Long-distance caller – the hybrid SUV that leaves even diesels for dust

Range anxiety remains one of the biggest reasons that drivers won't buy an all-electric car. While battery ranges and the number of available fast charges have rapidly increased, they’ve still not reached the levels of fuel tanks and petrol stations.

Hybrid vehicles, and particularly plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs), offer the best compromise for these reticent switchers. The combination of a decent electric-only range for the city and a fuel tank for longer journeys provides the reassurance that high-mileage drivers need right now, while providing significant cost savings in the process.

For the majority of plug-in hybrids, the electric power is more of an add-on. These cars still contain a big, powerful petrol (or diesel) engine, but can use that electric charge as an alternative for short trips. Some brands allow the electric charge to also be used as a boost to a moderate engine, giving it a little extra acceleration when needed, but ultimately, it would be fine without it.

Range extender set-ups behave a little differently. These cars tend to run the majority of their driving on battery power and use a much smaller engine to keep that battery topped up. This ultimately makes the vehicles lighter and cheaper, as well as providing rather impressive range figures.

Hybrid powered

The new Omoda 9 is a plug-in hybrid model that bears a closer resemblance to a range extender than most PHEVs we see in the UK. It features a generous 34.5kWh battery, which gives you up to 93 miles of electric-only driving. This is paired with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, which, when used together, offers up to 700 miles.

The Super Hybrid System can actually work in three different ways. The dual electric motors can power the wheels directly in EV mode. In the HEV mode, the petrol engine can power the wheels directly when you need the power, or it can be used to top up the battery, as a range extender would.

In practice, this means that when driving the the hybrid (HEV) mode, the car uses both the petrol engine and battery power as it sees fit. Unless the EV+ mode is selected, once the battery gets down to around 20%, it reserves the charge and tops this up with the engine when possible. While the power delivery doesn’t change significantly, you can hear the engine working harder without the added battery power.

I took the Omoda 9 on a long motorway drive, clocking in over 400 miles, and the trip computer still estimated it could do another 250 miles on top of that – plus the 20% battery still on board. That’s a huge range, even for a decent diesel SUV, so for a petrol hybrid it’s seriously impressive.

For shorter distances, that 93-mile range is impressive too. Even in colder conditions or driven harder, you can still expect up to 70 miles out of this. Though, you’ll need to be in EV+ mode to stay electric-only below 20% charge, otherwise the engine will kick in to help top up.

Charging the battery is easy too, thanks to 70kW DC charging, which will get you from 30% to 80% in around 25 mins. If you’re using a home charger, this is still only a few hours of charging time.

Look and feel

It’s not just range, though; this car looks great, too. This is a mid-size SUV, similar in size to a BMW iX3 or Porsche Macan Electric. It offers a generous 660-litre boot space and plenty of space for five passengers.

With a starting price of £44,990, it’s surprisingly affordable, and from the outside, it looks far more expensive. There’s a certain Lexus feel to it, or maybe a little Range Rover Evoque. The model I tested was finished in a matte Andesite Grey, which made it feel very modern, and a strip of LEDs the width of the car that tracked along the bonnet like something out of Knightrider when the car was unlocked.

Inside, the design is very clean, with two large 12.3-inch screens for the driver information and a central touchscreen. There’s also a head-up display which comes as standard – in fact, there are very few optional extras here at all, as it comes fully specced. The details and finish do give away the cost slightly, though, with the upholstery and dials feeling a little plastic to the touch.

Running CarPlay or Android Auto on the main screen is a pleasant experience, but the OEM operating system is a little more fiddly to navigate. Turning off the obligatory speed warnings, for instance, involves multiple presses to find. And while the driver display is actually nicely designed, the head-up display appears quite small and basic.

Sound comes in the form of a Sony 14 speaker audio system, which sounds pretty good, with plenty of power and bass, though not as crisp as some high-end systems. There are even speakers in the headrest, and you can choose to have directions and phone calls localised to just the driver through this.

Driving experience

Within the ADAS driving controls, you get an adaptive cruise control, though without steering correction or lane centring. This felt a little rudimentary and tended to both brake hard and take time to come back up to speed after braking, forcing me to override it regularly.

I initially put the car into eco mode for by long drive, but still found the acceleration and handling pleasant. Switching into Normal mode, the increase in power and acceleration is dramatic, making this sizeable SUV feel extremely rapid. It has a 0-62mph of just 4.9 seconds and 442bhp (449PS), yet remains smooth throughout.

Switching into sport mode does firm up the driving dynamics a little, but it’s more subtle than I would have hoped for. When you switch to sport in a Range Rover, it feels like a different car, but here it just feels like a tweak and is still a little soft in places.

My only other real criticism is of the drive selector. Switching between drive and reverse didn’t always engage with one movement, leaving the car often sat in neutral. There’s also an interesting safety feature that won’t let you drive off without doing up your seatbelt – sensible in many ways, but feels overly controlling.

Is it worth a buy?

One thing to note about the Omoda 9 is that it’s a lot of car for the money. It’s considerably cheaper than equivalent models from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and yet offers more power and a longer range in the process. In fact, there are few hybrids that can compete with either its electric-only range or the hybrid combination, making it a solid choice for long-distance drivers.

If total range is less of an issue, there are certainly other hybrids to consider, such as the Range Rover Evoke and the slightly cheaper Skoda Kodiaq. However, as a complete package, you’d be foolish not to at least keep the Omoda 9 as an option.