Greetings from China, where Chery sub-brand Omoda has unveiled the Omoda X, which made its global debut earlier tonight at the Omoda X Night, part of the brand’s activities at this year’s edition of the annual Chery International User Summit currently taking place in Wuhu.
The Omoda X bears a new design language from the brand known as Crossvolution, which the automaker says encapsulates the sophistication and style of urban living while embracing the freedom and wild spirit of outdoor exploration, otherwise known as a rugged crossover.
If the tone of the descriptors sound familiar, it’s because it is. This is the working example of the T1QC, the brand’s first off-road model that was hinted at during a future product presentation it made on the sidelines of Auto China 2026 in Beijing back in April.
Save for a few changes, most of the study has been transcribed on to the X. Mixing aggressive sports car lines with off-road styling cues, the brand says the underlying philosophy of the design is essentially an expansion of the Cyber Mecha exterior language that debuted on the Omoda 4, with plenty of sharp, geometric lines and a rakish profile, including that of the roofline, visibly on display.
Aside from the unmissable, pronounced wheel arches and taut lines, the signature lighting fixtures also run with the theme, with jagged-edged DRLs at the front and lightning-styled graphics found on the rear LED lamps.
As is the case with such launches, specifications were generally absent, but we managed to get some info on the dimensions. Measuring in at 4,654 mm long, 1,920 mm wide and 1,702 mm tall, it’s quite a large creature, certainly bigger than the first Cyber Mecha creation, the Omoda 4, although it shares the same 2,700 mmm-long wheelbase, but not as large as the unibody Chery Tiggo V SUV/pick-up that debuted in Beijing (2,800 mm wheelbase).
Like the Omoda 4, it’s not for everyone, but it’s clear that the aesthetic is obviously geared to appeal to younger buyers looking for something a bit edgier, this time in a package with clear off-road overtones.
The utility elements in that equation include a 200 mm ground clearance and a 700 mm water wading depth, along with a 1,800 kg towing capability. A novelty is a self-healing, scratch resistant Progloss Plus Clearcoat finish, which the brand says will help preserve the exterior paint during off-road excursions.
Some details of the interior were highlighted during the presentation. The Mecha Starship cockpit continues on the edgy theme from outside, with a dual wing layout providing driver and front passenger space a symmetrical perspective.
Visual highlights include an X-shape oversized console that cuts across the central armrest, complete with a row of toggle switches and a central physical control knob as well as a Lamborghini-styled red starter button cover. The latter will look familiar – it follows the same scope as that on the fuel-burning versions of the Omoda 4.
Other interior bits include a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch horizontal central touchscreen as well as a thermal imaging system with up to 90 metres recognition range for safer night driving and an Open Mic karaoke feature that requires no microphone for sing-alongs, with four independent zones handling voice pick-up duties. Also to be found is an X-Mode personalisation option to tailor the instrument display layout to your preference.
The presentation didn’t mention powertrains at all, but we were informed later that there will be battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) options for the Omoda X. The display X was a PHEV, given the presence of the starter button and access flaps on both sides of the car.
No intimation of whether the hybrids will be FWD or AWD, but should it be the former, the PHEV could well be the Super Hybrid System-Plug-in Hybrid (SHS-P) unit as seen on the Jaecoo J7 PHEV, which combines the workings of a 143 PS/215 Nm 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder engine, a 204 PS/310 Nm electric motor, a single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission and an 18.3 kWh LFP battery, with total output being 279 PS and 365 Nm.
As for the Super Hybrid System–Hybrid (SHS-H, the H suffix being for HEV), there’s one working with a turbo 1.5 litre mill, offering 224 PS and 295 Nm, and there’s also that which equips the Omoda 4 hybrid, in this case a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder unit offering 96 PS and 120 Nm, working with a single-speed direct hybrid transmission (DHT) with two integrated motors to offer a combined system output of 204 PS and 310 Nm.
Other bits of info are that the BEV will supposedly feature a 74 kWh battery, while the PHEV will get a 20 kWh unit, which would definitely present the Omoda X with a longer pure electric range than the J7 PHEV. Oh, and from a wall display containing a variety of items, it was implied that the crossover will be customisable to a degree. However, no mention of when series production will begin, and it remains to be seen if Malaysia will get it.
