Chery aims first Omoda car in UK to outsell Skoda Karoq

Chery aims first Omoda car in UK to outsell Skoda Karoq

Time Stamp: August 15, 2023 7:14 AM
Source Node: 2223210

Omoda, a car brand from China’s automotive giant Chery, has its sights set on 15,000 UK sales of the Omoda 5 next year after it launches here at the end of 2023.

Such ambitions would mean its first SUV in UK dealerships could outsell established rivals such as the Skoda Karoq, Honda HR-V and Citroen C3 Aircross.

Omoda is busy recruiting franchised dealers at present, to establish a network of more than 50 showrooms, ready to promote the brand to UK car buyers at the start of 2024.

Pre-order books are expected to open by the end of this year, and Omoda has already been in talks with leasing companies.

Omoda is targeting 15,000 UK registrations of the Omoda 5 in the first year, a mix of fleet and retail, with both petrol and full electric available from launch. Petrol will be priced between £20,000 and £25,000; electric pricing is still to be confirmed, although press reports suggest £45,000.

The company decided against badging cars for the UK and Europe as Chery, which is says is “too traditional”. Instead, it believes Omoda (O comes from Oxygen and Moda from modern) will enable it to build a “futuristic brand for customers”, according to brand manager Wenlong Liu.

“Chery is the biggest exporter in China; our product is very competitive,” he said. “We have advanced functions, including ADAS for safety, and our cars will have an affordable price.”

Omoda has detailed a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, with 197PS, in its press material. An electric version will also be available from launch.

No official specification for the UK-bound EV have been released but Omoda did present the car at the Shanghai motor show, in May. The brand outlined a 61kWh battery pack with a 280-mile range, a 224PS power output and a 10%-80% charging time of around 35 minutes.

All Omoda models are SUVs. On the launch plan is a large SUV, the C9, slated for the UK by the end of 2024, followed by a compact C3 SUV in 2025. Both will be full electric only.

Customers will have the option of buying online or via the dealership.

Skoda UK sold just under 9,000 Karoqs in 2022.

Chery already exports under the Omoda subsidiary to South America, Russia and South Africa.

It enters a highly competitive market, with a number of Chinese brands already selling vehicles in the UK, including MG and, since last year, Great Wall’s Ora. Other brands, such as BYD (Build Your Dreams), Lynk and Co and Nio are also lining up their electric vehicle propositions to UK customers.

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