I liked everything about the Omoda 7 plug-in hybrid… apart from the smell

Plug-in vehicles are perfect for folks who do lots of short journeys, like trips to the shops and the school run. These daily chores are ideally suited to the latest example I’ve been driving, the Omoda 7 Noble PHEV, which is a slightly posher trim edition than the entry-level Knight model and packs plenty of style and a decent specification into a tasty looking SUV body shape.

Omoda is, unsurprisingly, another recent brand arrival from China, so anyone in the US will not be able to buy one. There are plenty of others like it, including the Jaecoo 7, BYD Atto 3 and MG HS PHEV, but the Omoda 7 holds its own. This is especially so when it comes to price with the plug-in edition starting at £32,000. A petrol-only version costs from £29,915 and will be available in due course. I’ve been rather taken by the quality of the Noble trim edition too, with classy-looking 20in alloys, a panoramic glass sunroof and quality audio system all feeling like they add value.

Of course, the whole point of a plug-in is maximising its electric credentials, which in the case of the Omoda 7 means up to 56-miles of electric-only range. Anyone with home charging and the need for something to cover short journeys, including reasonable commutes, could find the Omoda 7 a solid choice. What’s more, the Omoda 7 is tailored towards family use with generous levels of space in the front and back, plus there’s a 639-litre boot.

The styling

Omoda’s design team have given it their best shot with the 7 and there was just enough about the exterior of this particular SUV to make it memorable. The most obvious bit is the very distinctive front end, with a grille that is instantly recognisable. Elsewhere, I liked the way the sides had been sculpted, and the rear end looked a little more special than some rivals. This is an SUV that feels like some effort was made and topped off by the 20in alloys and great paint finish of my Noble trim model, I thought the Omoda 7 looked cracking.

There was a similar degree of surprise once I climbed into the Omoda 7. The interior of this car was very good indeed, with seats that felt like they’d been carefully designed to provide lots of comfort and with space levels that were generous in both rows. The boot, too, was very sizable and a quick prod and poke of overall materials choices proved positive. There is, naturally, plenty of plastic, but the look and feel of the most obvious bits was good. Topping it all off was the very dominant infotainment screen, which actually felt like it had been matched well to the proportions of the interior. Refreshing.

One other notable feature about the interior was the built-in cabin fragrance system, which is normally preserved for high-end BMWs and the like. Options included Forest Bath, Charming Air and Dark Temptation. This feature seemed to be on by default and, to be honest, I wasn’t keen on the default Charming Air and neither, as it turned out, were my fellow passengers on a short journey. But then, I’ve never been a fan of those silly plug-in scent things that people have in their houses, so I’m not likely to be an endorsee of the same thing in a car. Doubtless, some will love it.

The drive

When it came to getting behind the wheel of the Omoda 7 I liked the driving position a lot. It’s upright, offers a good view of the road ahead and there was plenty of glass down the sides too. Things were less good on the vision front out the back, but the Omoda 7 comes with a very good in-car camera setup that delivers excellent views when reversing or parking. Engaging drive was done using a column shifter setup, which was decent too while all the other switchgear was acceptable enough.

What’s more, considering the 7 is a proper SUV and with that comes some bulk, the car was very easy to drive, especially around town. On biggish alloys, the steering felt light, without being woolly and it proved very agile through tighter spots. Another impressive touch was the around town performance, which for the most part is silent thanks to the dominance of the EV side of things. The petrol engine would leap into action when called for though and the join between the two activities felt deliciously refined. Better than some PHEVs I’ve driven.

Out on the open road, the Omoda 7 was excellent and did a great job on the motorway with nothing to report in the noise and discomfort departments. Sure, the ride delivered the odd jostle on the worst of our road surfaces, and there was some mild wallow at speed through tighter turns. Overall, though, for an SUV designed to get people, pets and their associated stuff from A to B, the general behaviour of the Omoda 7 was hard to fault.

Compounded by the comfort inside, both front and rear, this proved to be a great car for longer runs with decent fuel economy backing up the rest of the positives. The Omoda 7 worked best in Eco or Comfort drive modes – there was a Sport option, but it felt a little surplus to requirements during my drive time. I rather liked experimenting with the different brake regeneration options too, but although three were offered I could have done with a bit more stop-ability on the one-foot braking front. Nevertheless, the Omoda 7 would both stop and go with enough vim to make it interesting to drive rather than run-of-the-mill.

The technology

It will be no surprise to anyone familiar with Chinese cars that the Omoda 7 features a tech setup that’s predominantly reliant on the large 15.6in central touchscreen. This sits very proudly in landscape orientation on the dashboard and I thought the overall colour and clarity was very respectable. Dipping into the various menus and submenus was also reasonably straightforward, with nicely executed graphics adding to the overall appeal.

Some supplementary controls sit within the steering wheel so, for example, the audio volume could be adjusted using the roller ball on the right side. Most other adjustments had to be made via the touchscreen, which came with the usual issues on the move. Omoda has also kept a few switches down on the central console, most useful of which were the A/C On/Off, drive mode and EV-only options for more precise control of the all-electric side of things. I barely used them, however.

I spent most of my time with the Omoda 7 hooked up to Apple CarPlay wirelessly, and Android Auto was also an option. The sizeable screen gave an excellent view when it came to navigation options, and I also made good use of the twin wireless charging pads that sit in the centre console just below the screen. I dabbled with the voice control too, which with a ‘Hello Omoda’ proved okay at helping out with day-to-day comfort chores that would have otherwise required fiddling with the screen on route.

Meanwhile, the audio system was fine for something at this price point and bottom end vibes benefitted from the roominess of the interior, so it all sounded much brawnier than expected when I said ‘Turn up the volume’ to my Omoda assistant.

Omoda 7 verdict

The Omoda 7 is an excellent choice for families on a budget. It offers lots of space, plenty of comfort and the usual smattering of tech goodies expected from Chinese cars. The ride isn’t the most dynamic of experiences but driven gently the Omoda 7 is perfectly fine.

There is the bonus of around 56 miles of electric-only motoring, which makes it even more appealing for folks who do regular short runs and have access to home charging. Plus, there’s the back-up of a decent petrol engine for when the trips get longer. It’s great value too, especially in the posher Noble trim.

Omoda 7 technical specifications