A new premium SUV from Chinese brand Chery has been spotted in Australia for the first time, albeit without any of the brand’s badging.
Expected to be sold as the Chery Omoda C9 in Australia, the five-seat SUV was spied in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) form at the Heartland Chery dealership in Chullora, Sydney… and with the steering on the right side.
While Chery has already received approval from the Australian Government to sell the C9 in Australia, the brand only sought approval for non-PHEV versions.
Approval documents list two variants of the Omoda C9: one with front-wheel drive and one with all-wheel drive, both with a 183kW turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The PHEV uses a 1.5-litre Miller cycle four-cylinder engine. This is mated with either two or three electric motors, and either 19.43kWh or 34.46kWh batteries.
Total system outputs are 270kW of power and 605Nm of torque with the dual-motor configuration, or 445kW and 915Nm with the tri-motor plug-in powertrain.
The Omoda C9 is similar in size to the Kia Sorento, though it has only two rows of seating.
In markets like China the model is badged as the RX or Yaoguang and sold under Chery’s premium Exeed brand, however the car seen in Sydney wears Omoda C9 badging like in other export markets.
Specced in white with a red interior, the spied C9 features a sloping front end with a diamond grille pattern and wraparound light bar, while built-in door handles give it a sleek side profile.
Nine-spoke wheels were fitted to the undisguised new arrival.
A low roofline folds down at the rear of the car, which also houses a large single light bar under silver Omoda badging.
The rear bumper houses integrated anodised exhaust tips, a styling cue straight out of the Genesis playbook.
Moving inside, the interior of the spied C9 is headlined by a curved combined infotainment and instrument screen, which stretches from the driver’s door right across the centre of the dash.
The seats, door cards and dash front are trimmed in red leather, with black accents elsewhere.
Dual wireless phone chargers sit atop the central tunnel, while natural light reaches the cabin through a panoramic glass roof.
While a full equipment list isn’t available, in China the SUV is also offered with heated, ventilated and massaging power-adjustable front seats finished in Nappa leather; LED headlights with adaptive high-beam; and an augmented reality head-up display.
All models use a Sony sound system, with either eight or 14 speakers depending on the variant.
Active safety and driver assist technology features include adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and rear cross-traffic assist.
In addition to the C9 and the Omoda 5, Chery has also revealed the Omoda 7 to slot in between them as the Omoda brand continues to grow.
Exeed RX
Omoda isn’t currently being marketed as a separate brand here as it is in other markets, but approval documents list the C9’s make as Omoda and not Chery.
Chery is introducing Jaecoo as a separate brand here this year, with the J7 as its first model. In China, this vehicle is sold under the Chery brand.
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