13/04/2025

Contributing Editor Keshy Dhillon / keshy@piston.my Editorial

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SUNDAY | APR 13, 2025

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Sigma styled headlights.

Retractable door handles.

Top mounted third brake lights.

20-inch wheels.

Game changer Omoda C9 packed with features that will give competition a headache BY KESHY DHILLON

THE Omoda brand was first introduced to Malaysians by Chery, but not as a brand but rather as a model under Chery. The Chery Omoda 5 as it’s known as become a popular SUV on our roads. Malaysians took to it quite well when it was first introduced due to its specifica tions, good looks and price. But it was a little bit of a misnomer because Omoda was never meant to be a model but rather a standalone brand under Chery. Something like what Jaecoo is today. You see, even though Jaecoo and Omoda are brands under the Chery umbrella, they are not available in China. They are meant to be export models for markets outside of China. And they are supposed to be upmarket brands for those looking for a bit more grandeur than what Chery models could offer. So, why did Chery introduce Omoda as a model rather than as a brand in Malaysia? That is something only the company knows but what we do know is that Omoda is also a brand in Malaysia now

not its most attractive proposition, the fact remains it is the first thing that peo ple will notice so let’s start with the price tag. The C9 is available in two variants, a two-wheel drive model which is priced at RM168,800 and the flagship all-wheel drive variant, which is priced RM20,000 more at RM188,800. We recently drove the all-wheel-drive variant so we will focus on that through out this article. Besides the obvious good looks and those truly iconic Sigma styled head lights, the Omoda C9 is also the only locally assembled car that is available with a matte paint job, and that is one of the factors that many have been attracted to. But it should be said that maintaining a matte paint job is never an easy task, lit tle scratches don’t just buff out, and repainting panels can be costly. A popular life hack to maintain the

2.0-litre turbocharged engine.

and its first model is the C9. What is the Omoda C9?

Fe, Mazda CX-8 and Kia Sorento priced like a Honda CR-V. But that would be an oversimplifica tion because the Omoda C9 offers much

more than just an attractive price point. What makes it so attractive? Despite saying the Amoda’s pricing is

The Omoda C9 is a big D-segment SUV that is priced at C-segment levels. So imagine models like the Hyundai Santa