Subaru Trailseeker vs Omoda Omoda 9

What's the difference?

The Subaru Trailseeker AWD really hits it out of the park when it comes to its comfort, practicality and all-round solid family features. It's one of the nicest EVs I've sampled of late when it comes to handling and power delivery.

There's no doubt that it's a capable car being a dual-motor AWD and sporting a great ground clearance ... but it's still an EV.

And the general rule of thumb is that it's best to avoid off-roading in most EVs (potential battery damage yadda yadda), you also can’t plug it into a gumtree to charge.

Is it a comfortable family wagon-SUV crossover? Absolutely. Will you actually be driving ALL of those trails it's promising to seek out? We'll see.

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.

This is not a pillowy or small wagon-SUV (can we make WUV a thing?!) crossover. At 4845mm long, 1860mm wide and with 211mm of ground clearance, the Trailseeker isn’t compromising on size just to slot neatly into the EV category. This is very much an EV-styled Outback, which should delight fans looking for that familiar Subaru ruggedness and impressive on-road presence.

The biggest tell-tale sign that this is, in fact, an EV is the front end, which gets smooth panelling and a more streamlined silhouette. However, you still get plastic moulding around easy-to-hit areas.

Full LED lighting, 18-inch alloys with aerodynamic caps and familiar paintwork colours round out the handsome offering.

Head inside and the cabin is plush and well styled, with a stepped dashboard and display design creating some interesting focal points. It absolutely scores goals with its tactile functionality, too. Buttons, steering wheel stalks and door-mounted side mirror controls keep the Trailseeker feeling very car-like, which is a welcome relief in an increasingly screen-heavy EV world.

The synthetic leather upholstery on the seats, dash and doors feels nice underhand and even the slightly odd hexagonal steering wheel soon becomes charming.

The cabin feels fresh but comfortingly familiar.

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.

Subaru has nailed the available space in the Trailseeker. The entire cabin is roomy where it counts and passengers will be all the happier because of it.

In the front, the heat function, side bolsters, and deep padding make the front seats feel super comfortable. You'll get very little fatigue on a big road trip which is great for a WUV (it's happening) that's being positioned for family adventuring.

The rear row has legroom for days and there is a limo-like sense of space that taller adults will praise. When I say limo-like, I mean it. You'll easily be able to fit rearward-facing child seats behind a taller adult and make use of the three top-tether anchor points in general.

All of my passengers this week, including my parents, commented on how easy it is to get in and out of the car, and that’s largely thanks to the 211mm ground clearance and wide door apertures.

Despite missing out on a glovebox, which makes the giant User's Manual essentially homeless, there are still quite a few storage options throughout the car.

Up front, there is a shallow but wide middle console with a dual-opening lid (very Lexus coded), a centre console that has dual wireless charging pads, two cupholders and a little shelf underneath for smaller items. Each door (front and back) has bin storage and a drink bottle holder.

In the rear, there is a fold-down armrest with two cupholders and a couple of map pockets. My nine-year old is particularly chuffed with the heated outboard seat function and the dual USB-C ports. A handy addition here would have been sunblinds, like the Skoda Enyaq sports.

The boot rounds out the storage with its 609L of capacity, which is more than enough for luggage and kid paraphernalia. It’s handy having a retractable cargo cover and handsfree powered tailgate, but you only get a tyre repair kit, which isn’t super practical for a car that might want to hit a gravel road or two.

You also miss out on vehicle to load (V2L) functionality, which the Trailseeker AWD Tourer gets, and that too would help weekend adventurers.

Let's talk tech.

The 14-inch media display shares the same operating system as Toyota and Lexus, which offers a straightforward layout and responsive touchscreen. Note that this car is the mechanical twin of the recently released Toyota bZ4X Touring.

Climate controls are positioned in the screen but they're easy to operate.

There is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and CarPlay connected quickly and maintained a steady connection all week for me. You get a standard six-speaker sound system but it proved to be more than enough to successfully belt out some tunes to.

All in all, the Trailseeker AWD has a straightforward and practical cabin for family use.

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.

The Subaru Trailseeker is powered by a dual-motor all-wheel-drive set-up with a hefty 280kW of combined power.

Subaru doesn’t quote a combined torque figure, but it can sprint 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, making this feel very performance coded compared to some of its single-motor rivals.

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.

The Trailseeker AWD has a large 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery and a WLTP driving range of up to 533km. I got pretty close to the claimed energy consumption of 15.4kWh/100km, with my 15.7kWh average this week. Given I’ve done some serious highway trips, that’s an impressive result.

It sports a Type 2/CCS charging port which accepts up to 22kW on an AC charger and up to 150kW on a fast DC charger. I would have liked to see a higher DC charging capacity, but on a compatible fast charger, you can go from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes, which is reasonable.

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.

No one will claim that the Trailseeker is underwhelming when it comes to power. It’s quick, with no bucking through the body when you have to plant it, and it’s a perfect companion on the open road.

The suspension and steering are nicely balanced to deliver a dynamic and engaging driving experience, and I’m really enjoying how stable it feels through corners.

It’s easy to choose between the four levels of regenerative braking thanks to the steering wheel-mounted paddles. But you don’t get one-pedal driving, which seems like an important omission for an EV.

The cabin is quiet around town and on the open road, and it’s easy to chat across the cabin without raising your voice.

Visibility is quite good out the front and sides from my driving position, and I like that the A-pillar has a glass insert to break up its width. And it doesn’t matter if you have a car full of gear or people, because you have a digital rear-view mirror.

Even with the regen on its strongest level, you can still ‘creep’ at lower speeds and, coupled with a really clear 360-degree camera, the Trailseeker is downright easy to park.

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.

The Trailseeker is offered with Subaru’s five-year/unlimited km warranty. While some of its rivals have the same term, it’s now a below-average offering for the class in general.

Servicing, however, is downright cheap, with a three-year pre-purchased plan costing just $584.29 and the five-year plan set at $984.18. Servicing intervals are also well-spaced at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

It’s also fairly easy to get your Trailseeker serviced, with around 120 Subaru service centres across Australia.

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.