cherry is likely to further expand its SUV offering in Australia.
The Chinese brand has already confirmed the May 2024 launch of the three-row Tiggo 8 Pro Max, which rivals the Mitsubishi Outlander, and now another SUV has appeared in government approval documents.
The Omoda C9 is similar in size to the Kia Sorento, but only has two rows of seats.
In markets such as China, it is called RX or Yaoguang and sold under Chery’s premium Exeed brand, while in some export markets it is sold as C9 under the standalone Omoda brand.
“This model is currently under review but there are no confirmed plans yet,” a Chery Australia spokesperson said.
Should it be sold here, it is unclear whether it will be sold under the Chery brand or whether Omoda will be introduced here as a separate brand; In the registration documents the brand is listed as Omoda.
Chery is already preparing to launch a spin-off brand Jaecoo in Australia in the second half of 2024. Its first product, the J7, is sold in China as Chery.
The registration documents list two variants of the Omoda C9: one with front-wheel drive and one with all-wheel drive, both with a 183kW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
According to the documents, the Omoda measures C9 4774mm long, 1932mm wide and 1686mm big on one 2800mm Wheelbase.
The curb weight is between 1790 kg and 1865 kg, and both models ride on 20-inch alloy wheels.
Although a full equipment list is not available, in China the SUV is offered with two 12.3-inch screens; heated, ventilated and massaging power front seats with Nappa leather upholstery; LED headlights with adaptive high beam; a panoramic sunroof; and an augmented reality head-up display.
All models use a Sony sound system, with eight or 14 speakers depending on the variant.
A full range of active safety and driver assistance technologies are also available, including adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and rear cross traffic alert.
Chery also offers the Exeed Yaoguang, as it is known in China, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and a 1.5-liter Miller four-cylinder engine.
This comes with either two or three electric motors and either 19.43 kWh or 34.46 kWh batteries. The total system output is 270 kW of power and 605 Nm of torque with the two-motor configuration and 445 kW and 915 Nm with the three-motor plug-in powertrain, respectively.
No plug-in hybrid version appears in the Australian government approval documents.
Chery has diligently expanded its Omoda range. In addition to the C9, a renamed Exeed, and the Omoda 5, Chery has also introduced the Omoda 7, which is said to be in between.