Trump and Xi agree to resume trade negotiations amid rare earths dispute and tariff uncertainty
US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have agreed to further talks between the countries to hash out differences on tariffs that have roiled the global economy, according to US and Chinese summaries of their phone call.
'There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products,' Trump wrote on social media.
'Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined.'
Trump and a Chinese government summary of the meeting said the leaders had invited each other to their respective countries at a future date.
'The US side should take a realistic view of the progress made and withdraw the negative measures imposed on China,' the Chinese government said in a statement published by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
'Xi Jinping welcomed Trump's visit to China again, and Trump expressed his sincere gratitude.'
The highly anticipated call came amid accusations between the US and China in recent weeks over 'rare earths' minerals in a dispute that has threatened to tear up a fragile truce in the trade war between the governments of the two biggest economies.
The countries struck a 90-day deal on May 12 to roll back some of the triple-digit, tit-for-tat tariffs they had placed on each other since Trump's January inauguration.
Although stocks rallied, the temporary deal did not address broader concerns that strain the bilateral relationship, from the illicit fentanyl trade to the status of democratically governed Taiwan and US complaints about China's state-dominated export-driven economic model.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly threatened an array of punitive measures on trading partners, only to revoke some of them at the last minute.
The on-again, off-again approach has baffled world leaders and spooked business executives, who say the uncertainty has made it difficult to forecast market conditions.
China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets continues to disrupt supplies needed by car makers, computer chip manufacturers and military contractors around the world.
China's government sees mineral exports as a source of leverage - halting those exports could put domestic political pressure on the Republican US president if economic growth sags because companies cannot produce mineral-powered products.
The 90-day deal to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions is tenuous.
Trump has long pushed for a call or a meeting with Xi but China has rejected that as not in keeping with its traditional approach of working out agreement details before the leaders talk.
Trump had declared one day earlier that it was difficult to reach a deal with Xi.
'I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!' Trump posted on Wednesday on his social media site.
The US president and his aides see leader-to-leader talks as vital to sort through log-jams that have vexed lower-level officials in difficult negotiations.
with AP
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Trump not interested in Musk talks after bill feud
US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP
The Advertiser
an hour ago
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2025 Omoda C9 review: Quick drive
Chery, the massive Chinese automotive manufacturing conglomerate, has already made inroads into our market by launching a variety of vehicles under its own banner. Now, it's rolling out its Omoda Jaecoo brand, which it's calling a step above its namesake brand. And while Omoda Jaecoo showrooms only have Jaecoo-badged SUVs for now, they'll be joined in August by the Omoda C9. This plug-in hybrid (PHEV) large SUV aims to offer Volvo XC60– or BMW X3-like levels of luxury, interior space, equipment and performance, but at the sort of prices you might expect to pay for a mid-spec Volkswagen Tiguan. We got our first taste of the car on the south coast of the UK (badged as simply the 'Omoda 9 SHS' for that market), to see how impressive – or otherwise – this incoming Omoda truly is. We don't know yet, but there's every likelihood the Omoda C9 could start somewhere close to the ballpark of the top-spec Jaecoo J7 SHS, which is priced at $47,990 drive-away. However, there are a few things to temper the hope that the C9 will land around $50,000: one, the C9 is a physically bigger and longer car than the J7; and two, the PHEV powertrain in the C9 is considerably more powerful and long-legged than the one in the J7. So the C9 PHEV will cost more but, nevertheless, we'd be mighty surprised if the Omoda C9 SHS wasn't considerably cheaper than the $102,500 (plus on-road costs) you need to park your backside in a BMW X3 30e xDrive PHEV, for instance. Therefore we'll reserve final judgement on the new Chinese SUV's value equation until we know for sure how much it's going to cost, and precisely what kit we'll get for our money. There are two types of Chinese car interiors these days, starting with the ones built down to a cheaper price, which normally rely on some kind of gimmick – like a rotating centre screen, for example – to make them interesting. The second type is a well-appointed, luxurious cabin that clearly takes inspiration from established and premium European marques. Happily, the C9's passenger compartment falls into this category. You climb aboard to be greeted by a swish-looking, solidly put-together main fascia, complemented by some large, deep-bolstered chairs finished in what looks like leather (it's synthetic, rather than real hide, but it's convincing enough as these things go) and then topped off with fancy stitching patterns – echoed in the door cards – that are designed to bring an element of grandiosity to proceedings. In the main, this works, especially when you finally sit behind the (properly) leather-trimmed steering wheel and start experiencing all of the main touchpoints and all of the surface finishes, none of which seem obviously subpar. Technology is handled by a whopping great 24.6-inch curved display which features both the main touchscreen infotainment and the TFT driver's cluster, but Omoda Jaecoo is also proud to say there are no fewer than 53 physical buttons and controls in the C9's cabin – great news for anyone experiencing digital fatigue in modern-era car interiors. There's also a potent 50-Watt, cooled wireless smartphone charging pad, which you're going to want to employ because you'll inevitably be using the wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity as the proprietary infotainment system is not great. It's one of those typically confusing systems with too many menus, not enough logical order to where various settings and controls ought to be, and a fiddly, somewhat laggy response rate to prods of the screen. Furthermore, there's a weird trip computer in the C9 which will only ever show you your last 50km of fuel and electricity consumption, and you can't reset it no matter what you do. Bizarre. Generally, though, the cabin and the main displays are largely very good, even if the high central construct ramping down from beneath the central screen and running towards the back of the car feels somewhat constrictive to front-passenger space. Practicality isn't an issue, though, as there is plenty of legroom and a completely flat floor in the rear of the passenger compartment, which means three adults might just be able to travel side-by-side in the second row if needs be. However, headroom in the outer two seats can be limited if the occupants sit slightly outboard, because the roof curves in quite noticeably above the doors towards the panoramic roof up top. At the back is a sizeable 660-litre boot, rising to 1783L with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped down. The Chinese firm also offers three full ISOFIX child seat anchors on the back bench, recognising thatfamilies will be the end users of this vehicle. But despite its sheer physical size – it's nearly 4.8 metres long – there isn't a seven-seat option for the C9. Depending on the market, the Omoda C9 – also sold as the RX or Yaoguang by Chery's premium Exeed brand – is offered with turbocharged petrol power or a choice of two plug-in hybrid powertrains with two or three electric motors respectively. Our UK-spec tester uses the familiar Chery-sourced turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, alongside its unusual '3DHT' (dedicated hybrid transmission) three-speed automatic gearbox and dual electric motors. The difference here is that this system is much more powerful than it is in the related Jaecoo J7, summoning up peak outputs of 300kW and 700Nm. That's enough for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds, despite the bulky kerb weight of 2195kg. There's also a bigger battery pack here, rated at 34.46kWh. This allows the Omoda to travel up to 150km on electric power alone, which is claimed to be among the longest EV ranges for any PHEV available globally right now, and when combined with the big 70L fuel tank the C9 should be capable of more than 1200km of total range with careful driving. Due to the big battery pack and the oddities of WLTP testing, the official fuel consumption figure is somewhere south of a deeply impressive 2.0L/100km, but bear in mind Omoda Jaecoo would like you to work on the premise of 7.0L/100km, which is what the car will do when its battery is depleted as far as it will go. On that basis, our recorded figure of 5.9L/100km across 80km of mixed-roads driving doesn't look too bad, although we obviously had lots of battery charge to play with from the off, while the traffic conditions on the test route were conducive to better fuel economy (ie: we weren't often going that quickly). Recently sighted government approval documents in Australia show this market is set to get the even gruntier tri-motor PHEV powertrain, which offers total system outputs of 440kW and 915Nm. Rather well, all told, and it's certainly one of the more assured, likeable efforts from China that we've tried so far. Of course, it's not perfect either, but it's a mainly positive dynamic report card. First of all, there's no doubting those 300kW and 700Nm output claims, because the Omoda C9 SHS does feel suitably rapid. The three-speed transmission deserves particular praise, as the company claims it is seamless in operation and, from our brief experience of this UK-spec dual-motor car, it certainly feels it. Thus, driving the Omoda is merely a case of clicking the column-mounted shifter into D and then deciding just how much forward momentum you want with presses of the accelerator pedal. If you decide you want a lot of it, then the C9 can oblige, with excellent traction from the dual motors and a real feeling of power, particularly when it comes to roll-on acceleration. There are supposed to be three different modes for the Continuous Damper Control (CDC) adaptive suspension, the steering, the accelerator response and the brakes, but trying to find them involves going through the complex infotainment system – it's not the work of a moment to pick and choose your settings. We eventually found a system that allowed us to switch all of the above settings according to which drive mode we chose from the main central dial on the fascia, but there wasn't an awfully great degree of light and shade to any of the major inputs when going from Eco to Normal to Sport and then back again. We reckon most people will just leave the C9 in the middle of these, as it drives quite sweetly thus configured. Certainly, the secondary ride and the impressive level of rolling refinement both serve to make this a comfortable car to travel long distances in. It's supple and it's quiet, and there's not a great deal of movement in the shell of the SUV either, so you never feel like you're rolling around in an automotive waterbed. Granted, there are times the 20-inch wheels do thud through larger imperfections in the road, so the primary ride isn't quite as polished, yet the Omoda is perfectly fine for just ambling about the place at a leisurely speed. The handling isn't quite so memorable, but it's not bad at all. The decent body control couples to lots of grip, ample traction and nicely weighted, reasonably accurate steering, so while you might not exactly enjoyhustling the C9 through the corners, it's more than capable of putting on a respectable show if you decide to get a move on. Our complaints, then, basically amount to some idiosyncrasies of the Omoda, such as hesitance when you're moving off from a standstill. Or brakes which felt wooden underfoot and too aggressive in their initial bite at lower speeds. Or a driver's seat which is too high-mounted and not quite comfortable enough in the coccyx region to worry Volvo's engineers any time soon. All things considered, the Omoda felt nicely composed for most of the time we were behind its wheel, and it's definitely in the same sort of dynamic range as something like a Volkswagen Tiguan – itself a fairly safe and uninspiring thing to drive most of the time, but perfectly comfortable and amenable. We'd expect a lengthy standard kit list for the Omoda C9 when it lands here, as that's a typical trait of 'new' Chinese manufacturers trying to break into fresh markets. Going on the car we tested overseas, we'd be hoping for some of the highlights below to make it into the Australian cars as standard. 2025 Omoda C9 SHS equipment highlights: With the car not tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP and considering Omoda Jaecoo is not yet established as a manufacturer in its own right, we can't say exactly what safety spec the C9 will offer when it lands in this market. That said, the company confidently cites the fact that 20 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are fitted as standard to the SUV, and that products under the Chery and Jaecoo banners have picked up good safety ratings – most pertinently the related J7 SHS, which has a five-star Euro NCAP rating. Again, we don't have exact details on aftersales provisions as Omoda does not exist here yet, but going on what Jaecoo offers we'd be disappointed if the C9 didn't come with the eight-year, unlimited-distance warranty that covers the J7 SHS, along with other impressive levels of customer back-up. It should obviously prove cheap to run compared to a straightforward petrol SUV, thanks to its PHEV drivetrain and big battery pack. Speaking of which, Omoda offers DC fast-charging for its power packs at up to 70kW. This should see the battery go from 30-80 per cent of charge in as little as 25 minutes on the right connection. And furthermore the clever hybrid system in the C9 ensures that the battery is never fully depleted – it always reserves some charge in the unit, and manages its self-charging functions carefully, so that the SUV can operate like a regular hybrid when the battery is low, rather than exhausting all of its useable capacity and then making its driver rely solely on the combustion engine for forward progress. Despite being an unknown quantity – of sorts – here in Australia as a standalone auto brand, our first sample of the Omoda C9 SHS uses technology we're already familiar with from cars in the Chery and Jaecoo stables – even if we're likely to get an even more powerful tri-motor version. As tested, the Omoda C9 SHS is a convincing luxury SUV that, if the pricing and specifications are right once they're confirmed for our market, ought to be worth serious consideration. Sure, it could do with some added engineering polish in certain areas, most specifically the brakes, and the driving experience is okay without being exceptional. But there's plenty to recommend and much to like here – so much so that we're eager to try the Omoda C9 on home roads to really get the lay of the land. MORE: 2025 Omoda C9: Flagship PHEV mid-size SUV locked in for Australia Content originally sourced from: Chery, the massive Chinese automotive manufacturing conglomerate, has already made inroads into our market by launching a variety of vehicles under its own banner. Now, it's rolling out its Omoda Jaecoo brand, which it's calling a step above its namesake brand. And while Omoda Jaecoo showrooms only have Jaecoo-badged SUVs for now, they'll be joined in August by the Omoda C9. This plug-in hybrid (PHEV) large SUV aims to offer Volvo XC60– or BMW X3-like levels of luxury, interior space, equipment and performance, but at the sort of prices you might expect to pay for a mid-spec Volkswagen Tiguan. We got our first taste of the car on the south coast of the UK (badged as simply the 'Omoda 9 SHS' for that market), to see how impressive – or otherwise – this incoming Omoda truly is. We don't know yet, but there's every likelihood the Omoda C9 could start somewhere close to the ballpark of the top-spec Jaecoo J7 SHS, which is priced at $47,990 drive-away. However, there are a few things to temper the hope that the C9 will land around $50,000: one, the C9 is a physically bigger and longer car than the J7; and two, the PHEV powertrain in the C9 is considerably more powerful and long-legged than the one in the J7. So the C9 PHEV will cost more but, nevertheless, we'd be mighty surprised if the Omoda C9 SHS wasn't considerably cheaper than the $102,500 (plus on-road costs) you need to park your backside in a BMW X3 30e xDrive PHEV, for instance. Therefore we'll reserve final judgement on the new Chinese SUV's value equation until we know for sure how much it's going to cost, and precisely what kit we'll get for our money. There are two types of Chinese car interiors these days, starting with the ones built down to a cheaper price, which normally rely on some kind of gimmick – like a rotating centre screen, for example – to make them interesting. The second type is a well-appointed, luxurious cabin that clearly takes inspiration from established and premium European marques. Happily, the C9's passenger compartment falls into this category. You climb aboard to be greeted by a swish-looking, solidly put-together main fascia, complemented by some large, deep-bolstered chairs finished in what looks like leather (it's synthetic, rather than real hide, but it's convincing enough as these things go) and then topped off with fancy stitching patterns – echoed in the door cards – that are designed to bring an element of grandiosity to proceedings. In the main, this works, especially when you finally sit behind the (properly) leather-trimmed steering wheel and start experiencing all of the main touchpoints and all of the surface finishes, none of which seem obviously subpar. Technology is handled by a whopping great 24.6-inch curved display which features both the main touchscreen infotainment and the TFT driver's cluster, but Omoda Jaecoo is also proud to say there are no fewer than 53 physical buttons and controls in the C9's cabin – great news for anyone experiencing digital fatigue in modern-era car interiors. There's also a potent 50-Watt, cooled wireless smartphone charging pad, which you're going to want to employ because you'll inevitably be using the wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity as the proprietary infotainment system is not great. It's one of those typically confusing systems with too many menus, not enough logical order to where various settings and controls ought to be, and a fiddly, somewhat laggy response rate to prods of the screen. Furthermore, there's a weird trip computer in the C9 which will only ever show you your last 50km of fuel and electricity consumption, and you can't reset it no matter what you do. Bizarre. Generally, though, the cabin and the main displays are largely very good, even if the high central construct ramping down from beneath the central screen and running towards the back of the car feels somewhat constrictive to front-passenger space. Practicality isn't an issue, though, as there is plenty of legroom and a completely flat floor in the rear of the passenger compartment, which means three adults might just be able to travel side-by-side in the second row if needs be. However, headroom in the outer two seats can be limited if the occupants sit slightly outboard, because the roof curves in quite noticeably above the doors towards the panoramic roof up top. At the back is a sizeable 660-litre boot, rising to 1783L with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped down. The Chinese firm also offers three full ISOFIX child seat anchors on the back bench, recognising thatfamilies will be the end users of this vehicle. But despite its sheer physical size – it's nearly 4.8 metres long – there isn't a seven-seat option for the C9. Depending on the market, the Omoda C9 – also sold as the RX or Yaoguang by Chery's premium Exeed brand – is offered with turbocharged petrol power or a choice of two plug-in hybrid powertrains with two or three electric motors respectively. Our UK-spec tester uses the familiar Chery-sourced turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, alongside its unusual '3DHT' (dedicated hybrid transmission) three-speed automatic gearbox and dual electric motors. The difference here is that this system is much more powerful than it is in the related Jaecoo J7, summoning up peak outputs of 300kW and 700Nm. That's enough for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds, despite the bulky kerb weight of 2195kg. There's also a bigger battery pack here, rated at 34.46kWh. This allows the Omoda to travel up to 150km on electric power alone, which is claimed to be among the longest EV ranges for any PHEV available globally right now, and when combined with the big 70L fuel tank the C9 should be capable of more than 1200km of total range with careful driving. Due to the big battery pack and the oddities of WLTP testing, the official fuel consumption figure is somewhere south of a deeply impressive 2.0L/100km, but bear in mind Omoda Jaecoo would like you to work on the premise of 7.0L/100km, which is what the car will do when its battery is depleted as far as it will go. On that basis, our recorded figure of 5.9L/100km across 80km of mixed-roads driving doesn't look too bad, although we obviously had lots of battery charge to play with from the off, while the traffic conditions on the test route were conducive to better fuel economy (ie: we weren't often going that quickly). Recently sighted government approval documents in Australia show this market is set to get the even gruntier tri-motor PHEV powertrain, which offers total system outputs of 440kW and 915Nm. Rather well, all told, and it's certainly one of the more assured, likeable efforts from China that we've tried so far. Of course, it's not perfect either, but it's a mainly positive dynamic report card. First of all, there's no doubting those 300kW and 700Nm output claims, because the Omoda C9 SHS does feel suitably rapid. The three-speed transmission deserves particular praise, as the company claims it is seamless in operation and, from our brief experience of this UK-spec dual-motor car, it certainly feels it. Thus, driving the Omoda is merely a case of clicking the column-mounted shifter into D and then deciding just how much forward momentum you want with presses of the accelerator pedal. If you decide you want a lot of it, then the C9 can oblige, with excellent traction from the dual motors and a real feeling of power, particularly when it comes to roll-on acceleration. There are supposed to be three different modes for the Continuous Damper Control (CDC) adaptive suspension, the steering, the accelerator response and the brakes, but trying to find them involves going through the complex infotainment system – it's not the work of a moment to pick and choose your settings. We eventually found a system that allowed us to switch all of the above settings according to which drive mode we chose from the main central dial on the fascia, but there wasn't an awfully great degree of light and shade to any of the major inputs when going from Eco to Normal to Sport and then back again. We reckon most people will just leave the C9 in the middle of these, as it drives quite sweetly thus configured. Certainly, the secondary ride and the impressive level of rolling refinement both serve to make this a comfortable car to travel long distances in. It's supple and it's quiet, and there's not a great deal of movement in the shell of the SUV either, so you never feel like you're rolling around in an automotive waterbed. Granted, there are times the 20-inch wheels do thud through larger imperfections in the road, so the primary ride isn't quite as polished, yet the Omoda is perfectly fine for just ambling about the place at a leisurely speed. The handling isn't quite so memorable, but it's not bad at all. The decent body control couples to lots of grip, ample traction and nicely weighted, reasonably accurate steering, so while you might not exactly enjoyhustling the C9 through the corners, it's more than capable of putting on a respectable show if you decide to get a move on. Our complaints, then, basically amount to some idiosyncrasies of the Omoda, such as hesitance when you're moving off from a standstill. Or brakes which felt wooden underfoot and too aggressive in their initial bite at lower speeds. Or a driver's seat which is too high-mounted and not quite comfortable enough in the coccyx region to worry Volvo's engineers any time soon. All things considered, the Omoda felt nicely composed for most of the time we were behind its wheel, and it's definitely in the same sort of dynamic range as something like a Volkswagen Tiguan – itself a fairly safe and uninspiring thing to drive most of the time, but perfectly comfortable and amenable. We'd expect a lengthy standard kit list for the Omoda C9 when it lands here, as that's a typical trait of 'new' Chinese manufacturers trying to break into fresh markets. Going on the car we tested overseas, we'd be hoping for some of the highlights below to make it into the Australian cars as standard. 2025 Omoda C9 SHS equipment highlights: With the car not tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP and considering Omoda Jaecoo is not yet established as a manufacturer in its own right, we can't say exactly what safety spec the C9 will offer when it lands in this market. That said, the company confidently cites the fact that 20 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are fitted as standard to the SUV, and that products under the Chery and Jaecoo banners have picked up good safety ratings – most pertinently the related J7 SHS, which has a five-star Euro NCAP rating. Again, we don't have exact details on aftersales provisions as Omoda does not exist here yet, but going on what Jaecoo offers we'd be disappointed if the C9 didn't come with the eight-year, unlimited-distance warranty that covers the J7 SHS, along with other impressive levels of customer back-up. It should obviously prove cheap to run compared to a straightforward petrol SUV, thanks to its PHEV drivetrain and big battery pack. Speaking of which, Omoda offers DC fast-charging for its power packs at up to 70kW. This should see the battery go from 30-80 per cent of charge in as little as 25 minutes on the right connection. And furthermore the clever hybrid system in the C9 ensures that the battery is never fully depleted – it always reserves some charge in the unit, and manages its self-charging functions carefully, so that the SUV can operate like a regular hybrid when the battery is low, rather than exhausting all of its useable capacity and then making its driver rely solely on the combustion engine for forward progress. Despite being an unknown quantity – of sorts – here in Australia as a standalone auto brand, our first sample of the Omoda C9 SHS uses technology we're already familiar with from cars in the Chery and Jaecoo stables – even if we're likely to get an even more powerful tri-motor version. As tested, the Omoda C9 SHS is a convincing luxury SUV that, if the pricing and specifications are right once they're confirmed for our market, ought to be worth serious consideration. Sure, it could do with some added engineering polish in certain areas, most specifically the brakes, and the driving experience is okay without being exceptional. But there's plenty to recommend and much to like here – so much so that we're eager to try the Omoda C9 on home roads to really get the lay of the land. MORE: 2025 Omoda C9: Flagship PHEV mid-size SUV locked in for Australia Content originally sourced from: Chery, the massive Chinese automotive manufacturing conglomerate, has already made inroads into our market by launching a variety of vehicles under its own banner. Now, it's rolling out its Omoda Jaecoo brand, which it's calling a step above its namesake brand. And while Omoda Jaecoo showrooms only have Jaecoo-badged SUVs for now, they'll be joined in August by the Omoda C9. This plug-in hybrid (PHEV) large SUV aims to offer Volvo XC60– or BMW X3-like levels of luxury, interior space, equipment and performance, but at the sort of prices you might expect to pay for a mid-spec Volkswagen Tiguan. We got our first taste of the car on the south coast of the UK (badged as simply the 'Omoda 9 SHS' for that market), to see how impressive – or otherwise – this incoming Omoda truly is. We don't know yet, but there's every likelihood the Omoda C9 could start somewhere close to the ballpark of the top-spec Jaecoo J7 SHS, which is priced at $47,990 drive-away. However, there are a few things to temper the hope that the C9 will land around $50,000: one, the C9 is a physically bigger and longer car than the J7; and two, the PHEV powertrain in the C9 is considerably more powerful and long-legged than the one in the J7. So the C9 PHEV will cost more but, nevertheless, we'd be mighty surprised if the Omoda C9 SHS wasn't considerably cheaper than the $102,500 (plus on-road costs) you need to park your backside in a BMW X3 30e xDrive PHEV, for instance. Therefore we'll reserve final judgement on the new Chinese SUV's value equation until we know for sure how much it's going to cost, and precisely what kit we'll get for our money. There are two types of Chinese car interiors these days, starting with the ones built down to a cheaper price, which normally rely on some kind of gimmick – like a rotating centre screen, for example – to make them interesting. The second type is a well-appointed, luxurious cabin that clearly takes inspiration from established and premium European marques. Happily, the C9's passenger compartment falls into this category. You climb aboard to be greeted by a swish-looking, solidly put-together main fascia, complemented by some large, deep-bolstered chairs finished in what looks like leather (it's synthetic, rather than real hide, but it's convincing enough as these things go) and then topped off with fancy stitching patterns – echoed in the door cards – that are designed to bring an element of grandiosity to proceedings. In the main, this works, especially when you finally sit behind the (properly) leather-trimmed steering wheel and start experiencing all of the main touchpoints and all of the surface finishes, none of which seem obviously subpar. Technology is handled by a whopping great 24.6-inch curved display which features both the main touchscreen infotainment and the TFT driver's cluster, but Omoda Jaecoo is also proud to say there are no fewer than 53 physical buttons and controls in the C9's cabin – great news for anyone experiencing digital fatigue in modern-era car interiors. There's also a potent 50-Watt, cooled wireless smartphone charging pad, which you're going to want to employ because you'll inevitably be using the wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity as the proprietary infotainment system is not great. It's one of those typically confusing systems with too many menus, not enough logical order to where various settings and controls ought to be, and a fiddly, somewhat laggy response rate to prods of the screen. Furthermore, there's a weird trip computer in the C9 which will only ever show you your last 50km of fuel and electricity consumption, and you can't reset it no matter what you do. Bizarre. Generally, though, the cabin and the main displays are largely very good, even if the high central construct ramping down from beneath the central screen and running towards the back of the car feels somewhat constrictive to front-passenger space. Practicality isn't an issue, though, as there is plenty of legroom and a completely flat floor in the rear of the passenger compartment, which means three adults might just be able to travel side-by-side in the second row if needs be. However, headroom in the outer two seats can be limited if the occupants sit slightly outboard, because the roof curves in quite noticeably above the doors towards the panoramic roof up top. At the back is a sizeable 660-litre boot, rising to 1783L with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped down. The Chinese firm also offers three full ISOFIX child seat anchors on the back bench, recognising thatfamilies will be the end users of this vehicle. But despite its sheer physical size – it's nearly 4.8 metres long – there isn't a seven-seat option for the C9. Depending on the market, the Omoda C9 – also sold as the RX or Yaoguang by Chery's premium Exeed brand – is offered with turbocharged petrol power or a choice of two plug-in hybrid powertrains with two or three electric motors respectively. Our UK-spec tester uses the familiar Chery-sourced turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, alongside its unusual '3DHT' (dedicated hybrid transmission) three-speed automatic gearbox and dual electric motors. The difference here is that this system is much more powerful than it is in the related Jaecoo J7, summoning up peak outputs of 300kW and 700Nm. That's enough for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds, despite the bulky kerb weight of 2195kg. There's also a bigger battery pack here, rated at 34.46kWh. This allows the Omoda to travel up to 150km on electric power alone, which is claimed to be among the longest EV ranges for any PHEV available globally right now, and when combined with the big 70L fuel tank the C9 should be capable of more than 1200km of total range with careful driving. Due to the big battery pack and the oddities of WLTP testing, the official fuel consumption figure is somewhere south of a deeply impressive 2.0L/100km, but bear in mind Omoda Jaecoo would like you to work on the premise of 7.0L/100km, which is what the car will do when its battery is depleted as far as it will go. On that basis, our recorded figure of 5.9L/100km across 80km of mixed-roads driving doesn't look too bad, although we obviously had lots of battery charge to play with from the off, while the traffic conditions on the test route were conducive to better fuel economy (ie: we weren't often going that quickly). Recently sighted government approval documents in Australia show this market is set to get the even gruntier tri-motor PHEV powertrain, which offers total system outputs of 440kW and 915Nm. Rather well, all told, and it's certainly one of the more assured, likeable efforts from China that we've tried so far. Of course, it's not perfect either, but it's a mainly positive dynamic report card. First of all, there's no doubting those 300kW and 700Nm output claims, because the Omoda C9 SHS does feel suitably rapid. The three-speed transmission deserves particular praise, as the company claims it is seamless in operation and, from our brief experience of this UK-spec dual-motor car, it certainly feels it. Thus, driving the Omoda is merely a case of clicking the column-mounted shifter into D and then deciding just how much forward momentum you want with presses of the accelerator pedal. If you decide you want a lot of it, then the C9 can oblige, with excellent traction from the dual motors and a real feeling of power, particularly when it comes to roll-on acceleration. There are supposed to be three different modes for the Continuous Damper Control (CDC) adaptive suspension, the steering, the accelerator response and the brakes, but trying to find them involves going through the complex infotainment system – it's not the work of a moment to pick and choose your settings. We eventually found a system that allowed us to switch all of the above settings according to which drive mode we chose from the main central dial on the fascia, but there wasn't an awfully great degree of light and shade to any of the major inputs when going from Eco to Normal to Sport and then back again. We reckon most people will just leave the C9 in the middle of these, as it drives quite sweetly thus configured. Certainly, the secondary ride and the impressive level of rolling refinement both serve to make this a comfortable car to travel long distances in. It's supple and it's quiet, and there's not a great deal of movement in the shell of the SUV either, so you never feel like you're rolling around in an automotive waterbed. Granted, there are times the 20-inch wheels do thud through larger imperfections in the road, so the primary ride isn't quite as polished, yet the Omoda is perfectly fine for just ambling about the place at a leisurely speed. The handling isn't quite so memorable, but it's not bad at all. The decent body control couples to lots of grip, ample traction and nicely weighted, reasonably accurate steering, so while you might not exactly enjoyhustling the C9 through the corners, it's more than capable of putting on a respectable show if you decide to get a move on. Our complaints, then, basically amount to some idiosyncrasies of the Omoda, such as hesitance when you're moving off from a standstill. Or brakes which felt wooden underfoot and too aggressive in their initial bite at lower speeds. Or a driver's seat which is too high-mounted and not quite comfortable enough in the coccyx region to worry Volvo's engineers any time soon. All things considered, the Omoda felt nicely composed for most of the time we were behind its wheel, and it's definitely in the same sort of dynamic range as something like a Volkswagen Tiguan – itself a fairly safe and uninspiring thing to drive most of the time, but perfectly comfortable and amenable. We'd expect a lengthy standard kit list for the Omoda C9 when it lands here, as that's a typical trait of 'new' Chinese manufacturers trying to break into fresh markets. Going on the car we tested overseas, we'd be hoping for some of the highlights below to make it into the Australian cars as standard. 2025 Omoda C9 SHS equipment highlights: With the car not tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP and considering Omoda Jaecoo is not yet established as a manufacturer in its own right, we can't say exactly what safety spec the C9 will offer when it lands in this market. That said, the company confidently cites the fact that 20 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are fitted as standard to the SUV, and that products under the Chery and Jaecoo banners have picked up good safety ratings – most pertinently the related J7 SHS, which has a five-star Euro NCAP rating. Again, we don't have exact details on aftersales provisions as Omoda does not exist here yet, but going on what Jaecoo offers we'd be disappointed if the C9 didn't come with the eight-year, unlimited-distance warranty that covers the J7 SHS, along with other impressive levels of customer back-up. It should obviously prove cheap to run compared to a straightforward petrol SUV, thanks to its PHEV drivetrain and big battery pack. Speaking of which, Omoda offers DC fast-charging for its power packs at up to 70kW. This should see the battery go from 30-80 per cent of charge in as little as 25 minutes on the right connection. And furthermore the clever hybrid system in the C9 ensures that the battery is never fully depleted – it always reserves some charge in the unit, and manages its self-charging functions carefully, so that the SUV can operate like a regular hybrid when the battery is low, rather than exhausting all of its useable capacity and then making its driver rely solely on the combustion engine for forward progress. Despite being an unknown quantity – of sorts – here in Australia as a standalone auto brand, our first sample of the Omoda C9 SHS uses technology we're already familiar with from cars in the Chery and Jaecoo stables – even if we're likely to get an even more powerful tri-motor version. As tested, the Omoda C9 SHS is a convincing luxury SUV that, if the pricing and specifications are right once they're confirmed for our market, ought to be worth serious consideration. Sure, it could do with some added engineering polish in certain areas, most specifically the brakes, and the driving experience is okay without being exceptional. But there's plenty to recommend and much to like here – so much so that we're eager to try the Omoda C9 on home roads to really get the lay of the land. MORE: 2025 Omoda C9: Flagship PHEV mid-size SUV locked in for Australia Content originally sourced from: Chery, the massive Chinese automotive manufacturing conglomerate, has already made inroads into our market by launching a variety of vehicles under its own banner. Now, it's rolling out its Omoda Jaecoo brand, which it's calling a step above its namesake brand. And while Omoda Jaecoo showrooms only have Jaecoo-badged SUVs for now, they'll be joined in August by the Omoda C9. This plug-in hybrid (PHEV) large SUV aims to offer Volvo XC60– or BMW X3-like levels of luxury, interior space, equipment and performance, but at the sort of prices you might expect to pay for a mid-spec Volkswagen Tiguan. We got our first taste of the car on the south coast of the UK (badged as simply the 'Omoda 9 SHS' for that market), to see how impressive – or otherwise – this incoming Omoda truly is. We don't know yet, but there's every likelihood the Omoda C9 could start somewhere close to the ballpark of the top-spec Jaecoo J7 SHS, which is priced at $47,990 drive-away. However, there are a few things to temper the hope that the C9 will land around $50,000: one, the C9 is a physically bigger and longer car than the J7; and two, the PHEV powertrain in the C9 is considerably more powerful and long-legged than the one in the J7. So the C9 PHEV will cost more but, nevertheless, we'd be mighty surprised if the Omoda C9 SHS wasn't considerably cheaper than the $102,500 (plus on-road costs) you need to park your backside in a BMW X3 30e xDrive PHEV, for instance. Therefore we'll reserve final judgement on the new Chinese SUV's value equation until we know for sure how much it's going to cost, and precisely what kit we'll get for our money. There are two types of Chinese car interiors these days, starting with the ones built down to a cheaper price, which normally rely on some kind of gimmick – like a rotating centre screen, for example – to make them interesting. The second type is a well-appointed, luxurious cabin that clearly takes inspiration from established and premium European marques. Happily, the C9's passenger compartment falls into this category. You climb aboard to be greeted by a swish-looking, solidly put-together main fascia, complemented by some large, deep-bolstered chairs finished in what looks like leather (it's synthetic, rather than real hide, but it's convincing enough as these things go) and then topped off with fancy stitching patterns – echoed in the door cards – that are designed to bring an element of grandiosity to proceedings. In the main, this works, especially when you finally sit behind the (properly) leather-trimmed steering wheel and start experiencing all of the main touchpoints and all of the surface finishes, none of which seem obviously subpar. Technology is handled by a whopping great 24.6-inch curved display which features both the main touchscreen infotainment and the TFT driver's cluster, but Omoda Jaecoo is also proud to say there are no fewer than 53 physical buttons and controls in the C9's cabin – great news for anyone experiencing digital fatigue in modern-era car interiors. There's also a potent 50-Watt, cooled wireless smartphone charging pad, which you're going to want to employ because you'll inevitably be using the wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity as the proprietary infotainment system is not great. It's one of those typically confusing systems with too many menus, not enough logical order to where various settings and controls ought to be, and a fiddly, somewhat laggy response rate to prods of the screen. Furthermore, there's a weird trip computer in the C9 which will only ever show you your last 50km of fuel and electricity consumption, and you can't reset it no matter what you do. Bizarre. Generally, though, the cabin and the main displays are largely very good, even if the high central construct ramping down from beneath the central screen and running towards the back of the car feels somewhat constrictive to front-passenger space. Practicality isn't an issue, though, as there is plenty of legroom and a completely flat floor in the rear of the passenger compartment, which means three adults might just be able to travel side-by-side in the second row if needs be. However, headroom in the outer two seats can be limited if the occupants sit slightly outboard, because the roof curves in quite noticeably above the doors towards the panoramic roof up top. At the back is a sizeable 660-litre boot, rising to 1783L with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped down. The Chinese firm also offers three full ISOFIX child seat anchors on the back bench, recognising thatfamilies will be the end users of this vehicle. But despite its sheer physical size – it's nearly 4.8 metres long – there isn't a seven-seat option for the C9. Depending on the market, the Omoda C9 – also sold as the RX or Yaoguang by Chery's premium Exeed brand – is offered with turbocharged petrol power or a choice of two plug-in hybrid powertrains with two or three electric motors respectively. Our UK-spec tester uses the familiar Chery-sourced turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, alongside its unusual '3DHT' (dedicated hybrid transmission) three-speed automatic gearbox and dual electric motors. The difference here is that this system is much more powerful than it is in the related Jaecoo J7, summoning up peak outputs of 300kW and 700Nm. That's enough for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds, despite the bulky kerb weight of 2195kg. There's also a bigger battery pack here, rated at 34.46kWh. This allows the Omoda to travel up to 150km on electric power alone, which is claimed to be among the longest EV ranges for any PHEV available globally right now, and when combined with the big 70L fuel tank the C9 should be capable of more than 1200km of total range with careful driving. Due to the big battery pack and the oddities of WLTP testing, the official fuel consumption figure is somewhere south of a deeply impressive 2.0L/100km, but bear in mind Omoda Jaecoo would like you to work on the premise of 7.0L/100km, which is what the car will do when its battery is depleted as far as it will go. On that basis, our recorded figure of 5.9L/100km across 80km of mixed-roads driving doesn't look too bad, although we obviously had lots of battery charge to play with from the off, while the traffic conditions on the test route were conducive to better fuel economy (ie: we weren't often going that quickly). Recently sighted government approval documents in Australia show this market is set to get the even gruntier tri-motor PHEV powertrain, which offers total system outputs of 440kW and 915Nm. Rather well, all told, and it's certainly one of the more assured, likeable efforts from China that we've tried so far. Of course, it's not perfect either, but it's a mainly positive dynamic report card. First of all, there's no doubting those 300kW and 700Nm output claims, because the Omoda C9 SHS does feel suitably rapid. The three-speed transmission deserves particular praise, as the company claims it is seamless in operation and, from our brief experience of this UK-spec dual-motor car, it certainly feels it. Thus, driving the Omoda is merely a case of clicking the column-mounted shifter into D and then deciding just how much forward momentum you want with presses of the accelerator pedal. If you decide you want a lot of it, then the C9 can oblige, with excellent traction from the dual motors and a real feeling of power, particularly when it comes to roll-on acceleration. There are supposed to be three different modes for the Continuous Damper Control (CDC) adaptive suspension, the steering, the accelerator response and the brakes, but trying to find them involves going through the complex infotainment system – it's not the work of a moment to pick and choose your settings. We eventually found a system that allowed us to switch all of the above settings according to which drive mode we chose from the main central dial on the fascia, but there wasn't an awfully great degree of light and shade to any of the major inputs when going from Eco to Normal to Sport and then back again. We reckon most people will just leave the C9 in the middle of these, as it drives quite sweetly thus configured. Certainly, the secondary ride and the impressive level of rolling refinement both serve to make this a comfortable car to travel long distances in. It's supple and it's quiet, and there's not a great deal of movement in the shell of the SUV either, so you never feel like you're rolling around in an automotive waterbed. Granted, there are times the 20-inch wheels do thud through larger imperfections in the road, so the primary ride isn't quite as polished, yet the Omoda is perfectly fine for just ambling about the place at a leisurely speed. The handling isn't quite so memorable, but it's not bad at all. The decent body control couples to lots of grip, ample traction and nicely weighted, reasonably accurate steering, so while you might not exactly enjoyhustling the C9 through the corners, it's more than capable of putting on a respectable show if you decide to get a move on. Our complaints, then, basically amount to some idiosyncrasies of the Omoda, such as hesitance when you're moving off from a standstill. Or brakes which felt wooden underfoot and too aggressive in their initial bite at lower speeds. Or a driver's seat which is too high-mounted and not quite comfortable enough in the coccyx region to worry Volvo's engineers any time soon. All things considered, the Omoda felt nicely composed for most of the time we were behind its wheel, and it's definitely in the same sort of dynamic range as something like a Volkswagen Tiguan – itself a fairly safe and uninspiring thing to drive most of the time, but perfectly comfortable and amenable. We'd expect a lengthy standard kit list for the Omoda C9 when it lands here, as that's a typical trait of 'new' Chinese manufacturers trying to break into fresh markets. Going on the car we tested overseas, we'd be hoping for some of the highlights below to make it into the Australian cars as standard. 2025 Omoda C9 SHS equipment highlights: With the car not tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP and considering Omoda Jaecoo is not yet established as a manufacturer in its own right, we can't say exactly what safety spec the C9 will offer when it lands in this market. That said, the company confidently cites the fact that 20 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are fitted as standard to the SUV, and that products under the Chery and Jaecoo banners have picked up good safety ratings – most pertinently the related J7 SHS, which has a five-star Euro NCAP rating. Again, we don't have exact details on aftersales provisions as Omoda does not exist here yet, but going on what Jaecoo offers we'd be disappointed if the C9 didn't come with the eight-year, unlimited-distance warranty that covers the J7 SHS, along with other impressive levels of customer back-up. It should obviously prove cheap to run compared to a straightforward petrol SUV, thanks to its PHEV drivetrain and big battery pack. Speaking of which, Omoda offers DC fast-charging for its power packs at up to 70kW. This should see the battery go from 30-80 per cent of charge in as little as 25 minutes on the right connection. And furthermore the clever hybrid system in the C9 ensures that the battery is never fully depleted – it always reserves some charge in the unit, and manages its self-charging functions carefully, so that the SUV can operate like a regular hybrid when the battery is low, rather than exhausting all of its useable capacity and then making its driver rely solely on the combustion engine for forward progress. Despite being an unknown quantity – of sorts – here in Australia as a standalone auto brand, our first sample of the Omoda C9 SHS uses technology we're already familiar with from cars in the Chery and Jaecoo stables – even if we're likely to get an even more powerful tri-motor version. As tested, the Omoda C9 SHS is a convincing luxury SUV that, if the pricing and specifications are right once they're confirmed for our market, ought to be worth serious consideration. Sure, it could do with some added engineering polish in certain areas, most specifically the brakes, and the driving experience is okay without being exceptional. But there's plenty to recommend and much to like here – so much so that we're eager to try the Omoda C9 on home roads to really get the lay of the land. MORE: 2025 Omoda C9: Flagship PHEV mid-size SUV locked in for Australia Content originally sourced from:
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
US job growth cools in May amid tariff woes
US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September. US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September. US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September. US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September.
