Omoda’s next Malaysian model looks set to arrive with a louder personality than the usual small SUV.
Known globally as the Omoda 4, the car will be sold here as the Omoda C4. Its Malaysian arrival has been confirmed separately from the model’s global rollout in Wuhu, China, where mass production began on April 26.
The C4 is a compact SUV, but Omoda is not dressing it like a safe family runabout. The body uses sharp surfacing, angular lighting and heavy geometric detailing, giving it the mecha-inspired look the brand has been promoting. It may divide opinion, but it should not disappear in traffic.
The cabin takes the same route. There is a portrait-style central touchscreen, a full-colour driver display and a pared-back dashboard with few visible physical switches.
The gimmickry is the flip-up starter-button cover, a feature clearly designed to get people talking rather than solve a real ergonomic problem.
Omoda is also pushing the C4 as a lifestyle product. Global material for the Omoda 4 mentions 16 ADAS functions, a 540-degree camera, 50W wireless charging and an AI voice assistant. It also lists in-car gaming with more than 20 titles, wireless gamepad support and karaoke functions.
That feature mix tells you who the car is chasing. This is not only about offering another entry in the B-segment SUV class. Omoda is trying to make the C4 feel more like a tech toy with wheels, aimed at younger buyers who may find conventional rivals a little too sensible.
For Malaysia, the C4 is expected to be offered with two powertrain choices. The petrol version should use a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
An SHS-H hybrid is also expected, combining a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine with a dedicated hybrid transmission and electric motor. In the SHS-H hybrid system, the electric motor drives the wheels at lower speeds, with the petrol engine able to join in through a dedicated hybrid transmission when required.
Final Malaysian output figures have not been announced, so the hybrid’s numbers should be treated with caution for now.
