Omoda makes its move

For Chinese brand in NZ

There’s been a big build-up, but Chinese brand Omoda has finally been launched in New Zealand with a full range of electric and combustionengine cars.

The brand made its official debut at a glitzy evening function at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre this month. Thirteen dealers nationwide are now selling the cars.

The newest Omoda is the E5, a pure-electric SUV that offers 430km range and starts at $47,990 for the entry BX model, rising to $54,990 for the top EX. Omoda says it’s the cheapest new battery electric vehicle (BEV) with a WLTP range of 400km or more, which is another way of saying it’s slightly more expensive than the MG4 Excite or GWM Ora.

But with a bit of controversy around EV residual values and the market still adjusting to a postClean Car Discount environment, more attention might go towards the even more aggressively priced petrol models. The C5 has the same basic SUV body shape as the E5, and starts at just $29,990 for the well-specified

1.5T (turbo) BX front-drive model, with a $5k jump to the EX.

C5 also comes as a more powerful 1.6T model, at $37,990 for the front-drive GT and $39,990 for the GT AWD. The

1.6T powertrain also replaces the 1.5T’s continuously variable transmission with a dual-clutch unit.

“We believe our competitive pricing strategy will not only make premium vehicles more attainable but will also drive a new era of valuedriven experiences on the roads of NZ,” says Omoda country manager Sheldon Humphries (pictured above).

Omoda Jaecoo will release eight models to NZ over the next two years under the Omoda and Jaecoo brands; the latter specialises in off-road vehicles.