Omoda C3: New Chinese small SUV brings Lamborghini, sci-fi design cues
Chery has revealed an aggressively styled new compact SUV for its Omoda spinoff brand, with styling inspired by robots and starships.
Referred to varyingly by Chery as the Omoda C3 or Omoda 3, the new small SUV ostensibly slots in under the
Omoda C5/Omoda 5
that'll soon be rebranded here as the Chery C5.
It was revealed in China, ahead of its global product launch in October 2025.
'We're certainly interested… but at this stage we don't have a confirmed release timeline,' said a Chery Australia spokesperson when asked about the Omoda C3's chances for Australia.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal.
Browse now
.
The Omoda C3 was developed with younger buyers in mind, with styling inspired by mecha – ie: giant robots or machines seen in Japanese manga and anime, which have also inspired other Chinese designs like GWM's Tank 700.
Chery says the average age of the Omoda C3 design team is just 28.
There are sharp creases everywhere on the Omoda C3's exterior, with a wide grille up front flanked by lighting elements intended to evoke lightning bolts.
Pronounced creases run down the side of the vehicle, with even the belt line and wheel-arch extensions featuring sharp angles.
The Omoda C3 also features prominent shoulders, as well as a full-width bar at the rear which connects a pair of L-shaped tail lights.
Chery says it'll offer an 'official racing package' with various aerodynamic enhancements.
Inside, there's a 'starship-inspired cockpit' with a portrait-oriented touchscreen, and there are different selectable themes for both the touchscreen and the digital instrument cluster.
Chery says you'll be able to play games on the touchscreen using wireless controllers, while the centre console has slots for portable gaming devices.
The start button is also located on the centre console, where it's placed under a cover to give the Omoda C3 a more dramatic – and Lamborghini-like – startup procedure, while there's carbon-fibre interior trim and extensive ambient lighting.
'When you're sitting in the Omoda C3, you can feel like a starship commander,' said Omoda C3 brand director Roy Xie.
The company hasn't confirmed what will power the Omoda C3, though Chery offers petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains among its crowded array of brands.
Chery has confirmed it plans to expand its range of smaller models, with the 4200mm-long Omoda C3 to be joined by the 4000mm-long Omoda C2 and 3800mm-long Omoda C1.
According to a presentation attended by
Paul Tan
, Chery also plans similarly sized T1, T2 and T3 models for its namesake brand, as well as L1, L2 and L3 models for its recently announced Lepas brand and a J3 small SUV for Jaecoo.
The Jaecoo brand has just launched here, while its companion brand Omoda will
launch here in the second half of 2025.
Chery currently offers the Omoda 5 here under its namesake brand, but though it's sold under the Omoda brand in some markets, it's set to lose its Omoda branding in our market.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- The Advertiser
More Chery brands could come to Australia
Chinese automaker Chery has a dizzying array of brands around the world, but it's sticking to two in Australia… for now. It has just launched the Omoda Jaecoo brand in Australia, while depending on the market it also offers SUV brand Jetour, premium brand Exeed and commercial vehicle brand Karry. Then there's electric vehicle (EV) brand iCar – also known as Aiqar or iCaur – as well as its new European brand Lepas. The Rely marque is being dusted off, while Soueast also sits under the Chery umbrella. It's enough to confuse even automotive journalists. But depending on how well Omoda Jaecoo performs in Australia, there's a chance Chery could bring more brands here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While Chery Australia's communications boss Tim Krieger said the local arm isn't expecting any other brands "in the short term", he left the door open for others to arrive. "The clear message for us is: 'You guys have got a big job on your hands certainly with Chery, certainly with Omoda Jaecoo. You guys do a good job with that, let's see what else potentially could come.'" he told CarExpert. "But everyone's 100 per cent focused on those two brands at the moment, making the best of those opportunities." When asked about Exeed and Jetour, which already sell vehicles in markets like the Middle East, Omoda Jaecoo chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz said there were no immediate plans for these locally. "At this stage, there's no plans or any communications to us about those brands coming," he told CarExpert. Jetour, established in 2018, specialises in SUVs. It recently launched the Traveller, a boxy SUV that bears a resemblance to the Land Rover Defender, and it recently revealed a new Zongheng sub-brand that will offer more rugged ute and SUV models. Exeed, established in 2017, has traditionally offered SUVs with a more premium focus, but it recently launched the sleek Sterra ES full-size electric sedan. Then there's iCar, established in 2023, which offers boxy SUVs like Jetour. However, all of its vehicles feature electric power, at least for now with extended-range electric vehicle (EREVs) also expected from the brand. "There was certainly speculation in Shanghai around iCar, but there's nothing official that's been announced by the organisation about that vehicle," said Mr Krieger, referring to comments made by Chery International president Zhang Guibling at last month's Shanghai motor show. "There's a lot of exciting brands coming out of the Chery Group, and obviously we'd love to be in the position to consider bringing these vehicles in, but at the moment there's nothing confirmed." Notably, the iCar 03 is sold as an Omoda Jaecoo vehicle in some markets, though the company says this model – badged as the Jaecoo J6 – isn't slated for our market. Chery also has Karry, though this is a China-only commercial vehicle brand. Chery opted not to launch its new Himla ute under this brand, when the vehicle was revealed at this year's Shanghai motor show with prominent Chery branding. That said, reports out of China have indicated this vehicle will be badged under the revived Rely brand name in China. This new ute has been ruled out for our market, though Chery Australia is keen to sell a ute here as soon as it has a product it deems suitable. Chery also announced at Shanghai the Lepas brand, a confounding new development that will offer sleeker, mass-market SUVs in Europe, where Tiggo will be sold as a separate brand and Omoda Jaecoo already exists. Chery executives said it was too early to comment on the Lepas brand for our market. For now, it's just Chery and Omoda Jaecoo for Australia, and the Chinese automaker says there's little overlap. "Each brand has its own unique styling and speaks to a different part of the market," said Mr Muñoz. "There's not much crossover at the moment. People who are after Omoda Jaecoo are just after Omoda Jaecoo. "I don't believe we're diluting. In fact, we're adding more options out there that people can choose from, from different price points, at different specification levels." Content originally sourced from: Chinese automaker Chery has a dizzying array of brands around the world, but it's sticking to two in Australia… for now. It has just launched the Omoda Jaecoo brand in Australia, while depending on the market it also offers SUV brand Jetour, premium brand Exeed and commercial vehicle brand Karry. Then there's electric vehicle (EV) brand iCar – also known as Aiqar or iCaur – as well as its new European brand Lepas. The Rely marque is being dusted off, while Soueast also sits under the Chery umbrella. It's enough to confuse even automotive journalists. But depending on how well Omoda Jaecoo performs in Australia, there's a chance Chery could bring more brands here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While Chery Australia's communications boss Tim Krieger said the local arm isn't expecting any other brands "in the short term", he left the door open for others to arrive. "The clear message for us is: 'You guys have got a big job on your hands certainly with Chery, certainly with Omoda Jaecoo. You guys do a good job with that, let's see what else potentially could come.'" he told CarExpert. "But everyone's 100 per cent focused on those two brands at the moment, making the best of those opportunities." When asked about Exeed and Jetour, which already sell vehicles in markets like the Middle East, Omoda Jaecoo chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz said there were no immediate plans for these locally. "At this stage, there's no plans or any communications to us about those brands coming," he told CarExpert. Jetour, established in 2018, specialises in SUVs. It recently launched the Traveller, a boxy SUV that bears a resemblance to the Land Rover Defender, and it recently revealed a new Zongheng sub-brand that will offer more rugged ute and SUV models. Exeed, established in 2017, has traditionally offered SUVs with a more premium focus, but it recently launched the sleek Sterra ES full-size electric sedan. Then there's iCar, established in 2023, which offers boxy SUVs like Jetour. However, all of its vehicles feature electric power, at least for now with extended-range electric vehicle (EREVs) also expected from the brand. "There was certainly speculation in Shanghai around iCar, but there's nothing official that's been announced by the organisation about that vehicle," said Mr Krieger, referring to comments made by Chery International president Zhang Guibling at last month's Shanghai motor show. "There's a lot of exciting brands coming out of the Chery Group, and obviously we'd love to be in the position to consider bringing these vehicles in, but at the moment there's nothing confirmed." Notably, the iCar 03 is sold as an Omoda Jaecoo vehicle in some markets, though the company says this model – badged as the Jaecoo J6 – isn't slated for our market. Chery also has Karry, though this is a China-only commercial vehicle brand. Chery opted not to launch its new Himla ute under this brand, when the vehicle was revealed at this year's Shanghai motor show with prominent Chery branding. That said, reports out of China have indicated this vehicle will be badged under the revived Rely brand name in China. This new ute has been ruled out for our market, though Chery Australia is keen to sell a ute here as soon as it has a product it deems suitable. Chery also announced at Shanghai the Lepas brand, a confounding new development that will offer sleeker, mass-market SUVs in Europe, where Tiggo will be sold as a separate brand and Omoda Jaecoo already exists. Chery executives said it was too early to comment on the Lepas brand for our market. For now, it's just Chery and Omoda Jaecoo for Australia, and the Chinese automaker says there's little overlap. "Each brand has its own unique styling and speaks to a different part of the market," said Mr Muñoz. "There's not much crossover at the moment. People who are after Omoda Jaecoo are just after Omoda Jaecoo. "I don't believe we're diluting. In fact, we're adding more options out there that people can choose from, from different price points, at different specification levels." Content originally sourced from: Chinese automaker Chery has a dizzying array of brands around the world, but it's sticking to two in Australia… for now. It has just launched the Omoda Jaecoo brand in Australia, while depending on the market it also offers SUV brand Jetour, premium brand Exeed and commercial vehicle brand Karry. Then there's electric vehicle (EV) brand iCar – also known as Aiqar or iCaur – as well as its new European brand Lepas. The Rely marque is being dusted off, while Soueast also sits under the Chery umbrella. It's enough to confuse even automotive journalists. But depending on how well Omoda Jaecoo performs in Australia, there's a chance Chery could bring more brands here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While Chery Australia's communications boss Tim Krieger said the local arm isn't expecting any other brands "in the short term", he left the door open for others to arrive. "The clear message for us is: 'You guys have got a big job on your hands certainly with Chery, certainly with Omoda Jaecoo. You guys do a good job with that, let's see what else potentially could come.'" he told CarExpert. "But everyone's 100 per cent focused on those two brands at the moment, making the best of those opportunities." When asked about Exeed and Jetour, which already sell vehicles in markets like the Middle East, Omoda Jaecoo chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz said there were no immediate plans for these locally. "At this stage, there's no plans or any communications to us about those brands coming," he told CarExpert. Jetour, established in 2018, specialises in SUVs. It recently launched the Traveller, a boxy SUV that bears a resemblance to the Land Rover Defender, and it recently revealed a new Zongheng sub-brand that will offer more rugged ute and SUV models. Exeed, established in 2017, has traditionally offered SUVs with a more premium focus, but it recently launched the sleek Sterra ES full-size electric sedan. Then there's iCar, established in 2023, which offers boxy SUVs like Jetour. However, all of its vehicles feature electric power, at least for now with extended-range electric vehicle (EREVs) also expected from the brand. "There was certainly speculation in Shanghai around iCar, but there's nothing official that's been announced by the organisation about that vehicle," said Mr Krieger, referring to comments made by Chery International president Zhang Guibling at last month's Shanghai motor show. "There's a lot of exciting brands coming out of the Chery Group, and obviously we'd love to be in the position to consider bringing these vehicles in, but at the moment there's nothing confirmed." Notably, the iCar 03 is sold as an Omoda Jaecoo vehicle in some markets, though the company says this model – badged as the Jaecoo J6 – isn't slated for our market. Chery also has Karry, though this is a China-only commercial vehicle brand. Chery opted not to launch its new Himla ute under this brand, when the vehicle was revealed at this year's Shanghai motor show with prominent Chery branding. That said, reports out of China have indicated this vehicle will be badged under the revived Rely brand name in China. This new ute has been ruled out for our market, though Chery Australia is keen to sell a ute here as soon as it has a product it deems suitable. Chery also announced at Shanghai the Lepas brand, a confounding new development that will offer sleeker, mass-market SUVs in Europe, where Tiggo will be sold as a separate brand and Omoda Jaecoo already exists. Chery executives said it was too early to comment on the Lepas brand for our market. For now, it's just Chery and Omoda Jaecoo for Australia, and the Chinese automaker says there's little overlap. "Each brand has its own unique styling and speaks to a different part of the market," said Mr Muñoz. "There's not much crossover at the moment. People who are after Omoda Jaecoo are just after Omoda Jaecoo. "I don't believe we're diluting. In fact, we're adding more options out there that people can choose from, from different price points, at different specification levels." Content originally sourced from: Chinese automaker Chery has a dizzying array of brands around the world, but it's sticking to two in Australia… for now. It has just launched the Omoda Jaecoo brand in Australia, while depending on the market it also offers SUV brand Jetour, premium brand Exeed and commercial vehicle brand Karry. Then there's electric vehicle (EV) brand iCar – also known as Aiqar or iCaur – as well as its new European brand Lepas. The Rely marque is being dusted off, while Soueast also sits under the Chery umbrella. It's enough to confuse even automotive journalists. But depending on how well Omoda Jaecoo performs in Australia, there's a chance Chery could bring more brands here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While Chery Australia's communications boss Tim Krieger said the local arm isn't expecting any other brands "in the short term", he left the door open for others to arrive. "The clear message for us is: 'You guys have got a big job on your hands certainly with Chery, certainly with Omoda Jaecoo. You guys do a good job with that, let's see what else potentially could come.'" he told CarExpert. "But everyone's 100 per cent focused on those two brands at the moment, making the best of those opportunities." When asked about Exeed and Jetour, which already sell vehicles in markets like the Middle East, Omoda Jaecoo chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz said there were no immediate plans for these locally. "At this stage, there's no plans or any communications to us about those brands coming," he told CarExpert. Jetour, established in 2018, specialises in SUVs. It recently launched the Traveller, a boxy SUV that bears a resemblance to the Land Rover Defender, and it recently revealed a new Zongheng sub-brand that will offer more rugged ute and SUV models. Exeed, established in 2017, has traditionally offered SUVs with a more premium focus, but it recently launched the sleek Sterra ES full-size electric sedan. Then there's iCar, established in 2023, which offers boxy SUVs like Jetour. However, all of its vehicles feature electric power, at least for now with extended-range electric vehicle (EREVs) also expected from the brand. "There was certainly speculation in Shanghai around iCar, but there's nothing official that's been announced by the organisation about that vehicle," said Mr Krieger, referring to comments made by Chery International president Zhang Guibling at last month's Shanghai motor show. "There's a lot of exciting brands coming out of the Chery Group, and obviously we'd love to be in the position to consider bringing these vehicles in, but at the moment there's nothing confirmed." Notably, the iCar 03 is sold as an Omoda Jaecoo vehicle in some markets, though the company says this model – badged as the Jaecoo J6 – isn't slated for our market. Chery also has Karry, though this is a China-only commercial vehicle brand. Chery opted not to launch its new Himla ute under this brand, when the vehicle was revealed at this year's Shanghai motor show with prominent Chery branding. That said, reports out of China have indicated this vehicle will be badged under the revived Rely brand name in China. This new ute has been ruled out for our market, though Chery Australia is keen to sell a ute here as soon as it has a product it deems suitable. Chery also announced at Shanghai the Lepas brand, a confounding new development that will offer sleeker, mass-market SUVs in Europe, where Tiggo will be sold as a separate brand and Omoda Jaecoo already exists. Chery executives said it was too early to comment on the Lepas brand for our market. For now, it's just Chery and Omoda Jaecoo for Australia, and the Chinese automaker says there's little overlap. "Each brand has its own unique styling and speaks to a different part of the market," said Mr Muñoz. "There's not much crossover at the moment. People who are after Omoda Jaecoo are just after Omoda Jaecoo. "I don't believe we're diluting. In fact, we're adding more options out there that people can choose from, from different price points, at different specification levels." Content originally sourced from:
West Australian
18 hours ago
- West Australian
More Chery brands could come to Australia
Chinese automaker Chery has a dizzying array of brands around the world, but it's sticking to two in Australia… for now. It has just launched the Omoda Jaecoo brand in Australia, while depending on the market it also offers SUV brand Jetour, premium brand Exeed and commercial vehicle brand Karry. Then there's electric vehicle (EV) brand iCar – also known as Aiqar or iCaur – as well as its new European brand Lepas. The Rely marque is being dusted off, while Soueast also sits under the Chery umbrella . It's enough to confuse even automotive journalists. But depending on how well Omoda Jaecoo performs in Australia, there's a chance Chery could bring more brands here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . While Chery Australia's communications boss Tim Krieger said the local arm isn't expecting any other brands 'in the short term', he left the door open for others to arrive. 'The clear message for us is: 'You guys have got a big job on your hands certainly with Chery, certainly with Omoda Jaecoo. You guys do a good job with that, let's see what else potentially could come.'' he told CarExpert. 'But everyone's 100 per cent focused on those two brands at the moment, making the best of those opportunities.' When asked about Exeed and Jetour, which already sell vehicles in markets like the Middle East, Omoda Jaecoo chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz said there were no immediate plans for these locally. 'At this stage, there's no plans or any communications to us about those brands coming,' he told CarExpert. Jetour, established in 2018, specialises in SUVs. It recently launched the Traveller, a boxy SUV that bears a resemblance to the Land Rover Defender, and it recently revealed a new Zongheng sub-brand that will offer more rugged ute and SUV models. Exeed, established in 2017, has traditionally offered SUVs with a more premium focus, but it recently launched the sleek Sterra ES full-size electric sedan. Then there's iCar , established in 2023, which offers boxy SUVs like Jetour. However, all of its vehicles feature electric power, at least for now with extended-range electric vehicle (EREVs) also expected from the brand. 'There was certainly speculation in Shanghai around iCar, but there's nothing official that's been announced by the organisation about that vehicle,' said Mr Krieger, referring to comments made by Chery International president Zhang Guibling at last month's Shanghai motor show. 'There's a lot of exciting brands coming out of the Chery Group, and obviously we'd love to be in the position to consider bringing these vehicles in, but at the moment there's nothing confirmed.' Notably, the iCar 03 is sold as an Omoda Jaecoo vehicle in some markets, though the company says this model – badged as the Jaecoo J6 – isn't slated for our market. Chery also has Karry, though this is a China-only commercial vehicle brand. Chery opted not to launch its new Himla ute under this brand, when the vehicle was revealed at this year's Shanghai motor show with prominent Chery branding. That said, reports out of China have indicated this vehicle will be badged under the revived Rely brand name in China. This new ute has been ruled out for our market, though Chery Australia is keen to sell a ute here as soon as it has a product it deems suitable. Chery also announced at Shanghai the Lepas brand, a confounding new development that will offer sleeker, mass-market SUVs in Europe, where Tiggo will be sold as a separate brand and Omoda Jaecoo already exists. Chery executives said it was too early to comment on the Lepas brand for our market. For now, it's just Chery and Omoda Jaecoo for Australia, and the Chinese automaker says there's little overlap. 'Each brand has its own unique styling and speaks to a different part of the market,' said Mr Muñoz. 'There's not much crossover at the moment. People who are after Omoda Jaecoo are just after Omoda Jaecoo. 'I don't believe we're diluting. In fact, we're adding more options out there that people can choose from, from different price points, at different specification levels.'
7NEWS
18 hours ago
- 7NEWS
More Chery brands could come to Australia
Chinese automaker Chery has a dizzying array of brands around the world, but it's sticking to two in Australia… for now. It has just launched the Omoda Jaecoo brand in Australia, while depending on the market it also offers SUV brand Jetour, premium brand Exeed and commercial vehicle brand Karry. Then there's electric vehicle (EV) brand iCar – also known as Aiqar or iCaur – as well as its new European brand Lepas. The Rely marque is being dusted off, while Soueast also sits under the Chery umbrella. It's enough to confuse even automotive journalists. But depending on how well Omoda Jaecoo performs in Australia, there's a chance Chery could bring more brands here. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While Chery Australia's communications boss Tim Krieger said the local arm isn't expecting any other brands 'in the short term', he left the door open for others to arrive. 'The clear message for us is: 'You guys have got a big job on your hands certainly with Chery, certainly with Omoda Jaecoo. You guys do a good job with that, let's see what else potentially could come.'' he told CarExpert. 'But everyone's 100 per cent focused on those two brands at the moment, making the best of those opportunities.' When asked about Exeed and Jetour, which already sell vehicles in markets like the Middle East, Omoda Jaecoo chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz said there were no immediate plans for these locally. 'At this stage, there's no plans or any communications to us about those brands coming,' he told CarExpert. Jetour, established in 2018, specialises in SUVs. It recently launched the Traveller, a boxy SUV that bears a resemblance to the Land Rover Defender, and it recently revealed a new Zongheng sub-brand that will offer more rugged ute and SUV models. Exeed, established in 2017, has traditionally offered SUVs with a more premium focus, but it recently launched the sleek Sterra ES full-size electric sedan. Then there's iCar, established in 2023, which offers boxy SUVs like Jetour. However, all of its vehicles feature electric power, at least for now with extended-range electric vehicle (EREVs) also expected from the brand. 'There was certainly speculation in Shanghai around iCar, but there's nothing official that's been announced by the organisation about that vehicle,' said Mr Krieger, referring to comments made by Chery International president Zhang Guibling at last month's Shanghai motor show. 'There's a lot of exciting brands coming out of the Chery Group, and obviously we'd love to be in the position to consider bringing these vehicles in, but at the moment there's nothing confirmed.' Notably, the iCar 03 is sold as an Omoda Jaecoo vehicle in some markets, though the company says this model – badged as the Jaecoo J6 – isn't slated for our market. Chery also has Karry, though this is a China-only commercial vehicle brand. Chery opted not to launch its new Himla ute under this brand, when the vehicle was revealed at this year's Shanghai motor show with prominent Chery branding. That said, reports out of China have indicated this vehicle will be badged under the revived Rely brand name in China. This new ute has been ruled out for our market, though Chery Australia is keen to sell a ute here as soon as it has a product it deems suitable. Chery also announced at Shanghai the Lepas brand, a confounding new development that will offer sleeker, mass-market SUVs in Europe, where Tiggo will be sold as a separate brand and Omoda Jaecoo already exists. Chery executives said it was too early to comment on the Lepas brand for our market. For now, it's just Chery and Omoda Jaecoo for Australia, and the Chinese automaker says there's little overlap. 'Each brand has its own unique styling and speaks to a different part of the market,' said Mr Muñoz. 'There's not much crossover at the moment. People who are after Omoda Jaecoo are just after Omoda Jaecoo. 'I don't believe we're diluting. In fact, we're adding more options out there that people can choose from, from different price points, at different specification levels.'
