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Chery-owned brand's latest SUV will solely be offered as a plug-in hybrid with the same drivetrain as sister brand Jaecoo's J7 SHS.
Omoda C7 will exclusively be offered as a plug-in hybrid. Image: Omoda & Jaecoo South Africa
Set to make its long awaited market launch within the coming weeks, Omoda & Jaecoo has revealed official powertrain details of the incoming Omoda C7 that will straddle the gap in the marque’s line-up between the C5 X-Series and the C9.
Powertrain selection now final
Unveiled in production guise in Thailand in March and then at the Beijing International Auto Show the following month, the C7 will make its first public showing at the Durban July this weekend solely as a plug-in hybrid under the Super Hybrid System (SHS) moniker.
Although set to produce 265kW/530Nm in Thailand, for South Africa, the electrified powertrain will be detuned, but still paired to a single-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).
The same unit sister brand Jaecoo debuted in the J7 SHS last month, the C7 SHS pairs a 1.5 T-GDI engine with an 18.4-kWh battery pack powering a single electric motor on the rear axle.
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Combined, the setup develops the same 255kW/525Nm as in the J7 SHS, allowing for an all-electric range of 105 km and a total of 1 200 km when taking the combustion engine into consideration.
Supporting DC fast charging up to 40 kW will require a waiting time of 20 minutes from 30-80%.
While able to get from 0-100 km/h in a claimed 8.5 seconds in Thailand, the South African-spec C7 will possibly be a fraction slower despite its lowered outputs coming with an additional reduction in combined range of 50 km. The opposite, though, is that its EV-range is greater by 15 km.
Likely spec and price
Developed specifically for export markets, and therefore unlikely to be sold in its home market, the C7 SHS’s likely specification items will include a 14-speaker Sony sound system, a fragrance dispenser, quad-zone climate control, and a marque first 15.6-inch infotainment system.
While unconfirmed at present, likely pricing for the C7 SHS could start between R500 000 and R700 000 based on the flagship C5 X-Series retailing from R465 900 and the entry-level C9 from R785 900.
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