Omoda C7 spied testing on North-South Expressway – 1.6L turbocharged petrol; Malaysian debut this year?

The Omoda C7 has been sighted on the North-South Expressway, shown in this image posted by Iman Hakeem to the paultan.org Automotive/Car Discussion Group on Facebook. Previewed in May this year, the Omoda C7 is likely to be the first to be sold under the standalone Omoda brand.

Previewed as a petrol-powered model, identifiable by its single fuel filler flap, the Omoda C7 is powered by a 1.6 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that outputs 197 PS and 290 Nm, paired with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch automatic and FWD or AWD.

This will be joined by an electrified variant with the manufacturer’s Super Hybrid System that is found in the J7 PHEV, in which is a hybrid-specific 1.5 litre turbo petrol four-cylinder with 156 PS and 220 Nm, combined with a 204 PS/310 Nm electric motor and a single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).

Combined, this makes 360 PS and 530 Nm, or 13 PS and 5 Nm more than produced by the J7 PHEV. On the electric side of its powertrain, the battery is a BYD-sourced 18.3 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit that offers up to 95 km of battery-only driving, and contributes to a total range of 1,250 km on a single tank of fuel for the C7.

Inside, cabin equipment in the C7 includes a 15.6-inch touchscreen for infotainment which apparently can be slid across from the middle of the dashboard over to the passenger side, while audio is by a “12+2” ensemble of Sony speakers and active noise cancellation.

As is commonplace in cars of today, its dashboard is minimalist in design, while the steering wheel has an oblong shape. Its front seats have been designed to mimic gaming chairs – which were, ironically, made to look like race car bucket seats in the first place – and are upholstered in nubuck leather.

Registrations of interest have already opened on the Omoda Jaecoo website, and so the official debut of the Omoda C7 in Malaysia appears to be coming soon.

GALLERY: Omoda C7 previewed in Malaysia

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