Omoda 7 1.5T SHS Knight 5dr 1DHT

Ten Second Review

The Omoda 7 widens this Chinese brand's offering by targeting customers looking for a mid-sized Plug-in Hybrid SUV. Value, frugality and comfort are the keynotes here - with a dash of Omoda-style fashion.

Background

Our market is being flooded with new Chinese brands, but their products will remain small segment players until they really are engineered for the European market. Some Oriental makers are getting this message quicker than others and one of them is Omoda - specifically with this car, the Omoda 7. Like its Chinese contemporaries, Omoda launched into our market (with the compact Omoda 5 in 2024) selling a re-badged Chinese model with some token Europeanisation (in that case via parent group Chery's European development centre in Raunheim). In contrast, the Omoda 7 mid-sized SUV we look at here is the marque's first vehicle developed specifically for export. All kinds of powertrains will fit but (like the larger Omoda 9), the '7' is being sold here with the brand's SHS Plug-in Hybrid petrol powertrain.

Engines and Tech Spec

Interestingly, ownership conglomerate Chery has directed Omoda to offer the '7' here - at least for the time being - only in Plug-in Hybrid form with what the group likes to call its 'SHS', or 'Super Hybrid System'. The name suggests something quite revolutionary but actually, the projected EV range here - about 56 miles - isn't even quite as good as VW Group rivals (though it's better than competing Stellantis Group models). The drivetrain is the same as that used by Chery's Jaecoo 7 SHS (and PHEV versions of the Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8), which means there's a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor energised by an 18.3kWh battery. This SHS model only comes in 2WD form but does have its share of clever tech, using the engine and brake regen system to always keep the battery above 0% of charge. So even if you forget (or aren't able) to plug in, you'll still find the car reverting to electric motion around town. Though the petrol engine in this PHEV is at 1.5-litres slightly smaller than the 1.6-litre unit used in the conventional models, the SHS system's total output is of course vastly superior, rated at 335bhp; enough to get the car to 62mphin 8.5s en route to 108mph. The car always starts under EV power and you can drive in pure electric mode up to motorway speeds - or with the engine and motor working together in unison. When the engine cuts in, it does so pretty seamlessly. It's a pity that Omoda isn't also offering the larger-battery version of this BYD-derived PHEV set-up, which in the 'Comfort'-spec version of the BYD Seal U DM-i can take you up to 78 miles.

Design and Build

Omoda says the styling of this '7' is intentionally restrained. "Those who polarise and cater to extremes cannot achieve high volumes", says the company's strategy chief. It's certainly conventional in terms of size - at 4.66m long - think Toyota RAV4 or Kia Sportage. The one really interesting styling touch comes at the front end which has a distinctive and very complex grille pattern flanked by narrow LED headlights. This really comes alive after dark with an eye-catching array of glowing hexagons, while at the same time the rear lights become illuminated spiral elements. Inside, there's a party piece: the 15.6-inch central display can slide half a metre to the right, shifting into the front passenger's line of sight. Otherwise, it's pretty standard Oriental fare, so there are virtually no physical buttons. Most functions are dealt with by screen menus, though there are two rotary dials on the steering wheel and a couple of switches for essential functions. Through that wheel, you can view a smaller screen for the instruments. Build quality seems fine and as you might expect, there's plenty of standard kit. Enter into the rear via the flush door handles and you'll find class-appropriate standards of leg room for a mid-sized family SUV. Headroom isn't too badly affected by the rearward-sloping roof. Out back, there's a reasonable 500-litre boot, which expands to 1,400-litres with the rear seats folded.

Market and Model

Omoda usually seeks to undercut its more premium Chery Group brand partner Jaecoo, so with this Omoda 7, you can expect to need slightly less than the £35,000 budget currently required for the mechanically-identical Jaecoo 7 SHS. The saving over established mainstream branded models at first glance looks great - if you're comparing against cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid, the Skoda Kodiaq iV and PHEV versions of the Ford Kuga, the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson. Though we should point out that this Omoda is similarly priced to its identically-engined BYD Seal U DM-i cousin; and undercut by an MG HS PHEV. Standard kit includes a large 15.8-inch central monitor, which controls most of the cabin functions. On the top version, these can include an immersive '12+2' speaker sound system with 'million-level' tuning, which is said to offer a concert hall-like experience. There's also active noise cancellation. What about safety kit? Well to justify this car's 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, there are up to 21 advanced driver assist systems, including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning and an Intelligent Avoidance System that alerts you if you're about to pass too closely a wide vehicle like a truck. You also get Lane Departure Prevention, an Intelligent Active Speed Limit system, a Driver Monitoring System and Safe Exit Warning. Plus Lane Change Assist, Emergency Lane Keeping Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.

Cost of Ownership

The big draw of PHEVs over even the very best EVs is drive range. This Omoda 7 can travel up to 745 miles on a single tank of petrol with a fully charged battery. That battery is 18.3kWh in size and uses BYD Blade cells. The efficiency figures are much the same as those for this model' very close Chery Group cousin, the Jaecoo 7 SHS. For reference, that car achieves a combined fuel economy figure of 403mpg, or 47mpg with the battery in a high depletion scenario. And it delivers emissions of 23g/km of CO2. This Omoda Plug-in Hybrid model's CATL-made battery can be DC fast-charged at up to 40kW, which allows it to charge from 30-80% in about 40 minutes. That's not particularly fast; for perspective, we'll tell you that a rival Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid PHEV can charge its larger 19.7kWh battery from 5-80% in just 26 minutes. AC charging this Omoda from a typical 7.4kW home wallbox will take six hours 30 minutes. The PHEV model also offers Vehicle-to-Load capability so that external devices can be charged from the drive battery via a 3.3kW charging plug. Most new brands offer comprehensive warranties and this one is no different. Omoda includes a 7 year/100,000 mile warranty with all its cars. And an eight year battery warranty. Servicing needs are quite frequent; for both powertrains, garage visits are needed every year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Affordable servicing plans are available though, at point of purchase and servicing turnround times will be aided by a UK parts warehouse established in cooperation with DHL. There's 24/7 RAC roadside assistance too, which renews with each service up to the end of the warranty.

Summary

This ought to be a much more palatable kind of Omoda for Europeans, given that it's been developed primarily for our continent. At first glance with this '7 though, it's difficult to see where that extra promised 'European-ness' lies; certainly not in the screen-dominated largely switch-less cabin. The styling is perhaps a little more restrained than the Oriental norm - though it has its interesting touches. And the choice to focus on a Plug-in Hybrid powertrain certainly fits with European market trends. Overall though, the '7' is still a mid-sized Chinese SUV for people who like mid-sized Chinese SUVs. Still, that was enough for Omoda to sell their smaller '5' model in decent numbers here. For the short term, it may be enough for this '7' to make its sales numbers too. In the longer term though, like its Chinese rivals, Omoda needs to do more.