Omoda and Jaecoo enjoy bright start to life in the UK

Driver Guides 

The first step to leasing your next car is to do your homework. We all have different priorities with a lot of different options to work through before you decide. And if you have been doing your homework you might have noticed a lot of new brands that may not be at all familiar. Brands such as Omoda and Jaecoo, for example.

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong about not being up to speed with the latest manufacturers entering the UK market, dismissing them on the basis of not knowing them could mean depriving yourself of your perfect lease car.

The recent appearance of these new brands is the consequence of an ever-expanding, and increasingly world-leading Chinese EV industry. For quite some time now many of these Chinese manufacturers have been working alongside established global brands in order to understand the nuances of regional markets. Now those manufacturers are taking the first steps to introduce their own models to the UK.

Which is where the aforementioned Omoda and Jaecoo come in.

Both brands are actually owned by one of China’s largest automotive manufacturers, Chery Automobile. Since it was founded in 1997, Chery has partnered with (or licensed products from) recognised brands including SEAT, BMW, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Subaru. Chery is also a 50:50 partner with JLR (Jaguar/Land Rover) in the first full-scale production of both Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles outside the UK.

That’s a fair amount of experience it can now bring to its own products, and it seems to be paying off.

With a growing dealer network and plans for a significant range expansion with three more cars planned for 2025, this could be a busy year for both Omoda and Jaecoo. Despite only launching in August 2024, collectively the two have already seen more than 3,500 new cars registered in the UK across 70-plus dealerships.

And each one of those cars has reaped the benefits of being developed at Chery’s European R&D centre in Germany. The local knowledge built up over the last couple of decades translates into cars that have been specifically tuned to offer the best and most suitable driving experience for UK roads, as well as being designed to meet the Euro NCAP five-star safety rating.

Omoda in more detail

As it stands, Omoda is leading the way in the UK with its Omoda 5 range.

This fastback-styled compact crossover is not only an attractive lease option, but also surprisingly well-equipped and more than reasonably priced. Alongside an efficient 1.6-litre petrol engine producing a healthy 187bhp, the Omoda 5 also boasts two 10.25-inch high-resolution screens, multi-colour interior lighting, wireless phone charging, and a full suite of ADAS safety technologies.

You can also take advantage of that aforementioned EV expertise in the shape of the Omoda E5. In terms of styling and equipment, the E5 is essentially the same car minus the petrol engine, which has been replaced with a 61kWh “blade” battery and 200bhp electric motor. It offers a range of more than 250 miles and can top-up from 30-80% in under 30 minutes.

Omoda will also introduce two larger crossover SUV models, the Omoda 7 and Omoda 9, over the course of this year.

Introducing Jaecoo

Jaecoo is slightly behind, only having one model available at the moment in the shape of the premium SUV, Jaecoo 7.

While order books are already open, first deliveries aren’t actually due to take place until the end of January so it’s unlikely you’ve seen one driving around yet. If you had, you would have seen a mid-size SUV that combines impressive off-road ability, efficient powertrain options, and a rugged exterior design with a generously high-tech interior.

The Jaecoo 7 is available in both front and four-wheel drive configurations and can be specified with either a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine or as plug-in hybrid with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. It probably goes without saying that the driving range of almost 750 miles on a single tank of fuel and a return of just over 400mpg makes the PHEV version the one to opt for.

The Jaecoo lineup will also expand this year with the introduction of the smaller but equally rugged and impressive Jaecoo 5.

So, while you may not have heard of these brands before, now you’ve learned a little bit more you can add them to your list of possible lease cars rather than missing out on a great deal.

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