Chery targets UK market with new Omoda car

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【Summary】Chery's car brand, Omoda, plans to sell 15,000 of its Omoda 5 SUV in the UK next year, potentially outselling competitors like the Skoda Karoq. The company is recruiting franchised dealers to establish a network of over 50 showrooms and expects pre-orders to open by the end of this year. The Omoda 5 will be available in both petrol and electric versions, with prices ranging from £20,000 to £25,000 for petrol and a suggested price of £45,000 for electric.

FutureCar Staff Aug 16, 2023 6:34 AM PT

Chery targets UK market with new Omoda car

Omoda, a car brand from China's automotive giant Chery, is aiming to achieve 15,000 sales of the Omoda 5 in the UK next year. The SUV is set to launch at the end of 2023 and has the potential to outsell established competitors like the Skoda Karoq, Honda HR-V, and Citroen C3 Aircross.

To support its sales ambitions, Omoda is currently recruiting franchised dealers to establish a network of over 50 showrooms in the UK. These showrooms will be ready to promote the brand to car buyers at the beginning of 2024. Pre-order books for the Omoda 5 are expected to open by the end of this year, and the company has already been in talks with leasing companies.

The goal for Omoda is to achieve 15,000 registrations of the Omoda 5 in the first year, with a mix of fleet and retail sales. The SUV will be available in both petrol and full electric versions from its launch. The petrol variant will be priced between £20,000 and £25,000, while the electric variant's pricing is yet to be confirmed, but reports suggest it could be around £45,000.

Unlike its parent brand Chery, Omoda has decided not to badge its cars for the UK and Europe as Chery. Instead, it aims to build a futuristic brand for customers under the name Omoda, which is derived from the words Oxygen and Modern. According to brand manager Wenlong Liu, Omoda believes it can offer competitive products with advanced functions, including ADAS for safety, at an affordable price.

Omoda has provided details about the Omoda 5, which features a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 197PS. An electric version will also be available from launch. While the official specifications for the UK-bound electric vehicle have not been released, Omoda showcased the car at the Shanghai motor show in May. The brand revealed a 61kWh battery pack with a range of 280 miles, a power output of 224PS, and a charging time of around 35 minutes from 10% to 80%.

All Omoda models are SUVs, and the company has plans to launch a large SUV called the C9 in the UK by the end of 2024. This will be followed by a compact C3 SUV in 2025. Both models will be available exclusively as full electric vehicles. Customers will have the option to buy Omoda cars online or through dealerships.

In 2022, Skoda UK sold just under 9,000 Karoqs. Chery already exports vehicles under the Omoda subsidiary to South America, Russia, and South Africa. Omoda enters a highly competitive market in the UK, with several Chinese brands, including MG and Great Wall's Ora, already selling vehicles there. Additionally, brands like BYD, Lynk and Co, and Nio are also preparing to introduce their electric vehicle offerings to UK customers.