Omodo 9 SHS plug-in hybrid review: We drive it through nine countries to test its 700-mile range claims

New Chinese car manufacturers in the UK need to make a splash and what better way to do that than with an attention-grabbing statistic?

Omoda, a brand freshly minted by the Chery Automotive empire in Wuhu, is taking on the likes of the Volvo XC60, Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5 with its new flagship 9 SHS SUV that offers 700 head-turning miles of combined electric and petrol range.

With a class-leading EV-only range of 93 miles alone, the 9 SHS leaves its Western competitors in the dust and threatens to make their tech look outdated with its 'Super Hybrid System'.

All while undercutting its German and Swedish plug-in hybrid rivals by at least £10,000 in the process and offering 'everything as standard'.

Omoda has not only entered the market with bold offerings, but with an equally bold approach to launches - not surprising as Chery has huge UK and European domination plans in the next year or two, and is China's biggest car exporter.

So, Freda Lewis-Stempel drove the 9 SHS on Omoda's epic 9-countries launch - a plug-in hybrid Grand Tour - to see if it will become one of the best-selling plug-in hybrids in the UK and if you really can do 700 miles without needing to refuel or recharge...

Omoda only made its UK brand debut last year, so it's not surprising if you haven't heard of it - yet.

Omoda arrived with its sister brand Jaecoo, which both fall under the Chery mothership – China's fourth largest car manufacturer.

What's the difference between Omoda and Jaecoo then? Omoda's PR explains the difference with a pithy comparison: Omoda is the Shoreditch to Jaecoo's Wimbeldon.

Omoda takes its name from 'oxygen' and 'mode' (French for fashion) and appeals to buyers with a more arty and futuristic tech-focused design. Jaecoo means a combination of Jager (German for hunter) and cool. It's design language is more mature and outdoorsy.

Both brands are on a huge UK market domination drive, but many buyers will be relieved to hear that Chery isn't focusing on just electric cars immediately unlike other Chinese brands.

Omoda arrived with a mix of powertrain options, launching last year with the petrol-powered Omoda 5 and all-electric E5 – both well-priced options costing £25,915 and £33,065 respectively – which shows very clearly the brand's approach to giving people choice.

As is the case with the new 9 SHS I drove across Europe, hybrids are the particular name of the Omoda game.

The approach seems to be working worldwide, as Chery reported a 38.4 per cent jump in global sales for 2024, selling 2.6million cars – with forecasts expecting that to rise to three million this year. And it's China's top car exporter, shipping 1.14million vehicles overseas.

The UK is the overseas market Chery has got its sights set firmly on now, with the 9 SHS marking three models launching here in less than a year.

And by the end of 2025 there should be eight models across the Omoda/Jaecoo brands, which you can buy at the soon to be 130-strong dealer network.

But the 9 SHS is the top of the Chinese brand's quiet luxury offering and needs to impress, so what is it actually like in the wild?

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Somewhat reminiscent of my childhood summer holidays when my family would drive circuitously all through Europe to get down to Italy, passing through France, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the Omoda test set off from Kent to drive nine countries (albeit nearby ones) on the Continent on a single tank of fuel.

Before I get to the whether the 9 SHS can indeed cover 700 miles on just one fill of its 70-litre petrol tank and one charge of its 34.46kWh battery pack, I have to give kudos to Omoda for those 93 miles of EV range.

It beats out everything including the Audi Q5 (62 miles), Volvo XC60 (51 miles) and Mercedes GLC (78 miles).

Because of that most drivers can do almost their whole five-day commute (around 100 miles on average) in EV mode.

Driving in EV-only mode allows you to go both emissions free and guilt free in town or for shorter trips.

It's complex and fancy hybrid system will ensure you always have charge too – it operates like a normal non-plug-in hybrid retaining some juice at low battery levels so you're never forced to use the engine only.

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It also means your car will 'drive like an EV and think like a hybrid', Omoda promises, and there's no denying this rings true.

The gearbox is seamless once you're on the move so you feel you're gliding in an EV through city traffic, along undulating country roads and down long stretches of European motorway.

I wasn't flooring it because that and efficient driving doesn't exactly go hand in hand, but when I needed to tap into the 449 PS (442 bhp) and 0-62 in 4.9 seconds, the power was easily accessible.

The turbocharged 1.5-litre engine isn't the creme de la creme, but it's composed and potent, and makes up part of a enjoyable driving package.

The other part of said enjoyable driving package is the smoothness of the ride; the 9 SHS is undeniably comfortable and irons out all but severe road dips and roughness commendably.

Add accurate and nicely weighted steering, and the relaxing nature of regenerative braking (when the car uses kinetic energy to brake itself) and the 9 SHS is a very competent car for the budget conscious luxe buyer.

The only real issue is that the braking itself, which doesn't respond much initially and then when you apply more pressure bites very suddenly.

Braking becomes a bit of a rubber brand snapping back into place sensation – not the most enjoyable.

But back to the question in hand - can the 9 SHS make it on one tank? Yes, it can and it did. It's entirely doable, which is an impressive feat and delightful news for your bank account.

Omoda quotes an overall WLTP figure of 1.4 litres/100km from the 9 SHS.

I started on 700 miles, and by the time I had to tap out for last two countries and pass onto my co-driver to finish our efficiency test it was down to 199km (123 miles) with around 60 miles to go. It made it through all nine countries with 19 miles of fuel left and 13 miles of EV only range.

But don't expect to go fast – you'll be doing 90-100km on a 130km motorway for maximum efficient driving, which takes perhaps more patience than I have.

Still going slowly allows you to truly appreciate the way the landscape of Europe changes, so perhaps that's the other silver lining.

There's no doubt when driving the 9 SHS that Omoda's 'everything as standard' mantra really does ring true.

All but the kitchen sink's been thrown at it in the name of comfort and technology and as a result you are cocooned in a cabin of impressive luxury considering the price. It's not blow your mind luxe but its very well finished - it's not Bentley after all.

Two of the features I was most grateful for while driving Europe in a heatwave were the ventilated seats (a godsend) and the 1.3m panoramic sunroof with rain sensor.

Both front and rear passengers get ventilated seats (and heated for the winter). The front seats are 12-way electric with memory function, while the back recline at the touch of a button.

Between that, the acoustic glass removing practically all exterior noise, and the impressive amount of legroom in the rear, you'll have a hard time not falling asleep in the back.

Add the 256 interior lighting colours, the welcome light projection, the synthetic leather materials and aluminum dials, and it's a plush place to spend time – overall the cabin design is well executed.

Another favorite ambient feature is the PM3.0 Air Purification system which I clicked into action when farmyard smells became too much – cow and horse manure is fine, chicken is where I draw the line.

Other very useful features are the 540-degree camera with transparent view, Automatic Parking Assistant that will park itself, 20-plus ADAS features, wireless charging, head-up display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a (very good) SONY 14-speaker sound system.

The 24.6-inch curved display is a big step-up from the sister Jaecoo 7 SHS' 14.8-inch system and is much easier to use.

The Omoda app takes you straight back to all the in-system settings for quick access, or you can use the shortcut on the steering wheel for vehicle settings.

The only major issue I had was the quick access menu that you had to swipe down with a lighter-than-a-feather touch - trying to get this to appear could take so long you'd have crossed several borders while faffing.

But the Omoda team said they'd already fed that back and it would be changed soon, so it won't be a long-lasting gripe at least.

And there are 53 buttons and physical controls throughout so it's not like you're dependent on the touchscreen either.

I've already touched on how spacious the rear of the car is (although headroom isn't immense), but the 9 SHS also aims to deliver family-friendly capacity.

There's a 660-litre boot and the rear seats fold 60/40. With all the seats down, you can stuff 1,783 litres worth of (probably unnecessary) luggage in, and there's a lot of storage throughout including a chilled centre console storage compartment.

There's vehicle-to-load allowing you to charge appliances - a handy feature and a benefit of the hybrid powertrain.

It can DC fast charge up to 70kW giving you a recharge from 30 to 80 per cent in as little as 25 minutes. 11kW home charging takes around eight hours from 0 to 100 per cent.

Already is the answer. Order books are open and deliveries have started, so you can get yourself an Omoda 9 SHS whenever you want.

And you will pay £44,990 – no hidden surprises or trims walk ups, just this Omoda 'everything as standard' promise.

Included in this is a seven-year/100,000 mile warranty (whichever comes first) with no mileage limit for the first three years. There's also an eight-year battery warranty and RAC breakdown cover thrown in.

It's running on delivering 'premium without the price premium' and there's no doubt it's doing that.

And I was impressed that Omoda has ironed out a fair few of the Jaecoo's problems already, and it seems that the Chinese maker is working double time to finesse its cars for British buyers.

With the government now allowing manufacturers to sell plug-in hybrids and hybrids until 2035 instead of 2030, drivers are responding to these relaxed rules by snapping up plug-in hybrids.

So, it's sensible that Chery and Omoda are right there offering a sensibly priced very long range PHEV when sales of plug-ins are soaring and people are opting to dodge going fully-electric while they still have time.

We'll have to see how sales go, but it looks like Omoda's got itself ahead of the competition with a SUV that looks good, drives well considering the price point, and is premium on the inside.

I'd say the 9 SHS is a box office hit rather than an Oscar nominee: mass-market Avengers Endgame appeal, just don't expect the Academy to ever deign to give a Chinese-made SUV an award.