2026 Omoda 7

The petrol Omoda 7 uses a 145bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and reviewers found it sluggish on the move with dimwitted, jerky low-speed responses - throttle applications in town can pause before drive takes up. Autocar had not driven the petrol 7 at publication but found the same powertrain coarse and clunky in other Chery Group cars. The plug-in hybrid is smoother and quicker, so this fault is specific to the petrol automatic; a dealer gearbox software update may improve shifts, but refinement lags rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

Symptoms: Pause before drive takes up when pulling away, Jerky low-speed manoeuvres and parking...

Est. repair cost: £0-£150 (dealer gearbox software update)

The Omoda 7's large central touchscreen controls nearly every cabin function, including climate control and volume, and reviewers found it fussy: the screen can be unresponsive to touch, menus are nested without clear hierarchy, and English localisation is imperfect - the voice assistant greets drivers with 'have a happy drive'. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but when mirrored the native system disappears entirely, so adjusting the temperature means exiting CarPlay first. UK long-term testers reported intermittent screen freezes and wireless connection drops. There is no hardware fix; dealer software resets and updates reduce but do not eliminate the issue.

Symptoms: Touchscreen slow or unresponsive to touch inputs, Climate and volume buried in nested menus...

Est. repair cost: £0-£150 (dealer software reset or update)

The SHS-P plug-in hybrid blends friction and regenerative braking through the pedal, and the stronger regen settings kick in with a noticeable delay, making smooth deceleration difficult to control; reviewers resorted to the gentlest free-wheeling setting to drive the car smoothly. Brake pedal feel itself is not criticised, but the inconsistent regen response can catch passengers out and rules out one-pedal driving. It is a calibration behaviour rather than a failure, and while software can adjust it, the trait remains on early cars.

Symptoms: Delayed or surging deceleration when lifting off the accelerator, Hard to brake smoothly in town traffic...

Est. repair cost: £0 (calibration behaviour; no repair)