New Omoda 4 on its way to take on the Nissan Juke
Sharply styled small SUV is ready to expand Omoda’s range and steal sales from the likes of Nissan Juke
It’s not had quite the same success in Britain as sister brand Jaecoo, but Omoda is looking to build its profile here with the all-new Omoda 4.
The small SUV is set to be the entry-level model in the Omoda range, below the Omoda 5, Omoda 7 and Omoda 9. And the model was on display this week at the Beijing Auto Show, where Omoda disclosed some new information about its Nissan Juke rival, including what lies beneath the bonnet.
Powering the Omoda 4 when it arrives in the UK later this year will be the “full hybrid SHS-H” powertrain, which we’ve already tried in the Omoda 5 and has since been shared with the Jaecoo 7. The set-up uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a small electric motor and 1.83kWh battery pack. Power in the Omoda goes to the front wheels via a dedicated hybrid transmission called (DHT) – something we’ve seen in a few plug-in hybrid cars from the Chery group already.
The system works in a similar way to Toyota’s hybrid tech, with the petrol engine recharging that small battery. The SHS-H isn’t designed for a large amount of electric-only driving (and Omoda hasn’t provided a range estimate anyway), although in the Omoda 5 the claimed efficiency stands at 52.2mpg – significantly up on the woeful 34.5mpg you get in the petrol car.
Although the first Omoda 4 will be a full hybrid, a pure-electric alternative has been confirmed, too – which we suspect will be called Omoda E4 to sit under the Omoda E5. The tie-in with the Omoda 5 shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, because the new B-segment SUV shares its T1X platform.
There's no confirmation of UK pricing, but the Omoda 4 will have a lower starting price than the Omoda 5, which kicks off at £25,915. However, the brand’s UK country manager, Victor Zhang, told us: “The Omoda 4 will not be so cheap, because I don’t think we just want to do the lowest-price product. This is not our philosophy.”
Compared with its more premium sister brand Jaecoo, Omoda focuses on value with its philosophy of “affordable premium”. And with the Omoda 4, it appears this will be done with some eye-catching design.
As well as a very angular and aggressive exterior design that looks to take inspiration from cars such as the Lamborghini Urus, the company also revealed its ‘Starship Cockpit’, featuring a large central touchscreen and a flip-up, fighter jet-style start button. We’ve even seen a docking station for a Nintendo Switch on the centre console.
Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.
