The next big SUV thing from China will actually become two things by 2025. Chinese brand Omoda has confirmed that its C5/E5 SUVs, to be launched in New Zealand in March 2024, will be joined by the sister Jaecoo brand before the end of the year.
Omoda Jaecoo NZ held a media preview for its C5 compact SUV in Auckland this week. As previously reported, the futuristic-looking crossover will be available in internal combustion engine (ICE) 1.5-litre CVT and 1.6-litre dual-clutch models, each in two different specifications. The larger engine will be available with all-wheel drive. It'll be a rival for the likes of the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro.
Omoda NZ scheduled the launch of the C5 in March 2024 (it's been available in Australia for some months) partly to enable the E5 pure-electric model to join the range from the outset. The UK has done the same.
There's still little technical detail available for the EV, but it was shown in Shanghai earlier this year with a 61kWh battery and 450km range. It has the same body shape as the C5, but sports a new front end sans the C5's ornate grille.
Next year, the C5/E5 will be joined by the larger and more luxurious C9.
But 2024 will also see the introduction of the sister Jaecoo brand; the name is a fusion of "jager" (meaning hunter) and "cool", says the company.
The J7 five-seater will come first, with the choice of ICE or plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrains, then the more luxurious three-row J8, which will launch in ICE with a PHEV option added for 2025.
Also expected in 2025 are Omoda C7 and entry-level C3 models.
Both Omoda and Jaecoo are sub-brands of the Chery group, currently China's largest exporter of passenger vehicles (450,000 in 2022). It's already represented in 15 different global regions.
Omoda and Jaecoo models are sold under the Chery name in some markets, including Australia, but in others - including NZ, the UK and Italy - they are being established under their own brands. The Kiwi Omoda C5 carries no Chery badging.
While Omoda and Chery models are based on similar platforms and technology, the former is more youth-oriented and futuristic, while the latter is more traditional.
"Omoda is aimed at a more fashionable audience," says NZ country manager Sheldon Humphries. "Jaecoo is more conventional-SUV. They will be two very different customer bases."
No pricing has yet been released for any of the Omoda/Jaecoo models. Humphries admits it's a challenging exercise for a new brand in the current environment, where the Clean Car Discount is being abolished and rival brands may adjust their retail stickers for 2024.
Twelve Omoda dealers have already been confirmed for NZ: 11 in the North Island covering Auckland (five), Hamilton, Tauranga, Taupo, Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North and Wellington, and one in the South, in Christchurch. The company says expressions of interest are being sought for further South Island dealers in Nelson, Blenheim and Invercargill.