BMW M240I vs Omoda 9

What's the difference?

When BMW is on a roll, the world needs to watch out.

And, as our Thundernight metallic-hued M240i so literally demonstrates, its purple patch continues after a string of modern marvels like the latest 4 Series and iX, distilling the essence of compact sports coupe and luxury cruiser with dizzying confidence.

Joining the pantheon of back-catalogue greats like the 2002ti and 330Ci, we're missing it already now that the keys have been returned. Isn't that the true sign of the quintessential BMW experience?

The arrival of Omoda and Jaecoo so soon after Chery’s Australian return just feels like a huge task to take on for the company. And given the amount of other new brands hitting local roads there is a real danger that customers will either feel overwhelmed or simply ignore many of these new models.

Trying to position Omoda as a genuine alternative to luxury brands, and even the likes of Mazda and Volkswagen, is a tough ask for the brand and its dealers. Certainly the price and styling will help attract potential buyers but to cement itself in the local market it will need to make sure it makes an impact early.

Judging the Omoda 9 on its merits, it’s a nice enough SUV and does many things well but doesn’t have any elements that really ensure it stands out from the numerous competitors it faces.

What is happening with BMW design? It's as if the Germans have run out of ideas.

Though we're eternally grateful it exists, the G42 is the least pretty of the three 1 and 2 Series coupe generations, as well as the most aggressively styled. All the usual macho tropes are present – cab-backward long-bonnet/short boot silhouette with an exaggerated dash-to-axle ratio, huge front air intakes, bulging bonnet and diffuser-heavy rear end.

There's also a beady eyed look to this M240i, with its squinty headlights and angry tail-light shapes further piling on the attitude. It's a far cry from the simple elegance of the E82 original, let alone the classic E30 of the Eighties. We wonder how much extra the M2 version will be when it surfaces later on.

That said, the G42's design is in keeping with something wearing an M-something-something prefix. In the optional purple of our press car, it certainly turns heads. That said, in the Bangle era, BMWs didn't have to rely on paint to do that.

Bangle, by the way, refers to BMW's late '90s/early '00s head designer Chris Bangle, an American with a bold aesthetic, scant regard for tradition and a taste for the controversial. His effect on vehicle styling, starting with the 2001 7 Series, is still felt today.

Dimensionally speaking, comparing the length/width/height/wheelbase measurements of the M240i (4548mm/1838mm/1404mm/2741mm) with a 2000 E46 330Ci (4488mm/1757mm/1369mm/2725mm) shows how today's coupe is palpably larger.

Over the previous (F22) 2 Series, the newcomer is 105mm longer, 64mm wider and 28mm lower; the wheelbase has been stretched by 51mm, while the front and rear tracks are 63mm and 35mm further out, respectively. Result? More space inside for today's lucky occupants.

From a design perspective, the Omoda 9 certainly stands out as different from the Chery and Jaecoo range. It has a distinctive look that speaks to its ‘premium’ and ‘technology’ aspirations, both on the exterior and interior.

However, to this reviewer’s eyes, there are also quite clearly some visual similarities to the Cadillac Lyriq, both in the overall silhouette but also the details and cabin design. This isn’t unusual in the car industry, especially from Chinese brands. Jaecoo’s designers clearly took inspiration from Range Rover, so it makes sense that the Omoda would find an equivalent luxury brand to be inspired by. Or perhaps it’s just a coincidence…

The important thing is that it’s notably different to what Chery is offering with its Tiggo models, which form the core of its Australian line-up. Omoda needs to be distinct and more upmarket if it is to justify its price premium. On that front, the wider group has done a nice job of making each brand stand out visually.

Judging the interior of the Omoda 9 on its own, it's actually a very pleasant place to be. The level of design, fit and finish also feels like a big step up on what Chery offers, even if it does feel familiar. The materials don't feel truly premium, but given the price that's understandable and acceptable.

Interior dimensions may not be paramount to most coupe purchasers, but a stylish one with quality fittings and generous equipment levels certainly is, and here the M240i is bang-on brand.

For a compact two door, the M240i is pleasingly accessible. Long doors and a tallish roof help entry/egress, into a 2+2 cabin that obviously prioritises front-seat occupants. And it does that exceedingly well.

There's space to stretch – even if you're two metres tall – up front, as long as the rear seats aren't occupied, as a result of generous leg and shoulder room, while headroom should also be sufficient, even with the sunroof fitted. We're talking about a small coupe, remember, so that's impressive.

Vision out isn't as bad as you might imagine, either, due to the airiness that the elongated side windows provide. There are blind spots, though, with the B-pillar being the worst, but at least the extensive camera and sensor network surrounding the car provide reassuring back-up.

The handsome M Sport front seat option ($2000 extra) look like they mean business, providing all the comfort, support and adjustment most occupants will ever need. They're firm enough when you need them yet restfully supple all the time. Backed up by a multitude of electronics, both buckets will brace people of pretty much all sizes, while the driver has the luxury of two memory settings that also take in mirror positions.

Remember how the new 2 Series comes via Mexico? You'd never know it wasn't built in Germany, from the solid build quality and expensive materials to the extremely welcome absence of squeaks and rattles. No area exposed to the occupants looks or feels cheap.

Also meeting expectations is the dashboard itself, which is essentially a scaled-down replica of every recently released BMW – futuristic and fabulous iX aside – since the current (G20) 3 Series in 2018 broke the Bangle-era curse of disappointing new-millennial models.

If you're hoping for a return to classic analogue instrument dials, forget it. The M240i's instruments are modish electronic items, providing plenty of vehicle and driving data, and supported by an excellent head-up display. Like the switches and buttons, they're easy to fathom, with little familiarisation required.

As we've said repeatedly in other BMW reviews, the iDrive multimedia controller is amongst the best in the business, responding instantly to inputs. The other basics – ventilation, storage, driving position – are also first class. Nothing to complain about here. The company is on a good thing and it's sticking with it.

Accessing the rear seats is aided by electrified front seats that slowly whir forward, to provide a big-enough aperture for your medium-build 178cm tall tester to squeeze in.

Once sat, with legs splayed apart, there's just enough space for another person of similar height and proportions, as well as surprisingly decent levels of vision thanks to the narrow front bucket seats and extended rear glass area, to offset any feelings of claustrophobia.

BMW has also provided several welcome amenities, including face-pointed rear vents with full single-zone temperature control to serve two occupants back there, armrests (with the centre fold-down item also packing in a pair of cupholders), reading lights and coat hooks.

Sadly, however, the rear windows do not retract, and the thick door pillars are fixed, so you cannot enjoy a pillarless hardtop experience. That's what the M4 coupe (and convertible too) is for.

While rear-seat space is adequate, with enough room for shoulders, thighs and feet if the front-seat occupants don't mind raising the cushion a little, the backrest is too upright to be considered comfortable on longer journeys. At least the low cushion is scalloped enough to provide some support, though, again, not over extended periods.

That rear backrest folds, by the way, to a 40/20/40 split, providing access into the 390-litre boot while still able to accommodate a single passenger. The lid opens up and wide, offering up a long, flat and wide space for storage. Along with a 12V outlet and tie-down hooks, you'll find a tyre-repair kit, since no spare wheel is carried.

One of the standout features of the Omoda 9 is its size, measuring 4775mm long with a 2800mm wheelbase. That makes it longer in both measures than the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5, pushing it to the upper end of the ‘medium-sized’ SUV segment.

That liberates more space inside, with good room up front and a generous back seat, at least in terms of knee and foot room. The rear seats are compromised slightly by the large sunroof and sloping roofline, with headroom tight for anyone over 180cm.

Unfortunately, the space isn’t utilised as best as it can be, thanks to the lack of seat height adjustment for the driver. It’s not unique to Omoda and is becoming a common issue among Chinese-built cars for reasons I can’t explain. What it means is I couldn’t get the seat to a point I was 100 per cent happy with, which is a problem for what should be a very comfortable vehicle.

Omoda compensates for this with some clever technology, beyond just the pair of 12.3-inch screens (housed in a single setting, which again looks very similar to the Cadillac Lyriq), and the option of wired or wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The 14-speaker Sony sound system includes two speakers inside the driver’s headrest. This is a clever addition that allows you to take phone calls via these speakers only, so you don’t annoy the rest of the occupants in the car.

The other notable luxury element is the fragrance system, which can diffuse three different scents into the car. While the names are a bit hard to interpret (Natural, Cure and Sport), the fact you can choose from three different scents and have them gently fill the cabin is a nice luxury touch.

In terms of storage, there's plenty of small item spaces around the cabin and the boot measures a roomy 660 litres and offers a nice flat floor with a square load area. However, that comes at the expense of any sort of spare tyre, with a tyre repair kit located under the floor.

For those who have been paying close attention the Omoda name will be familiar, as the Chery Omoda 5 was the first model the Chinese brand launched on its return to Australia. That has now evolved into the Chery C5, so the Omoda 9 becomes the first standalone model for the brand as it tries to position itself as a more premium, luxury and lifestyle brand separate from Chery.

While there are no confirmed plans for further Omoda models yet, the Omoda 9 is being positioned as the flagship of the range. It’s a medium-sized SUV but at the larger end of the segment so it will compete against the likes of the Mazda CX-60, BYD Sealion 6 and even the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

In keeping with the more premium image the brand is trying to create, there will be a single, high-specification model offered, the Virtue SHS, which will be priced from $61,990 plus on-road costs.

For this price you get 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, dual-zone climate control, a 14-speaker Sony-branded sound system, inbuilt navigation, surround view camera, automatic parking function, head-up display, wireless smartphone charger, leather seats with memory function, heated seats and steering wheel and even an in-built fragrance system.

As with all of our current favourite BMWs that aren't electric on full-fledged M cars, the M240i is fitted with a variation of the divine B58 engine – a 2998cc 3.0-litre double overhead cam direct-injection turbo I6. It delivers 285kW at a heady 6500rpm, and 500Nm of torque between a low 1900rpm and 5000rpm.

A kerb weight of 1690kg (200kg more than the 220i equivalent) means the M240i's power to weight ratio is about 169kW/tonne, which may explain why it can manage the 0-100km/h time in 4.3 seconds. V-max is 250km/h.

Power is channelled to all four wheels continuously via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission, while the AWD system features a differential to help transmit torque to all four wheels more cleanly.

Controlling all those outputs, the M240i's suspension consists of a two-joint spring strut front and a five‑link rear axle arrangement, with M Sport suspension including variable sport steering, additional front axle struts, M Sport brakes, M Sport differential at the rear axle and adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers.

The Super Hybrid System may sound fancy, but it’s effectively a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which is a technology that is becoming increasingly familiar to Australian drivers as it fills the gap between internal combustion and electric vehicles.

Omoda’s SHS system combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with three electric motors - two at the front, integrated into the transmission package and one at the rear - to create a potent SUV. This complex system can send power to either the front wheels or all four wheels via a three-speed ‘Dedicated Hybrid Transmission’.

Omoda claims the combined output of the Super Hybrid System is 395kW, allowing this family friendly SUV to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.

It’s backed up by a 34kWh battery, which allows for meaningful electric only range too.

Over exactly 503km of city, suburban, freeway and performance testing, we managed a credible 9.6 litres per 100km – and that was with the air-con on  constantly and regular visits to the 7000rpm rev limiter. No horses were spared in our quest to properly assess this vehicle.

BMW's official combined-average claim for the Euro 6d-rated M240 is 8.0L/100km flat – and 6.6L and 10.3L in the Extra Urban and Urban runs – for a carbon dioxide emissions average of 185 grams/km.

The small fuel tank swallows just 52 litres of E10, 95 or 98 RON (as tested) premium unleaded petrol, meaning an average of 650km between refills is possible.

What gives Omoda some confidence to use the Super Hybrid System name is its claim that the battery allows the 9 to drive up to 145km (WLTP) on electric power alone, which is more than both a conventional hybrid and many existing PHEV models. For example, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has an EV range of 84km and the Mazda CX-60 can make 76km.

Fuel economy is officially rated at 1.4L/100km, although that relies on using the battery to its maximum and once that is depleted, you can expect to see a much higher figure. Realistically somewhere around 5.0L/100km is what you should expect if you do mostly urban driving and anything below that is a good result.

Omoda claims that the Virtue SHS can drive up to 1100km, but that is theoretical and based on achieving both the full EV-only range and then the 1.4L/100km figure, which isn’t actually achievable in the real world.

In a word, invigorating.

Stuffing a big old engine in a little-ish car is always an exciting recipe for thrills, and the M240i Coupe does not disappoint.

Press the start button, and the sublime B58 3.0-litre turbo I6 growls into life, setting a rich tone for the level of performance as well as sophistication that's coming.

Even in Eco mode, off-the-line acceleration is stirring, with a hefty shove if you're in a hurry, or a brisk pace if you just long to just take it easy, defined by smooth upshifts from what remains one of the world's greatest-ever automatic transmissions.

That said, Normal is the default operating setting, and here the M240i can take on a Jekyll and Hyde split-personality, that goes well beyond simply possessing a strong throttle response accompanied by a soaring exhaust note. The engine sings sweetly even right up to 7000rpm, while the gearbox is uncanny in its ability to always be in the correct gear, yet will simultaneously hold each ratio in manual mode (via the shifter or paddles) if the driver needs to go hell-for-leather.

Speaking of which, in Sport mode, the 3.0-litre turbo goes into red alert, taking on a louder and more muscular mood, as it roars along with frenetic yet effortless speed. What seems like 90km/h can, in fact, be very much more, and with plenty of extra oomph in reserve.

It's so typical BMW that purists affronted by some of the brand's other niche offerings of late will cry with joy that the art of making a sports coupe has not been lost in Bavaria after all.

And that's before the first turn of that fat little steering wheel. Here the 2 Series Coupe's 3 Series-derived CLAR architecture's DNA is immediately obvious, providing subtle balance and an immersive connection to go with all that bolshy brawn.

The M240i will glide along precisely where pointed, sticking steadfast to the tarmac while cornering at speed without breaking a sweat. That mechanical rear diff helps provide both alacrity and reassuring control. Yes, it remains weighty and planted when punted relentlessly through tight corners, but it's also not as heavy-feeling as before.

Being AWD, there's grip galore to rely on for security, yet the M240i still seems deliberately rear-drive biased in its set-up, so the driver can hang the tail out if wanted with gradual ease in Normal, or with a little more of a sideways flick in Sport. The modes are configurable so the level of engine, steering and suspension responses can be tailored as desired, meaning that in the racy Sport Plus setting, with stability and traction controls on hold, the full oversteer experience is possible if you're game/brave/silly enough.

This car's brilliant performance is also down to incredibly dependable and nuanced braking, adding another layer of driver enjoyment, since it can pull up hard and fast if need be without drama or fuss.

So, it's no surprise to learn that an M-Sport-enhanced BMW can be a deliciously fast and limber along a mountain road.

But the real progress over the old F22 is just how suave and polished the G42 is if you're tired and stressed, isolating its occupants from the rigours of rubbish road surfaces. Kudos to the 'Adaptive M Suspension' and its adaptive dampers for this, for they're standard M240i fare. The resulting cushy ride completely broadens the dynamic bandwidth of this compact sports coupe, making it an everyday commuting proposition.

Ultimately, it's a bit of a struggle to find fault in the 2 Series' drivability and dynamic make-up. The usual Euro luxury car bugbear of too much coarse-chip tyre noise applies, but as this is a sports coupe, that's not such a big deal here. Even wind noise levels are subdued – all the better to drink in that glorious turbo engine wail.

BMW, you got the M240i delightfully right.

While a generous level of standard equipment is one key measure of a luxury/premium vehicle, driving is another. For a vehicle to be truly premium it must have effortless performance, a comfortable yet controlled ride and confidence-inspiring handling.

This sets the bar quite high for the Omoda 9 and that makes it hard to really live up to the brand’s aspirations. 

From a performance perspective the SHS powertrain does a great job. Certainly 395kW means the SUV feels quick and easy to punch into gaps or call for a burst of acceleration. But the rest of the driving experience doesn’t really live up to the premium standard buyers might expect.

The ride is too busy most of the time, never feeling settled and often fussing over the bumps in the road. It lacks the smooth, relaxed ride that premium buyers are looking for.

The same is true for the handling, with the steering too light and vague off-centre and lacking feeling when you find yourself on the open road. 

The Omoda 9 is by no means a bad car to drive, but it does lack the precision and elevated comfort that genuine premium cars need to have. Perhaps with some local ride and handling optimisation it could get closer to what buyers in this part of the market expect.

The Omoda 9 ticks all the boxes that customers and, just-as-importantly, the safety authorities expect, like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, emergency lane keeping, driver monitoring system and adaptive cruise control. 

Omoda even goes a step further and offers 'Traffic Jam Assist' and 'Integrated Cruise Assist', which can centre you in the lane when cruise control is active to create a low level of autonomous functionality.

However, like so many modern cars these safety systems are not integrated smoothly into the driving experience. Instead, the Omoda likes to distract you with graphics and warnings on the dashboard and then warn you that you’re distracted. To be blunt, it’s both annoying and - ironically - very distracting. 

To the credit of Omoda, as well as Chery and Jaecoo, the company has invested in a local tuning program for the active safety features and there has clearly been a dramatic improvement since the first Chery model I experienced less than 12 months ago. Hopefully with a bit more time and tuning the systems will become better integrated and the car won’t tell you you’re distracted looking at warnings.

In terms of a crash test safety rating the Omoda 9 hasn’t been tested by ANCAP yet but has five-stars from Euro NCAP so there’s little reason why it would be dramatically different if crashed locally.

Trailing all of its main luxury car rivals (except Porsche) by two years, BMW only offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, as well as three years of roadside assistance.

BMW says its vehicles' servicing is condition-based, depending on how they're driven and other factors, with a dash warning appearing to let the driver/owner know when it's time. We advise servicing your M4 annually or at every 10,000km

No capped-price servicing system is offered. However, as long as the first one is paid for before the first service on a new vehicle, the 'BMW Service Inclusive Basic packages' is available at extra cost, covering scheduled servicing for three years/40,000km or five years/80,000km. A 2 Series should cost from $1700 for the five-year/80.000km package.

In a bid to give customers confidence to try a new brand Omoda is applying the Jaecoo ownership model, which means an eight-year warranty as well as eight years of capped-price servicing and roadside assistance.

Service intervals are every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first and across the eight years you’ll be spending a total of $3343, which averages out to just over $418 per year.

The decision to offer such extended coverage is a commendable move from Omoda and will no doubt help its bid to convince customers to give it a chance.