When you think about it, it’s quite surprising that for most of the 20th and 21st centuries, the world’s second largest economy never really bothered to sell any cars in the UK. I suppose when you have a population of more than one billion people, you don’t need to worry so much about 'other markets'. But still, considering that we buy cars from France, Germany, the USA, Italy, Japan and Korea, to name but a few, we have mostly ignored, and been ignored by, (Donald Trump voice) China.
At least, that used to be the case. The not-so-eagle-eyed among you will have noticed in the past year that the streets are verging on being overrun with Chinese-made electric cars and hybrids. The first real breach of the walls was conducted by the Jaecoo 7, which was dubbed the ‘Range Rover killer’ because, well it looked a bit like one, supposedly had similar levels of refinement, and costs about £30,000.
Whether or not the Jaecoo 7 achieved its goal is somewhat irrelevant, because they are selling like freshly steamed jiaozi. And it’s not just Jaecoos, but BYDs, Omodas, Cherys, and everything else. Per the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), one in every 10 cars sold in the UK in June was made in China. Omoda and Jaecoo, which are both owned by parent brand Chery, have already taken a 1.5% market share of UK car sales, per Autotrader, in less than a year. To compare, it took Hyundai 24 years to achieve that feat, and Kia 15 years. They now outsell Tesla. It is not that the Chinese are coming, but that they are already here, and it happened so fast we did not even notice.
There are plenty of people in the UK that will never buy a Chinese car, for reasons that range from the valid to the, well, you know. But there are plenty more people who do not care where a car is made, or how hostile its market entry has been, and simply purchase and drive cars from A to B. Their main concerts are simple — does the car work? Is it comfortable? Is it affordable? Will it explode when I am in it? And so on.
That affordable bit is perhaps the most important. Many of the established brands, especially the European ones, are making cars that range from ‘quite’ to ‘very’ expensive. Why bother getting a Ranger Rover Velar, BMW X3 or Volvo XC60 when you can buy an Omoda 9 for less? It looks kinda the same, and comes with leather seats and Apple CarPlay.
And all of that before we even consider whether the Omoda 9 is actually a good car — which it is. Suddenly, the case is becoming extremely compelling indeed.
The Omoda 9 is a five-seat, five-door SUV that is quite dull in the way that good cars tend to be. I am perhaps being unfair: The front of the thing is quite curious looking, enough that when I turned up to places driving it, people were curious as to what it was. ‘Oh’, I would say, ‘It’s an Omoda 9’. The reply would often be ‘what is an Omoda 9’, but I have a feeling that it will not be like that for long.
What is interesting about the Omoda is just how very usable it is. Let’s start with the price. £44,990 will get you not only the car, but everything else. It comes with only one specification, which includes all the available bells and whistles, such as automatic parking, 540º degree panoramic camera, a 14-speaker Sony audio system, a panoramic sunroof, heads-up display, and — ideal for a hay-fever sufferer such as myself — an air-purification system. The only ‘extra’ you can change is the colour. The most expensive, fanciest Omoda 9 is the only Omoda 9.
To drive it is comfortable enough. Powered by a hybrid system of a 1.5 litre petrol engine combined with three electric motors (known as the Super Hybrid System), it will put together 450hp, a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds and a range of 700 miles. And it will do so comfortably.
There is plenty of space inside, and like all decent cars it comes with a panoramic roof so is delightfully bright. The boot is big, the back seats are adjustable, and everything is functional and cosy.
The ride was luxurious without being too ‘wafty’ and when combined with the ‘everything as standard’ trimline made the car a perfectly pleasant place to sit and watch the miles drift by. Perhaps do not too much ‘drifting’, as the various driver aids are not fantastic, but when are they ever.
More than anything, this is a car that looks, feels, and drives like it should cost a lot more than it does. There are downsides, of course: the aforementioned driving aids, the infotainment system can be a bit tricky and looks a little cheap (the only thing in the car that does, to be fair) and it is not tremendously easy to see out of the back, which will annoy people who have yet to fully submit to the camera view when trying to park.
The proof of the Omoda 9, and the many other Chinese-made cars in the UK, will be in the pudding. It is still too soon to comment on things like build quality and reliability, but the car felt very put together and luxurious. It also comes with a 7-year/100,000 mile warranty as standard, so if things do fall off, you can get them repaired quickly at one of the 74(!) retailers across the land.
Will the Omoda change the minds of those who would not be seen dead in anything other than a Range/Land Rover, BMW or Audi? It is unlikely. But for those who like to travel around the country in luxury, and are looking to save a little bit of money on the side, the Omoda 9 has certainly made a case for being ‘the next best thing’.
On the road: Omoda 9
Price: £44,990
0-62mph: 4.9 seconds
Top speed: 124mph
Range: 700 miles (quoted)
Efficiency: 43mpg
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