Dashing Omoda C9 plug-in hybrid proves to be a Golf GTI-killer
There is no denying that Chery-owned Omoda has made a big splash with the introduction the C9 PHEV. This SUV has mostly been paraded around as a fashion accessory. It's always seen on display at high-end celeb events, with the most recent being the Durban July.
But the Omoda C9 has another side to it, and that is its hardcore performance capabilities. Not only is it faster than any other SUV at the price. But this family SUV can also straight up to a VW Golf 8 GTI and destroy it out on the road.
Petrol and electricity combine
PHEV stands for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and this means that the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine gets a proper shot of electricity. Making only 105kW and 215Nm, the petrol engine would not even be a threat to VW Golf 8.5 1.4 TSI. But add a 34.5kWh battery into the mix that drives four electric motors, one at each wheel, and you have a 440kW/915Nm Golf GTI killer.
ALSO READ: Intensely shocked plug-in hybrid Omoda C9 SHS arriving in June
The battery adds 335kW of power and 700Nm of torque. The extra urge is driven down to all four wheels via a three-speed DHT auto box. Stomping on the accelerator of the Omoda C9 PHEV produced a tested 0 to 100km/h time of 5.16 seconds, which is fractionally slower than the claimed 4.9 seconds, but its way quicker than the 5.88 posted by the VW Golf 8 GTI.
Is there a downside? The short answer is yes. There is a delay from when you hit the accelerator to when the C9 figures it all out and lets the car go. This everybody will live with because after that it bolts as you have just read.
The Omoda C9 PHEV produces a total of 445kW of power and 915Nm of torque. Picture: Mark Jones
Omoda C9 PHEV's runs inconsistent
What concerned me was that the runs were not consistent. Sometimes the petrol engine would kick in earlier and then later, and this meant you could get a fast Omoda C9 one run and then you could get a not so fast one the next. I even had it the one time where something glitched and the car limped to about 120km/h and would not go any faster.
What didn't glitch was the fuel consumption. Omoda claim an overall figure of 1.4-litres per 100km and a range of 150km on the battery alone to give a combined number of over 1 100km.
The C9 PHEV offers 70kW fast-charging capability at public charging stations. This takes the car from 30 to 80% in around 25 minutes. Or you can use the Omoda installed wall charger at your home and recharge the battery in five and a half hours when it is parked in your garage doing nothing.
Impressive fuel economy
In my world, I could get away with using battery power most of the time. So, my cost to run the Omoda C9 PHEV was minimal and even below 1.4 litres per 100km. The only caveat is that although the car indicated that I had 150km of battery range when fully charged as claimed, this figure was never realised. The best I could get was around 100km. This said, at the end of my week with the car, I ended up averaging an impressive 6.8 litres per 100km, because this included the drive out to Gerotek and all the flat out runs done there.
ALSO READ: Six things you need to know about the new Omoda C9 PHEV
Talking of drive, there was one thing that really irritated me. The brakes. The pedal feel is so electronically manipulated. No matter the setting chosen, the brakes were far too sensitive, especially at low speed. And not once, but almost every time I applied the brakes, the passengers landed up pinned against the seatbelts. Maybe over time one might figure the brakes out, but I couldn't in my short time with the car.
The Omoda C9 PHEV offers all sorts of luxury and tech, which we have covered in The Citizen Motoring already. Every driver assistance feature is offered too, and the car has space for days. If you can get over the frustration of operating most of the controls on the big centre digital screen and ignore the odd system failure warnings that pop up on the dash. The car is a great place to spend a lot of time.
The Omoda C9 PHEV sports a very futuristic interior. Picture: Mark Jones
Value for money
Pricing for the new Omoda C9 PHEV is R999 000. It's a big junk of change to lay out for a Chinese car that has some glitches. But it is better priced than anything in its segment.
Giving you long term peace of mind, the car comes with a seven-year/100 000km service plan, seven-year/200 000km vehicle warranty, 10-year/200 000km warranty for certain electric drive unit components, 10-year/one million km engine warranty and a new industry-leading 10-year/unlimited km power battery pack warranty for the first owner, reverting to 10 years/200 000km for subsequent owners.
Omoda C9 PHEV test results
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