OMODA C9: Luxury, Oysters, and Seat Massagers

OMODA South Africa pulled out all the stops this week to preview its latest creation, the OMODA C9 luxury flagship at their very posh event that could make James Bond feel underdressed. And trust me, calling this event a "car preview" is like calling champagne “fizzy water.”

Held at the Langhams Lifestyle Estate in Fourways, Johannesburg (a place so fancy you almost feel bad walking on the grass), the evening wasn’t just about showcasing a new vehicle. Oh no. It was about oysters, gourmet canapés, and champagne experiences that made you feel like you were starring in your own luxury car commercial. All this was done in collaboration with Absa, OMODA’s vehicle-finance partner, because what’s luxury without a solid payment plan, right?

Let’s talk about the guest list. The event was crawling with A-list celebs like Khosi Nkosi, Gogo Skhotheni, and Brian Temba, who showed up to sip bubbly, nibble on something that probably cost more than your lunch, and—oh yeah—check out the C9.

I’m still trying to figure out how oysters relate to a luxury SUV, but maybe there’s a hidden message about smooth rides and… slippery shells? I don’t know, but it felt important.

Now, in a twist that’s sure to please the art world, guests weren’t just there to ogle the C9’s sleek curves. They were invited to “leave their mark” on a canvas, which Ramarutha Makoba, a sought-after visual artist, will turn into an automotive Picasso. No pressure though—just scribble something that’ll eventually be auctioned off for charity. Who knows? Maybe your doodle of a stick figure will fund a school library someday.

OMODA’s Shannon Gahagan, National Brand and Marketing Manager (a title longer than the standard spec list), took the mic to remind everyone that the C9 is a masterpiece of automotive design. Gahagan smoothly tied the collaboration with Makoba to the art of vehicle crafting, because apparently, designing a luxury SUV is basically like painting the Sistine Chapel—just with more chrome and fewer cherubs.

As the guests mingled, Charl Potgieter, Managing Executive at Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance, chimed in, reinforcing Absa’s partnership with OMODA. “We’re not just about helping you finance a vehicle. We’re about dreams, innovation, and accessibility,” he declared, as the audience nodded and continued sipping on drinks that definitely weren’t from a box. Absa, after all, is “the bank of choice for automotive finance,” which is a fancier way of saying, “We’ve got you covered if you can’t pay upfront.”

But let’s get back to the real star of the evening—the OMODA C9 itself. This thing is no ordinary SUV. It’s got seat massagers. Yes, you read that right. Seat. Massagers. You can’t make this stuff up. Forget heated seats, we're talking about getting a massage while you’re stuck in Jo’burg traffic, possibly the only thing that could make that experience bearable. It also boasts a high-end audio system (because we all need to blast some tunes while being massaged), a curved dual-screen setup, and cabin materials so premium that you might reconsider ever letting your kids inside.

We’ll have to wait until October 2024 for all the juicy details on what the C9 is really packing under the hood, but until then, just imagine driving a luxury hotel suite with wheels. With the power to boot.

The event was a glimpse of what the OMODA C9 promises—a life of luxury, where seat massagers and champagne somehow exist in the same universe. And hey, if that’s not a glimpse into the future of driving, I don’t know what is.