Omoda 9 v Kia Sportage: Does Britain’s favourite family SUV have a challenger?

Chinese cars are becoming an increasingly common sight on UK roads, and the latest to join the ranks is the Omoda 9. It’s pitched as a practical, posh car for not-posh prices, with more than a hint of Mercedes about its interior design.

That’s a compelling USP, but the £45,000 price tag puts it directly into competition with plug-in hybrid versions of the UK’s favourite family car, the Kia Sportage.

Carwow’s expert review team has brought the two together to see if the Omoda feels like excellent value for money – or if you’re better off sticking with what you know.

Omoda 9 v Kia Sportage: interior, practicality and technology

Which car has the better interior will come down in part to what you want and need. For example, the Omoda 9 is the more practical model, with palatial rear seats and a massive boot – though it’s shallower than the Kia’s making it a bit less practical for large items.

The Omoda’s cabin design looks more upmarket too, but the buttons and dials feel similar in both cars so there’s no mistaking the Omoda for a Mercedes once you start poking and prodding around – it’s fine, but missing the expensive feeling buttons and switches of posher cars. And while it’s more spacious in the back, the Kia is actually better for the driver, because it doesn’t feel as cramped.

Infotainment is another win for the Kia, because it has a much more intuitive menu design, meaning you don’t spend as much time digging around menus when you should be looking at the road. You get more tech as standard in the Omoda, but it generally works a bit better in the Kia.

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Omoda 9 v Kia Sportage: driving and hybrid engines

The Kia Sportage is the better car to drive of the two. The Omoda’s suspension is too soft, so it feels like the car rather wobbles around, yet can still be jolted by sharper edges like potholes or speed bumps. The Sportage feels much more stable and secure on the motorway, and feels a bit more nimble to drive around town.

This is particularly noticeable on country roads, where the surface is often ridged and lumpy, causing the car to feel like it can never really settle down. Neither car is particularly thrilling on a winding country road, though.

Where the Omoda does win is in the performance of the hybrid engine. Not only the fact it has a ridiculous (and frankly unnecessary) 449hp, but also in the way it’s predominantly an electric car, with the petrol engine largely used as a generator for the battery. A battery that has a massive 93-mile electric-only range, more than twice what you get in the Kia.

Real-world plug-in hybrid fuel economy is impossible to predict, because it’s so dictated by how much you charge the battery. However, the Omoda’s electric range means it should be cheaper to run in the long term, and has a temptingly low Benefit-in-Kind rate for company car buyers. (That being said, fully electric cars will be cheaper still.)

Omoda 9 v Kia Sportage: prices and verdict

The Omoda 9’s pricing structure is easy – it starts at just under £45,000 and you get everything included, with the only extra being premium paint colours.

The Kia Sportage starts at just over £40,000 for a plug-in hybrid model, and you get most of the kit you’d want from the Omoda, such as adaptive cruise control, leather upholstery and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. A top-spec Sportage costs about the same as an Omoda with a paint upgrade and you get lovely suede upholstery, ventilated seats (also on the Omoda) and an excellent Harman Kardon sound system.

There’s not much in it when looking at lease deals, either – you can get a hybrid Sportage for a much lower price than the Omoda 9, but like-for-like trims are nearly identical. They also have the same seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.

That makes the two pretty evenly matched on specs, but it’s the Kia Sportage that just about edges this competition. Unless you need the extra space in the back and the larger boot of the Omoda, the Kia feels a bit more robust inside and it’s better to drive, too. It’s also hardly an impractical thing itself, and if you can do without some of the posher kit, it is cheaper, too.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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