Omoda has started taking pre-reservations for its two launch models ahead of becoming the latest Chinese brand to arrive in the UK.

Customers are being invited to put down £500 refundable deposits on the Omoda 5 crossover, the petrol version of which will be delivered to its first UK owners in August with the electric models following close behind. By the end of 2025 the brand aims to have nine vehicles across 18 variants on UK sale wearing the sister badges of Omoeda and Jaecoo.

Owned by Chery, China’s largest vehicle exporter, Omoda and Jaecoo UK has major fleet ambitions – contract hire &  leasing manager Peter Renton made a presentation to the Association of Fleet Professionals annual conference earlier this month during which he outlined the firm’s strategy to be a robust and credible player in the fleet market.

Omoda and Jaecoo UK will open 61 dealers at the same time as it launches its first model – it intends to grow this network to 100 by the end of the year, attracting high-profile names including Arnold Clark, Listers, Hartwell and Perrys, and to 180 by the end of 2025.

The pre-reservations opened as the first Omoda 5 to UK specification came off the production line in Wuhu, China and the first car was registered on UK roads – the petrol variant is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine of 190hp while the following E5 will employ a 207hp motor with a 61kWh battery to the blade format debuted by fellow Chinese brand BYD. Both models have already achieved 5-star Euro NCAP safety ratings and will be offered with seven-year 100,000-mile warranties.

In further evidence of its major ambitions Omoda and Jaecoo UK has enlisted internationally-recognised DHL to manage the supply and logistics operations for parts into and around the UK, while owner Chery has partnered with Thatcham Research to help give insurance underwriters full confidence in the UK parts, aftersales and vehicle repair provisions for Omoda and Jaecoo and convince buyers to consider a brand currently unknown in the UK market.

Omoda has also signed an agreement with the Octopus Energy Group to provide drivers of its EVs with full access to tariffs, home charging installations, a charging roaming service and leasing solutions – it says that by charging on Intelligent Octopus Go, the UK’s cheapest and most popular EV charging tariff, the average driver of an Omoda E5 will be able to save close to £700 a year compared to a standard tariff.

Omoda and Jaecoo UK executive Vice President Victor Zhang described the opening of UK reservations for the two but models as a big moment for the company. “We’ve been working hard to ensure our new line-up is fully backed by a comprehensive retailer and supply chain network from the outset – customer trust is paramount, especially for a new brand entering the UK market. I’m confident that our customers will benefit from an exemplary ownership experience,” he added.

Omoda will strengthen its line-up with the Omoda 9 mid-sized SUV before the end of 2024, followed by the launch of the Omoda 7 in 2025 with what is predicted to be a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and the Omoda 3, a small crossover, in the following year.