OMODA, South Africa’s newest vehicle brand, is officially on the road.
Launched by the Chery Group, OMODA is the product of a clean-slate approach by the group’s designers, engineers and technicians. Nothing was sacred, no holds were barred, and every idea was considered.
This fresh approach is also captured in the name OMODA. As a global model, the name of “OMODA” was selected from more than 10 000 naming proposals in more than 30 countries around the world, which shows the attention on and expectation of the Chery Group’s global fans for OMODA.
OMODA comes from the Latin root, “O” is derived from oxygen, indicating new life and vitality, and “MODA” which comes from “Modern”, which signifies the brand’s focus on a modern and fashionable lifestyle.
The brand OMODA represents the in-depth insight and focus on youth, diversification and globalisation. It openly embraces these young and young at heart users that seek out the modern, the new and the cutting edge and makes OMODA a global pioneer. It also gives it significant brand strength from the start.
The first product to come out of the OMODA laboratories is the OMODA C5. This sporty compact-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) is fitted with a high-power 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine and offers unmatched levels of luxury and technology.
Fresh and stylish
There is no arguing that the OMODA C5 has no visual comparison on the South African auto market. The model was designed using OMODA’s new Art in Motion design language.
This sleek, sporty SUV has large wheels (up to 18” alloys), a sloping roof that rests on darkened roof pillars for a floating look and a seamlessly integrated star diamond grille that is truly unique.
The multi-dimensional grille is the centre piece of the OMODA look, and it blends into thin T-Sharp designed daytime running lights and bright upright-mounted front headlamps. The OMODA brand is proudly displayed on the sculpted bonnet.
This mix of seamlessly flowing curves and sharp lines (in the DRLs) is repeated on the side profile, which was mathematically calculated to play with the surrounding light. This includes an accentuated hip line and various concave and convex curves in the doors and fenders.
At the rear, the unique OMODA design includes a dual stacked roof spoiler and multi-dimensional rear lights, dubbed X-Wing lights for their use of sharp lines and multiple LEDs.
Many of the unique elements are further enhanced with contrasting red highlights on the Elegance S-model. These show up, for instance, on the inside planes of the alloy wheels, on the front skirt, on the side mirrors and the stacked rear wings.
Overall, the accentuated hip line and floating roof work together to create a wide body profile for a sportier curb appeal.
Open the door to the future
If the exterior design of the OMODA C5 promises a futuristic experience, then the interior surely delivers.
“The OMODA C5 is one of the most futuristic models that has ever come out of the Chery Group. Starting with a blank slate, our engineers were able to experiment with a unique man-machine interface, while keeping many of the innovations that are beloved by our Group clients, like voice commands and a seamless digital interface,” says Liu.
The futuristic experience starts with the dual high resolution 10.25” digital displays that are highly customisable. These touch-sensitive screens allow for multiple ways of displaying vehicle, safety and entertainment information. It also includes, among many other items, a wireless interface with mobile phones, using either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Linked to the dual screens is a 64-colour ambient lighting system. This lighting system has been intelligently integrated with the vehicle functions, allowing the occupants to set the ambient lighting depending on vehicle mode or, for instance, to change colour when the vehicle is locked or unlocked.
The system can even link to the three-dimensional SONY sound system to create appropriate lighting for different music moods.
Just below the dual screens is a new INS multi-touch and multi-colour luminous air conditioning control panel. This is a brand-new technology that conveys climate-control information through the use of the digital display, while also adapting the controls based on circumstances and usage.
It is worth noting that the climate-control system is self-cleaning and has high-grade filtering built in for the cleanest interior air.
To the right of the climate-control system is a three-dimensional start-stop button. The OMODA C5 can also be started remotely with the key fob.
Lastly, the use of shift-by-wire technology allows for a slim centre control stack with a large charging pad and a compact great shifter. This also allows for hidden storage under the centre stack.
The list of luxury features requires several pages to list in full, but highlights include intelligent wireless charging, dual 12 V charging ports, voice commands, sport seats, USB ports for both rows of occupants, remote control from the key fob for the climate control system and soft damping on the grab handles and glove box.
Five-star safety
The OMODA C5 reached global headlines when it received a full five-star safety rating from the strict NCAP crash-test authorities. Not satisfied, OMODA is seeking a similar grading from each of the global safety authorities located in North America, Australia and Asia.
At the heart of this high safety rating is the OMODA safety cell. This cell uses 78% very high strength steel with in-built energy channels to offer its occupants the best possible safety.
High-powered range
Powering the OMODA C5 is a high-output 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine.
This engine utilises many of the newest innovations from the Chery Group for the lowest possible energy loss through heat dissipation.
The engine delivers 115 kW and 230 Nm of torque through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with nine in-built steps. The system has been tested to deliver a combined fuel consumption of only 6.9 litres per 100 km.
To make best use of this high-performance engine, the OMODA C5 is fitted with several driving modes, including ECONOMY and SPORT.
