The Omoda X has been unveiled as a tough-looking crossover SUV that is touted as part sports car, part off-roader – and it packs a global first for the brand thanks to its infrared thermal imaging night vision system, which can spot potential hazards from up to 90 metres away.

Chery’s Omoda Jaecoo division took inspiration for the X from “futuristic mecha culture” and it shows in the SUV’s aggressive design, which features very pronounced wheel arches, a wide-body stance, and tricked-up running lights and taillights that look like bolts of lightning.

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Positioned below the larger Omoda 9 SUV, which is the sub-brand’s first vehicle for Australia, the X comes in at 4650mm long, 1910mm wide and 1720mm tall, which places it among rivals like the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5. 

Omoda says the X has the “adventurous spirit of an off-roader” and it backs that up with all-terrain tyres, 19-inch alloy wheels, 200mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of more than 700mm. Towing capacity is a claimed 1800kg and the roof can bear a load of up to 75kg.

It also features what Omoda calls a “Mecha Command Cockpit” with a twin-wing layout and X-shaped centre console to give the car a bit of a fighter-jet feel. That tech focus extends to the night-vision gear, which will get a workout on Aussie roads where kangaroos pose a hazard. 

The interior also gets a 13.2-inch central touchscreen, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and, thankfully, physical controls for functions like aircon and choosing driving modes. Speaking of which, the X comes with X-MODE, which promises to let drivers customise “vehicle settings and performance response” to match their driving style.

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While there are no detailed specs as yet, the Omoda X will come in two-wheel and all-wheel drive, with the option of either fully electric or plug-in hybrid powertrains. 

The X hasn’t been confirmed for launch in Australia, but two other of the sub brand’s SUVs, the Omoda 4 and Omoda 7, are due in our showrooms in the first half of next year. The 7 is a mid-size SUV and the 4 slots into the compact class, with the marque saying both are “aimed at a younger generation of Australian buyers”.