Omoda 9 review

£44,990 and not a penny more. Omoda has put everything into one spec under the mantra of ‘everything is standard’: we suspect a newcomer can’t afford to waste time explaining trim levels to potential customers, but that may just be the cynic in us.

Let’s run through the standard equipment. Deep breaths please… 20in alloys, adaptive suspension, LED lights, acoustic glass, ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable seats front and rear, a 14-speaker Sony sound system, double wireless phone charging pads, that 24.6in curved display, four USB ports, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, parking sensors, 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control and air filtration. And those are just the highlights.

We haven’t even got into the active safety systems yet. Fancy playing acronym bingo? AEB, FCW, RCTB, BSD, DOW, RCTA, LCA, LDP, TJA, ELK… if you know of it, it’s probably on here. Omoda hasn’t had its Euro NCAP crash test yet, but is aiming for a maximum star rating.

The only options are paint. White is free; grey, black and green are £750; ‘Hawk’s Eye Grey’ is £1,000. We’d argue Gen Z-ers might appreciate something more cheerful, but in these parts departing from monochrome is a one way ticket to tanking residuals. Omoda can’t afford to do that just yet.

The car comes with a seven-year warranty, with unlimited mileage for the first three years or 100,000 for the rest of the term. The battery is guaranteed for eight years.

Is it good value?

Depends on your outlook. We think Omoda is mad to mention the 9 in the context of the XC60 and Velar, because it doesn’t have anything like that kind of clout. Or ability. And you can’t simply make up the difference with fancy electronics.

Realistically its fight is with the 5008s, Kodiaqs and Tayrons of Planet Mid-Size SUV. Not to mention its fellow interloper, the BYD Seal U. There it stands a much better chance of carving out an audience with its big e-range and creature comforts. But if you’re a buyer, you’re taking a big leap into the unknown by backing this over any of those more rounded PHEVs. We’d back driving quality every time.