Arriving in South Africa next year, the hybrid electric C5 will aim not only at parent company Chery's Tiggo Cross HEV, but also the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.
As part of their International User Summit in Wuhu, China, Omoda & Jaecoo held a “Ten-Country Hybrid Marathon”.
A challenge like no other
What this is, basically, is a global endurance challenge designed to showcase the real-world performance and efficiency of their next-generation Super Hybrid System (SHS) cars, driven over hundreds of kilometres by an international contingent of drivers.
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And as fate would have it, I received a call to represent South Africa, and I jumped at the opportunity to compete against drivers from nine other countries.
Unlike traditional short-distance drives, the hybrid marathon covered an expansive route that simulated real-world driving conditions, from dense urban traffic and high-speed highways to the winding mountain passes of China’s scenic Anhui Province.
Omoda C5 SHS-S
My weapon for the challenge was the new Omoda C5 SHS-H, where the ‘H’ stands for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV).
This, in turn, means that it has a small 1.83-kWh battery that powers a small electric motor that, in turn, provides extra power and torque in combination with the existing output of the internal combustion engine.
This battery does not get plugged in to charge like a plug-in hybrid, but is automatically charged by the combustion engine when required. No range anxiety for you.
The Omoda C5 SHS-H has just been launched globally and has officially been confirmed to hit South African shores early next year.
C5 vs Tiggo Cross vs Jolion vs Corolla Cross
With New Energy Vehicles being the fastest growing segment in the world, it makes perfect sense that Omoda are pitching the C5 SHS-H straight at Toyota’s Corolla Cross HEV, Chery’s Tiggo Cross HEV and Haval’s Jolion Pro HEV.
It’s where the current sales volumes are, and where sales will continue to grow.
The Omoda C5 SHS-H has one up on the competition right out of the gate.
Whereas the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV, Chery Tiggo Cross HEV, and Haval Jolion Pro HEV are all powered by naturally aspirated engines, the Omoda C5 SHS-H comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol.
Offering a combined 165kW/295Nm versus the 90 kW from the Toyota, 150 kW from the Chery and 140 kW from the Haval, the Omoda provides even more urge than the others do.
And that is saying something as these new Chinese HEVs are rapid for fuel-efficient, family movers.
Talking of which, perhaps of more importance is fuel consumption when talking about HEVs. In a strict test-controlled test environment, the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV is said to get 837 km from a 36-litre tank of fuel for an average of 4.3 litres per 100 km.
The Chery Tiggo Cross HEV, 1 000km from 51 litres at an average of 5.4 litres per 100 km. And the Haval Jolion Pro HEV, 1 078km from 55-litres at 5.1 litres per 100 km. All very impressive numbers.
The route
But in the real world of everyday driving, that covered everything from mad high-speed overtaking moves on chaotic Chinese highways, to plenty of flat-foot moves to get past dawdling buses, suicidal truck drivers, and slow-moving scooters all over the place.
Add to this hectic rain, wind, walking pace, single lane paths, to old people stepping into the roads, to goats, ducks, dogs, chickens and even a frog that all required manoeuvring around.
I managed to complete 906 km of driving and win the “Ten-Country Hybrid Marathon” for South Africa with an overall consumption of 5.2 litres per 100 km.
Stay tuned…
The last aspect to cover about the incoming Omoda C5 SHS-H is price, and this is the trickiest part of the lot. Obviously, all will be revealed closer to the launch of the car next year and our Chinese hosts.
But right now, the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV XR will set you back R545 200, the Chery Tiggo Cross CSH Elite R469 900, and the Haval Jolion Pro HEV R519 950.
The current top-of-the-range Omoda C5 Elegance X retails for R465 900, and the spec of the C5 SHS-H is very similar, so the educated money should put the new turbocharged car somewhere between the Toyota and the Haval.
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