Omoda C7 SHS PHEV review

A while back we had our first experience with the Omoda C7. That car was a high-spec Elegance version. More recently we had the range-leading Omoda C7 SHS PHEV in our care, so we hit the open road heading South.

Omoda is one of the brands in Chery SA’s ever-growing portfolio. What started with a single model, the C5, doubled with the addition of the C9. Not long after came the C7. The C7, the protagonist of this range, sits smack-bang in the middle of the current line-up. A position that will soon change with the imminent arrival of the C4, which, you can already guess, will be the new entry into Omoda ownership.

Mean Looking

The C7 is, in our eyes, the best looking model on offer from Omoda. The sharp lines and crisp detailing give it a modern appearance. The test unit was finished in black on black on black. Black paint, dark windows and mostly black 20-inch alloys give the C7 an air of menace. We drove the C7 on a multi-day road trip from the Mother City to the Southern Most point in Africa, Cape Agulhas.

We stopped along the way to check out the little towns and eateries they had to offer. We are pretty sure that this was the first time most folks on our route had seen an Omoda, or a C7. Most craned their necks, some did a double take. Maybe it was ‘gangster-esque’ appearance of the mean-looking SUV that left people wondering who the new visitors to their town were. At any rate, the C7 in this combo really turns heads.

Neat Interior

We have experienced the C7 before, in a different spec, so we won’t go into too much detail about the cabin. However, as this is the range-topper it does add a more few items as standard. Buyers of the hybrid version can expect a 12-speaker Sony audio system, active noise cancellation and a full range of electrical adjustment for the front passenger seat. Bizarrely, the front occupant has the benefit of massage functionality, but not the driver. Perhaps there was an oversight in the conversion from LHD (in its home market) to RHD for SA.

Oh, and thanks to the electrical hardware of the hybrid drive system, the boot size of the C7 SHS shrinks a little. More concerning was the lack of a spare tyre. However, there is a mobility kit. We steered clear of any severe gravel tracks on our travels, just in case…

Leaving the City

We took delivery of the C7 hybrid a few days before our road trip, but did not get much chance to venture locally, so our first real experience of the model was when we pointed its sharp nose eastwards on the N2. This SHS (super hybrid system) version is powered by a 1,5-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol engine that works in conjunction with an electric motor. Omoda claims peak outputs of 255 kW and 525 N.m of torque.

The powertrain defaults to electric power first, which is great. You can set of silently without engaging the petrol engine. Omoda claims the large SUV will travel just over 100 km on electric power alone. Once charge levels deplete, or peak power is required, the ICE comes into play, and quite seamlessly at that. The electronics always keep a little battery power in reserve, so you never see the on-board battery indicator drop to ‘0 km’.

That additional battery power comes in handy when climbing the likes of Houw Hoek pass or the undulating landscape that follows. Handily, every uphill has a descent, which means that battery energy can be recouped when coasting. The on-board range meter showed just over 1 050 km when we set off from home. We thought the figure is a bit optimistic and we expected it to fall dramatically when running at higher speeds on the open road. To its credit, the powertrain continued to sip fuel a miserly rate.

Rolling Hills and Windy Roads

We specifically chose a weekend after a long weekend to go away. We expectde that most people would have taken a break prior and that we’d have the roads to ourselves, and we were right. Once we left the national highway and headed south we were rewarded with completely empty arterial roads. This allowed us to travel at our own pace without having to follow caravan- or trailer-towing holidaymakers.

The roads towards Agulhas are scenic and rolling with many corners. They are also in pretty good condition. On our trip we encountered lots of wind, some of which manifested in an annoying noise around the driver’s window. It seems the standard noise cancellation software is yet to be calibrated for the Western Cape’s notorious windy season.

No More Land

Wind noise aside, the cabin of the C7 proved comfortable over the extended drive. When you arrive at Cabo de Agulhas, or Cape of Needles, there is no more land in Africa… the next place further south is the Antarctic. We spent some time exploring the area, and the adjacent national park, most of it at low speeds so it was in near silent operation of the drivetrain. We were particularly grateful for the incredibly bright LED headlamps when travelling after sunset.

Summary

This was not our first experience with the C7, and our initial impression prior to driving the hybrid version was already favourable. Those positive impressions were further underlined when we got to experience the range-leading version. This large-ish SUV feels as though it has enough space for a family of four and as though it was designed for the open-road.

It sipped fuel at a miserly rate. We concluded our multi-day journey and drove back home with well over 400 km of range on the computer. In most other cars we’d have been looking for a fuel stop on the motorway back. It’s a pretty impressive feat for a not-small car.

There are a few foibles that could be addressed, these include the reliance on the infotainment screen for even the most basic functions. And we found that there was a little too much wind noise. Oh, and a spare tyre, would be great, but impossible with the battery pack’s location.

We think that the C7 SHS is the pick of the range, especially when you consider how competitively it is priced. You’d be hard-pressed to find a rival as accomplished at sub-R700k.

Model: Omoda C7 SHS
Price: R689 900
Engine: 1,5-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol, plus electric motor
Transmission: automatic, FWD
Max power: 255 kW
Max torque: 525 N.m
0-100 km/h: ~7,5 sec
Top speed: n/a
Fuel consumption: 4,9 L/100 km (6,9 during review period)