Updated Omoda 9 PHEV Revealed: What WA Buyers Need to Know

Chery has pulled the wraps off an updated Omoda 9 in China, and while it's not confirmed for Australia just yet, the signs point to a local arrival sometime in 2027. If you're in the market for a large family SUV with serious electric range, this one is worth keeping on your radar.

What's Actually Changed

The updates are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. On the outside, Omoda has tweaked the body panels to improve the drag coefficient, which should translate to modest fuel economy gains — handy given WA's persistently high fuel prices. Inside, there's a new air quality filter system, which sounds minor but is a genuine quality-of-life improvement for families spending long stints on the road, whether that's the school run in Perth's northern suburbs or a longer haul up to Geraldton.

In China, the updated Omoda 9 is offered with two powertrain choices: a 2.0-litre petrol producing 192kW, or a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid making 265kW. The PHEV variant now carries a 20kWh battery, claiming up to 120km of electric-only range under China's lenient CLTC testing standard. DC fast charging from 30 to 80 per cent takes around 17 minutes.

How Does the Australian Spec Compare?

Here's where it gets interesting for local buyers. The Omoda 9 currently on sale in Australia is a significantly more capable machine than what China is getting with this update. The Australian model runs a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol paired with three electric motors producing a combined 395kW, backed by a larger 34kWh battery pack good for up to 169km of EV range. That kind of electric range covers most Perth metro commuters for days without touching a petrol bowser.

The current Australian model is AWD-only, and interestingly, Chery is now making AWD standard across all Chinese variants from 2027 — whether that carries over here is still unclear, with Chery Australia yet to confirm.

Pricing is a talking point. The current Omoda 9 starts at $61,990 before on-road costs in Australia. The updated Chinese version? The equivalent of roughly $30,000. That gap is large, and while Australian compliance, import costs, and spec differences account for some of it, WA buyers comparing sticker prices against similarly priced Korean or Japanese alternatives will notice the difference.

What's Coming Before the Omoda 9

Don't hold your breath for the updated model immediately. Chery's local push in 2026 is focused on the Omoda 7, expected to launch in the second half of this year. The updated Omoda 9 sits further down the pipeline — a 2027 arrival is the earliest realistic scenario, and nothing has been officially confirmed for Australia.

When it does land, it'll go up against the BYD Sealion 6 and the closely related Chery Tiggo 9 in the large PHEV SUV segment. That's a competitive space, and WA buyers will have real choices to weigh up.

If you're actively shopping for a large SUV now, the current Omoda 9 is the only Omoda model in Australian showrooms. For those who can wait, 2027 shapes up as a much more interesting time to be shopping in this class.