Plush Omoda C9 not too fancy for a proper street fight

Omoda made a big splash with the introduction of the C9 PHEV, parading it around as a fashion accessory at high-profile events. But there is a hardcore performance side to this SUV, writes The Citizen's Mark Jones.

- By Mark Jones

This SUV is always seen on display at high-end celeb activations, with the most recent being the prestigious Durban July.

PHEV stands for plugin hybrid electric vehicle and this means that the 1,5ℓ turbo petrol engine gets a proper shot of electricity.

Making only 105kW and 215Nm, the petrol engine would not even be a threat to the VW Golf 8.5 1.4 TSI. But add a 34,5kWh battery into the mix that drives four electric motors, one at each wheel, and you have a 440kW/915Nm Golf GTI killer.

The battery adds 335kW of power and 700Nm of torque. The extra urge is driven down to all four wheels via a three-speed DHT auto box.

Stomping on the accelerator of the Omoda C9 PHEV produced a tested 0 to 100km/h time of 5,16s, which is fractionally slower than the claimed 4,9s, but it's way quicker than the 5,88s posted by the VW Golf 8 GTI.

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