VIDEO: Omoda C9 shaping-up to be a segment disrupter

Establishing a new brand and then convincing brand loyal buyers of other marques to change in a market as tough as South Africa has been a challenge Chinese brand Omoda isn’t scared of admitting to.

Making the climb

The first sub-brand of resurgent parent company Chery to have entered the local market, Omoda has also been waging a different path as a means of not being compared to its parent.

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Along with fellow affiliate Jaecoo as part of the O&J division, Omoda, while leveraging off of Chery on the platform and powertrain fronts, operates separately from different dealers, with a different marketing team and market approach.

Despite this, the challenges of setting-up shop from scratch remains, though since its arrival last year, its first model, the C5, has been winning gradual favour despite a few niggles relating to driveability and overzealous safety systems.

C9: What is it?

One of Chery’s upscale sub-brands as the flagship Exeed division will never be marketed locally due to production being left-hand-drive only, the second step for Omoda involves, ironically, an Exeed model in the shape of the Yaoguang soon to launch as the Omoda C9.

A surprise showing at the Kyalami Festival of Speed last year, the chance to experience the Yaoguang, known outside China as the Exeed RX, arrived in January in the form of a left-hand-drive prototype modelled on a Russian market variant.

Now homologated with the steering gear on the correct side, The Citizen was given an exclusive preview drive at the end of last month of the South African-spec C9 buyers will be privy to.

Still to be priced, but set to become the most expensive vehicle assembled in the People’s Republic sold locally, a projected price tag of below R1-million has been mentioned – but not confirmed – for the range-topping all-wheel-drive variant.

As is the local line-up will consist of two models, both petrol-powered with the sole difference being front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, the first drive involved the former which, apart from the change in steering gear, hasn’t changed much from the prototype inside and out.

Inside and out

That in itself isn’t necessarily bad as at first glance, the C9 appears striking if not as futuristic as the C5 or as rugged as the Jaecoo J7.

Deliberate though as emphasis has been placed on luxury, the coupe-styled C9 remains a looker with lines and creases derived from the China-only Honda Avancier, Citroën C5 X and the Range Rover Evoque.

The latter being no coincidence as a result of Range Rover parent company, JLR, having a joint venture with Chery, the C9, in this case, rides on a platform unique to Exeed/Omoda with dimensions of 4 781 mm in overall length, a wheelbase of 2 815 mm, height of 1 671 mm and width of 1 920 mm.

South Africa being the first right-hand-drive market to receive it, the interior still boasts a minimalist design with an expansive floating centre console housing three periscope-style physical knobs for the climate control and drive mode selector.

Lacking for very little on the quality front with soft-touch materials and premium levels of fit-and-finish, the tech fest comes courtesy of a dual 12.6-inch instrument cluster and infotainment system, the latter with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the now optimised Hey Omoda prompt for the voice recognition system.

Spacious and packed

An arrangement that will require familiarisation given the sheer number of functions that could prove overwhelming and difficult from the start, the system doubles-up as the display for the 360-degree surround-view camera system both C9 variants will have as standard.

In addition, eight airbags will be included, along with a fragrance dispenser, an augmented reality Head-Up Display, remote engine start, two 50-watt wireless smartphone chargers located in the centre console, heated and cooled rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, active ambient lighting and a 14-speaker Sony sound system.

Despite both rear head-and-legroom leaving little to complain about, the C9 still features what Omoda calls the “boss seat.

In effect, this allows those seated on the left to move the front passenger seat forward as a means of aiding legroom further.

Only able without the seat in question being occupied, of course, the offset is the passenger’s side being able to recline in an ottoman-type fashion while incorporating a massaging function in addition to the heating and ventilation.

On the practical side, opening the electric tailgate reveals a sizeable boot reports from China allege can accommodate 500-litres with the 60/40 split rear seat not lowered.

Same story

Whereas the initial driving experience had previously been limited, taking the C9 for a more extensive bout, including on the highway, did reveal an all too familiar situation that continues to blight the majority of vehicles originating from China.

Up front, motivation comes from the same 2.0 T-GDI engine as the Tiggo 8 Pro Max which has been upgraded from 187kW/390Nm to 192kW/400Nm.

In place of the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, Omoda has opted for an eight-speed torque converter automatic it says has been specifically selected based on extensive buyer research.

As promising as it sounds, the discord between the ‘box and engine sadly remains as sudden throttle inputs see it shifting down too quickly and hesitantly, resulting in the C9 becoming breathless and momentarily, without sufficient boost.

What’s more, throttle calibration remains a lingering issue as initial input comes with a delayed reaction before the C9 takes-off. The same applies to the overly light electric power steering that feels numb.

Selecting Sport mode – the others being Eco, Standard, Sand, Snow, Mud and Off-Road – did improve matters a bit as the admittedly heavy almost 2.5-ton C9 felt a bit punchier but still capable of being livelier as evident by its outputs.  

On the opposite side of the coin, refinement inside the C9 is commendable as the cabin is quiet and the seats unsurprisingly comfortable.

While the overenthusiastic safety and driver assistance system are indeed present, Omoda has indicated that it will be introducing an override that not only switches the tech off completely but keeps it off until being put back on by the driver.

Likely to be the main drawing card, the C9 gets Omoda’s Continues Damping Control system, which, as its name indicates, adjusts the dampers depending on the road conditions.

Able to iron out bumps while providing a ride a tad on the floaty side, the set-up is largely comfortable and set to pay dividends on the long road in making the C9 a real mile muncher.

Conclusion

Fine-tuning is a term widely used to describe the shortcomings of Chinese cars when it comes to driving feel and dynamics.

The Omoda C9 is no exception as the drivetrain, steering and programming of the accelerator require the biggest finessing in order for it to become a serious segment consideration it is stacking-up to be given its features list and supposed sub-R1-million price tag.

Given the rate at which China has been revising its product to meet export market’s requirements though, the C9 has the potential to ruffle more than a few feathers once free of its current foibles.

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