Currently reading: Omoda 4 headed to UK as sub-£25k Juke rival with hybrid or electric power

Smaller, sportier sibling of popular Jaecoo 5 is headed to showrooms as an ICE car or 250-mile EV

Fast-growing Chinese brand Omoda will add a fourth model to its UK line-up next year: the striking new 4 crossover.

As the name suggests, it will be positioned below the 5, 7 and 9 - and it will serve as the entry point into the range, with a starting price of less than £25,000.

Making its debut at the Paris motor show, it's a close relation to fellow Chery brand Jaecoo's similarly sized 5 crossover, and will offer the choice of full-hybrid or pure-electric power.

The hybrid 4 will be first, pairing a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for 221bhp - and likely beating the 52mpg officially claimed by the larger 5.

This will be a close rival for the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq hybrids.

The electric version is expected to use a 61kWh battery for a range of 248 miles and will be priced at nearer £27,000, making it a natural rival to the Renault 4 and Ford Puma Gen-E.

The Jaecoo 5 also offers a pure-petrol powertrain, but Omoda hasn't said whether it plans to match that with the 4.

The 4 takes a dramatically different design approach to its rangemates, eschewing their curvy silhouettes and minimalist cabins for a sharper and more sporting-influenced treatment. 

The pointy angular exterior cues are echoed in the cockpit, which features a dramatic sports car-style control panel in the centre console – complete with Lamborghini-esque ignition button – and is decorated with carbonfibre-effect trim. 

Otherwise, though, the 4 sticks with Chinese car tradition inside, featuring minimal physical controls and a digital cockpit that majors on AI functionality. 

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Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years.