The move was coldly calculated. Instead of showing its first midsize SUV at the overcrowded Beijing Motor Show, the Omoda 7 made its first appearance at an event reserved for the press and dealers in the markets where it will be sold. Brazil is among them, but the launch will be scheduled for 2025.
Omoda is a Chery sub-brand exclusively for export markets, just like Jaecoo. And the Omoda 7 is strategic to fulfill the strategy of positioning Omoda above Chery in terms of technology and sophistication, as it is the first designed to be an Omoda. It’s also its first plug-in hybrid.
An explanation is in order here. The Omoda 5, which will be the brand’s debut car in Brazil in August, was sold as the Chery Omoda C5 before Omoda gained independence.
The Omoda 7 is a little larger than a Caoa Chery Tiggo 7. It is 4.62 m long (12 cm more), 1.87 m wide (3 cm more), 1.67 m high (3 cm less).
The technical and technological difference between the two, however, is enormous, as the Omoda 7 is a plug-in hybrid. The manufacturer promises an average consumption of 20 km/l, which makes the Omoda 7 capable of achieving a range of up to 1,250 km. The battery capacity has not been disclosed, but the electric range is 95 km.
Most efficient engine in the world
The key to this efficiency is the latest generation 1.5 petrol engine. It runs on a Miller cycle and has technologies such as variable geometry turbo, direct injection at 350 bar, variable oil pump and does not require pulleys on the crankshaft as it has a water pump and air conditioning compressor driven by electric motors. According to Chery, this is the most efficient gasoline engine today, with a thermal efficiency of 44.5%.
Continues after advertising
With all this effort, the 1.5 TGDI engine generates 156 hp and 22.4 kgfm and is combined with the 1DHT130 gearbox, with three physical gears and two integrated electric motors that can deliver another 176 hp.
There are 9 different operating modes and 11 operating scenarios. This means that, combining the physical gears and the performance of the three engines, this car has 11 gears. But the peak power and torque of the combined engines have not been released for the Omoda 7.
What is Omoda 7 like?
In terms of design, the front grille with interlocking three-dimensional bars of the Omoda 5 gives way to hexagonal elements of various sizes that also attempt to create a three-dimensional effect at the front, while also creating openings for air passage.
Continues after advertising
The front bumper also has translucent areas on the sides, laser-marked to display the same hexagonal patterns when backlit.
The full-LED headlights are quite narrow and aligned with the nose of the car: the upper part of the front, close to the hood, is more prominent.
The rear has such clean lines that what draws attention are the headlights integrated by a bar illuminated by zig-zag LEDs and sequential arrows.
Inside, the Omoda 7 proposal is a very horizontal panel with ambient lighting from edge to edge and around elements such as air vents. There is a digital instrument panel and 8-inch head-up display to display information to the driver, while a 15.6-inch screen with 2.5k resolution.
Continues after advertising
The Sony sound system combines 12 speakers for music and two more dedicated to an external noise cancellation system with an intensity of 10 dB, which would be enough to compensate for 90% of external noise and combustion engine noise.
There are also features adopted at the suggestion of markets where Omoda is already present, such as a system that perfumes the cabin with intensity adjustment and three fragrance options, and fixing points for tablets or tables behind the front seats.
Share this article via:
There are 18 ADAS systems, that is, driver assistance systems. These include adaptive autopilot, lane keeping assistant, collision warning, autonomous emergency braking and blind spot monitor. The set of 360° vision cameras also includes a feature that makes the car transparent on display in order to facilitate maneuvers.
All these electronic systems work thanks to the combination of a front camera, four surround cameras, two ultrasonic radars and three radars with 12 mm waves (one front and two rear).
The Omoda 7 is expected to launch in Brazil in 2025. Until then, we should see the Omoda 3, the company’s first compact SUV.
