Unknown Chinese brand lauches SUV for the price of a second-hand car in UK

Omoda has launched in the UK with its 5 and E5 SUVs, which are priced from £25,235 and £33,055

A relatively unknown car brand is making its debut in the UK, ready to compete with big names like Nissan and Kia. Chinese company Omoda is the latest entrant into the UK market, introducing two incredibly affordable new models.

The basic model of their Omoda 5 will be priced at just £25,235, while the electric version, the E5, will cost up to £33,055. With these prices, it seems Omoda is aiming to compete with popular models like the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai, and perhaps even make a dent in the UK's second-hand car market.

Speaking to CAR Magazine, Omoda's UK product manager Oliver Lowe said: "We're at a price point where actually we're not that far off some used car purchases, but you get a brand new car, you've got that confidence of the warranty, you've got that confidence of the breakdown cover for it. It's something new and fresh, it's yours for the first time."

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Omoda, one of the world's newest car brands, was established in 2022. The Chinese manufacturer is making significant strides in the UK and plans to expand further into continental Europe over the next year.

Omoda is a subsidiary of Chery, a state-owned Chinese car company. In fact, the vehicles we're receiving in the UK are branded as Chery models in China and other markets.

Originally, Chery intended to introduce its brand in Europe with another of its brands, Exeed, but this was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Like most emerging brands from the Chinese car industry, Omoda has heavily invested in EV technology.

However, unlike other Chinese brands entering the UK market, such as Aiways, BYD and Ora, Omoda will also offer a range of petrol and hybrid cars.

The Omoda 5 and E5, equipped with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, are available in two trim levels; Comfort and Noble. Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 50W wireless charging pad, heated steering wheel, reversing camera and keyless entry.

The driver assistance package includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and traffic jam assist.

Omoda will provide customers with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty on all its cars, which can be ordered now with deliveries set to start later this year. The Chery-owned Chinese brand already sells cars in more than 40 global markets, including continental Europe, Africa, Australia and other Asian countries.

From this point, Omoda plans to launch at least two models next year, with the first of those likely to be a larger SUV that could be comparable in size to the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne.