Last week, we were invited to participate in the Omoda & Jaecoo Long Range Safari Drive competition in South Africa, taking us from Cape Town to Addo. There, we drove the new Omoda C9 PHEV by Jaecoo a gruelling 939 km over three days, using only one full tank of petrol and a single battery charge.
The petrol-electric version of the C9 derives its Super Hybrid System (SHS) powertrain from the recently-launched Jaecoo J7 PHEV, in this case a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, dual electric motors and a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). The C9, however, uses a three-speed DHT and adds a rear motor to provide all-wheel drive.
The O&J team declined to provide full specifications during the drive, only saying it will have a total system output of 598 PS and 915 Nm of torque. That’s 20 PS and 5 Nm less than its Chinese counterpart, the Exeed Yaoguang (RX) C-DM, which uses a 156 PS/220 Nm engine, a 224 PS/390 Nm front traction motor and a 238 PS/310 Nm rear motor. The export J7 PHEV’s engine is slightly less powerful at 143 PS and 215 Nm, so we can assume that’s where most of the shortfall lies.
Also mentioned was an impressive pure electric range of 150 km on the WLTP cycle, which is exactly what the Yaoguang C-DM achieves, meaning that the C9 PHEV likely uses the same 34.46 kWh CATL M3P battery. Total range is rated at 1,100 km, also on the WLTP cycle. The car can support DC fast charging at an unspecified input, with the Exeed capable of charging from 30 to 80% in 20 minutes.
On the outside, the C9 PHEV maintains the petrol model‘s sleek design, with a coupé-like roofline, distinctive “Sigma” full-width front light signature, segmented taillights and even the same 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. The only visible differences are a split front air intake, a charge port door on the passenger side and a “340E” badge. Unfortunately, the car still features fake quad tailpipes.
The C9 PHEV’s interior is also very familiar, with organic lines, a widescreen display panel with twin 12.3-inch displays, a tall centre console with cool silver air-con and drive mode knobs, and quilted leather seats. This South African tester gets a stylish brown and white colour scheme that is unlikely to make it to Malaysia given buyers’ preference for more somber hues here.
Unlike the J7 PHEV, the C9 PHEV retains the same door cards as the petrol model, meaning you still get Mercedes-Benz-style powered seat adjustment switches and (blissfully) discrete door mirror controls. Other features carried over include adaptive dampers, triple-zone climate control, an air fragrance system, a panoramic glass sunroof, a head-up display, power-reclining rear seats, a 360-degree camera system with a 3D view and a transparency function and a 14-speaker Sony sound system with headrest speakers.
A Jaecoo Malaysia representative present during the drive told us that the Omoda C9 PHEV could be coming to our market, although a launch timeline has not been set. In case you were wondering, the Malaysian team including yours truly took first place during the drive with an effective range of 1,190 km (939 km driven, plus 251 km of range remaining), beating out the South African contingent by just six kilometres.
