Chery already has three mid-size plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUVs across its Omoda Jaecoo and namesake brands in Australia. Now it’s adding another.
The Omoda 7 is a shapelier alternative to the Jaecoo J7 it’ll share showroom space with, and which debuted the Omoda Jaecoo brand in Australia earlier this year.
“Omoda 7 will be launched in 2026. Timing and powertrain still to be confirmed at this stage,” a spokesperson for Chery Motor Australia told CarExpert.
Government approval documents published this week list just one powertrain for the front-wheel drive mid-size SUV: a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid system, combining a 105kW petrol engine with a 150kW electric motor and a Direct Hybrid Transmission.
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It’s unlikely torque outputs will be different from the Jaecoo J7 SHS (215Nm from the engine, 310Nm from the electric motor), and we’d expect the same total system outputs of 255kW and 525Nm.
There’s no all-wheel drive option, however, unlike the rival BYD Sealion 6 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
The Omoda 7 and Jaecoo J7 SHS both use an 18.3kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and offer 90km of electric-only range on the WLTP cycle.
In the Jaecoo, claimed fuel consumption is 1.0L/100km using 95-octane premium unleaded fuel.
Not present in the approval documents is the petrol powertrain confirmed for the (also right-hand drive) UK market. This is a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder, producing 108kW/275Nm – enough for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 10.4 seconds.
Here’s how the Omoda 7 measures up against the boxier Jaecoo J7:
| Omoda 7 | Jaecoo J7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4630mm | 4500mm |
| Width | 1880mm | 1865mm |
| Height | 1680mm | 1680mm |
| Wheelbase | 2725mm | 2700mm |
| Tare mass | 1873kg | 1794kg |
| Boot space | 639L* | 340L |
* denotes data sourced from Omoda Jaecoo UK website
Like the Jaecoo J7 SHS, the Omoda 7 rides on 19-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, there’s a 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
A look at the UK-market Omoda 7 spec sheet also reveals available equipment such as a surround-view camera with a transparent chassis view, a 50W wireless phone charger, panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Sony sound system, and heated, ventilated and power-adjustable front seats,
The Omoda 7, initially revealed at the 2024 Beijing motor show, will slot in under the Omoda 9, which launched here around mid-year as the first Omoda-badged vehicle under the separate Omoda Jaecoo brand.
It’s offered here exclusively with plug-in hybrid power, though a conventional petrol powertrain is available in some overseas markets, as with the Omoda 7.
It’s unclear whether this will be the last mid-size PHEV SUV to come from Chery in Australia, as the Chinese automaker is set to launch yet another brand here next year, called Lepas.
Nevertheless, Chery already has a suite of models to take on the top-selling Sealion 6 and Outlander PHEV, plus the upcoming Toyota RAV4 PHEV.
The Omoda 7 joins not only the Jaecoo J7 but also the Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV and Tiggo 8 PHEV – the latter classified as a large SUV, but close in size to the Outlander PHEV.
Omoda Jaecoo is positioned a step above Chery, and within this new brand are more traditionally SUV-styled models badged as Jaecoos and more rakish, crossover-style vehicles badged as Omodas.
Officially debuted globally in 2023, Omoda Jaecoo exists only outside of the Chinese market, and is part of a rather confusing export strategy by China’s largest car exporter, with 1.14 million overseas sales in 2024. It has gotten off to a strong start in markets like the UK and Spain.
Chery vehicles are thus far all badged under the Chery or Exeed brands in China. The Omoda 7 is set to be sold, with some cosmetic changes, as the Chery Tiggo 7 Plus in China.
MORE: What is Omoda Jaecoo, and how is this new brand different to Chery?
