Chery Omoda 7 PHEV debuts, 1.5T with 156 PS/220 Nm, up to 1,250 km per tank

This is the Chery Omoda 7 that has just made its global debut. It sits right on top of the Omoda 5 in the family tree. 

Right off the bat, it’s quite a departure from the Omoda 5, but no less eye-catching design wise. Its front and rear fascia get an X motif, while the protruding Darth Vader style grille is reminiscent of the Lexus RX.

The full-width light bar at the rear gets lightning bolt style graphics and round to the side, it wears a rather large set of 20-inch wheels, while the darkened D-pillar gives it the floating roof effect.

In terms of dimensions, the Omoda 7 is 4,621 mm long, 1,872 mm wide, 1,673 mm tall, with a wheelbase at 2,700 mm. For context, the Omoda 5 measures 4,400 mm long, 1,830 mm wide, 1,588 mm tall, while its wheelbase stands at 2,630 mm.

The Omoda 7 is introduced with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, while the pure combustion engine version will be announced later. The PHEV gets a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that makes 156 PS/220 Nm on its own, while figures for the electric motor are yet to be disclosed.

Chery claims that the engine is the most thermal efficient in the world, at 44.5 percent. The company also says that it’s able to achieve 95 km of pure electric driving, and the combined range is 1,250 km.

Inside, there are a couple of elements that appear to be inspired by Tesla, such as the massive 15.6-inch central infotainment display and the dual device holder underneath the screen. The screen itself is said to be able to produce up to 1000 nit of brightness with 2.5K resolution.

Other features include a 12+2 speaker sound system by Sony, an Intelligent Fragrance System with 3 options of scents, 8-inch head-up display, and active noise cancelling.

Chery claims better driving experience with what the company describes as double hydraulic suspension that’s able to reduce vibrations by 30 percent. The brake-by-wire system has been tweaked for better response and confidence.

As for advanced safety features, there’s no less than 18 Advanced-Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) with the usual adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, etc.

Also read: Chery Tiggo 9 revealed as brand's flagship SUV - 2.0T PHEV, up to 1,400 km on one tank