and feels dead off-centre. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed with some local ride and handling tuning, but it exposes some of the weaknesses that many new brands struggle with in Australia’s unique conditions.
Chery/Omoda is investing in local tuning for its active safety systems and there are positive signs in that regard. The Omoda 9 does have some issues with its driver attention monitor, which is designed to help you remain focused but can beep so much it actually becomes a distraction.
But the adaptive cruise control and lane centring system that combine to become the mild-autonomous Traffic Jam Assist, is a noticeable step ahead of what we’ve experienced in Chery products. So that’s a positive sign for the future.
So, has Chery delivered a ‘semi-premium’ brand that will have the likes of Mazda, Volkswagen and others worried? If I was in those company’s shoes I would be alert, not alarmed. The Omoda 9 Virtue SHS is a promising addition with some very likeable elements, but it lacks anything that helps it clearly separate it from the competition.
So, in this ever more competitive market, Omoda will need to fight hard for every customer it attracts.
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