Omoda C7 previewed in Malaysia – petrol model shown, 1.6T + AWD from Jaecoo J7, launch this year?

Fresh from Jaecoo Malaysia’s rebranding to Omoda | Jaecoo Malaysia, the Omoda C7 has been previewed at the Malaysia Autoshow 2025. The car will likely be the first in the country not to be sold either as a Chery or with the “by Jaecoo” suffix, being folded into the standalone Omoda brand.

Just like in Bangkok in March, no details have been released just yet, but whereas the car was shown in the Land of Smiles in plug-in hybrid form, the unit you see here is a pure petrol model, as evidenced by a single fuel filler door on the passenger side.

This is a new variant of the car that has hitherto not been seen anywhere else, so there’s currently no information on it as yet, not even through international channels. However, we can speculate that this car will be offered with the same engine as its sibling, the Jaecoo J7.

That would be a 197 PS/290 Nm 1.6 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission an a choice of either front- or all-wheel drive. This is borne out by the fact that the show unit has an AWD badge on the tailgate.

Also set to be offered is the Super Hybrid System, shared with the J7 PHEV. This consists of a hybrid-specific 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine – here slightly uprated at 156 PS and 220 Nm of torque – as well as a 204 PS/310 Nm electric motor and a single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). Total system output is rated at 360 PS and 530 Nm, which is 13 PS and 5 Nm more than the J7 PHEV.

Despite the extra power, the C7 PHEV gets from zero to 100 km/h in exactly the same time as the J7 PHEV at 8.5 seconds. The BYD-sourced 18.3 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery is identical to its sibling’s and delivers 95 km of all-electric range, according to initial specs posted last year. Those specs also include a total range of 1,250 km.

The C7 is the first model designed specifically for O&J for international markets only – the duo had previously lifted their cars from domestic-market Chery and Exeed brands. As such, it sports its own confident, minimalist design, despite drawing certain cues from previous Omoda models.

This includes the sharp shark-nose front end that integrates the shutline of the clamshell bonnet. The resulting concave contour, sharp headlights and body-coloured parametric grille bring to mind the current Lexus RX, while a ghostly hexagonal pattern radiates towards the outer corners of the bumper, illuminating to form a unique lighting signature. Underneath, the toothy full-width air intake houses chrome-trimmed fog lights.

Along the side, the aforementioned bonnet leads into the clean flanks, adorned only by the flush pull-up door handles and pronounced rear haunches. The undulating window line and blacked-out D-pillars have both been carried over from the Omoda 5 and C9, while the rear end is dominated by full-width taillights with a unique zig-zag lighting signature. A set of massive 20-inch turbine-style alloy wheels complete the look.

The interior, locked but visible through the windows, is as per what was seen in Bangkok, with a minimalist horizontal dashboard, tall centre console, pair of freestanding screens and oblong steering wheel – the latter apparently inspired by the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller.

Other gaming-inspired features include front seats designed to look like gaming chairs (which ironically were made to imitate racing buckets in the first place), part-upholstered in nubuck leather. Of course, this being a Chinese car, the cabin is dominated by a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen that can apparently be slid all the way over to the passenger side. You also get “12+2” Sony speakers – presumably the “+2” refers to headrest speakers – and active noise cancellation.

With the Jaecoo J6 having been hived off to the nascent iCaur brand as the 03, the C7 should debut pretty soon after Omoda | Jaecoo Malaysia’s next model, the still upcoming Jaecoo J8. In fact, registrations of interest (ROIs) for the car have already been opened on the official website, getting the ball rolling for the eventual launch. Excited?

The post Omoda C7 previewed in Malaysia – petrol model shown, 1.6T + AWD from Jaecoo J7, launch this year? appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.