By Philip Lord, carsales.com.au
A new wave of soft roaders has recently arrived in Australia from Chinese car makers, promising family-friendly, feature-packed machines that undercut mainstream rivals with more affordable price tags, such as the new Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.
The stylish mid-sized SUV looks good – both in the metal and on-paper – but how does it stack-up in such a crowded segment? Let’s find out.
How much does the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro cost?
First of all, you might not recognise the Chery brand, but it has been here before. In fact, Chery was one of the first Chinese car makers to enter the Australian market back in 2011 through independent importer Ateco.
But it wasn’t a resounding success, and Ateco pulled the plug just four years later when vehicles were recalled due to asbestos being used in engine parts.
Now, Chery has returned as a factory-backed entity, first with the Omoda 5 last year and now with the slightly larger, and more conservative looking, Tiggo 7 Pro.
The five-seat soft-roader is offered in three model grades with very competitive driveaway prices, starting at just $39,990 for the entry-level Urban and moving up to $41,990 for the mid-range Elite and topping out at $45,990 for the flagship Ultimate.
There are cheaper alternatives from other newcomers, like the SsangYong Koranda (from $29,990 drive away), GWM’s Haval H6 (from $33,900 drive away) and the Mahindra XUV700 (from 36,990 drive away), but the devil is in the detail when comparing specifications and value.
Big volume brands also offer more affordable entry version of popular models, such as the Kia Sportage (from $32,795), the Hyundai Tucson (from $35,510), the Mazda CX-5 (from $36,110) and Toyota RAV4 (from $39,790), but all charge extra fees for on-road costs and buyers will need to climb higher in their respective model ranges to match the Chery on standard equipment.
What equipment comes with the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro?
Speaking of which, the question should be flipped more along the lines of ‘what don’t you get with the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro?’
All three variants have an extensive list of standard features, with the entry-level Urban equipped with nice-haves like a panoramic sunroof, artificial leather trim, dual-zone climate control, heated and power-adjustable front seats, multi-colour ambient interior lighting, LED headlights, remote engine start and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The mid-spec Elite adds automatic-folding rear-view mirrors, a power tailgate, air quality management, 360-degree parking display and a cargo blind. The Ultimate model we’re testing here also comes with all-wheel drive system, 19-inch alloy wheels, red brake callipers, additional drive modes (Snow, Mud, Offroad) and ventilated front seats with position memory for the driver’s seat and exterior mirrors.
Chery’s long-term ownership credentials are also among the best in the business, with a long warranty and an affordable capped-price servicing scheme that includes free roadside assistance.
The warranty period is seven years/unlimited kilometres, while regular maintenance for the Ultimate AWD currently totals $2204 over seven years/105,000km. The first five services are capped at $280 for each visit, then the last two are a little higher.
The AWD Ultimate costs a bit more than the front-drive lower-spec models for those last two capped-price services.
What is the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro like inside?
The cabin of the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Ultimate presents well and feels like it belongs to a more expensive car.
The design is understated and yet elegant, with nice attention to detail such as the intricate metal door speaker covers, single-piece front-seat backrests and simple-to-use buttons and controls.
There is heaps of room in the front and rear, and the front seats offer good support, plenty of adjustment and are comfortable on long journeys.
The rear bench, on the other hand, is flat and lacks any padding: you might even find one of the hard ISOFIX child restraint mountings poking in your back. At least there’s rear vents for comfort.
On the flipside, the flat bench does make it easier in the Tiggo 7 Pro to properly secure a child seat.
Behind the second row, the 626L cargo area offers decent luggage space and a full-sized spare wheel is included. The area also expands to a cavernous 1672L when the split-folding rear bend is stowed.
What technology does the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro feature?
The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is loaded with the latest in connectivity and convenience technology that, at first glance at least, makes some of the competition look outdated.
Across the range, all models have a twin 12.3-inch display screen set-up within a sweeping panel across the dashboard for the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system.
The latter includes embedded sat nav, wireless charging and smartphone mirroring for Apple and Android devices, USB-A and USB-C connections and an eight-speaker Sony audio system.
There’s also a ‘Hello Chery’ voice control feature that allows you to operate key functions, such as making phone calls or changing the music, without having to take your hands off the wheel.
How safe is the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro?
The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro boasts a comprehensive list of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) including forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning/prevention, emergency lane keeping and adaptive cruise control with integrated cruise assist and traffic jam assist.
There’s also traffic sign recognition, a speed limit information function, speed control function, driver fatigue monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring, blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear cross traffic alert/braking, rear collision warning and door opening warning.
A rear-view camera assists with parking, while the Elite and Ultimate also get a 360-degree display.
There are eight airbags fitted: dual front, front side, side curtain, driver’s knee and a centre airbag in between the driver and front passenger.
The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro scores a five-star ANCAP safety rating with decent scores across the board for the four key criteria, Adult Occupant Protection (88 percent), Child Occupant Protection (87 percent), Vulnerable Road User Protection (72 percent) and Safety Assist (86 percent).
What powers the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro?
All 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro models are powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder that produces 137kW of power at 5500rpm and 275Nm of torque from 2000-4000rpm.
It is linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic that drives the front wheels in the Urban and Elite models and all four wheels in the top-spec Ultimate.
A plug-in hybrid powertrain is available overseas and is expected to join the Australian line-up sometime this year.
How fuel efficient is the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro?
The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro has an official combined-cycle fuel economy figure of 7.0L/100km for the front-drive Urban and Elite models, while the all-wheel drive Ultimate returns 7.8L/100km.
During our first preview drive, the Tiggo 7 Pro Ultimate averaged 8.7L/100km on a mix of urban and freeway roads, proving the turbo-petrol four is thirstier in real-world use than advertised.
The Tiggo 7 Pro also requires 95 RON premium unleaded, which will add to your running costs every time you fill up.
What is the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro like to drive?
If first impressions count, the Tiggo 7 Pro will likely impress those that take it for a quick test drive around the block. It ticks plenty of boxes: it’s comfortable, feels well built, and the engine and gearbox work well together with strong low-down pulling power and imperceptible gearshifts.
The cabin provides clear vision for the driver, with the front ‘shouldered’ guards providing good reference points for how wide the car is and the A-pillars don’t create big blind spots.
The convex rear-vision mirror takes a while to get used to, as it offers what seems like a very strange perspective at first but might prove useful for seeing what the kids are up to in the back seat as well as what’s going on behind you.
In ordinary situations, the Chery is on par with most other mid-sized SUVs in this class. But when you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that not all that glitters is gold.
Under heavy acceleration, the Tiggo 7 Pro – even in the (clearly front-biased) Ultimate model with all-wheel drive – will spin its front wheels away from a standstill. Whether that’s because the gear ratios are too low or the engine management isn’t refined enough to deliver the turbo-boosted power seamlessly is unclear, but it basically lacks progression and feels like too much torque arrives than what you’ve asked for.
The brakes also feel dull, and the steering is lifeless. In one vehicle we sampled during the launch drive, the steering actually resisted our input when turning the wheel which was quite alarming.
We also experienced a loud cracking noise from the body after the vehicle hit a large bump, which indicates the chassis has some flex that could create long-term issues.
Our biggest gripe though is reserved for the active safety systems, in particular an overzealous lane keeping assistance function that constantly tugged at the steering wheel and made the vehicle weave from side to side to stay between the lines. This seems totally counterintuitive to what the function is intended to do, and despite several attempts searching through the menu we couldn’t find a way to de-activate from the cruise control settings.
Should I buy a Chery Tiggo 7 Pro?
On face value, there’s a lot to like about the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro. It offers excellent value for money, plenty of space and its extensive list of standard equipment will be incredibly attractive to most.
The long warranty period provides a sense of security for long-term ownership and the affordable maintenance program adds to the running cost equation.
But its value decreases the more time you spend behind the wheel as its on-road character isn’t as sophisticated as others in this class, and the unrefined safety systems become more of a hindrance than a helping hand.
2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Ultimate at a glance:
Editor’s Rating: 7.3/10
| Price: $45,990 (drive-away) |
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Available: Now |
Fuel: 7.8L/100km (ADR Combined) |
| Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol |
CO2: 181g/km (ADR Combined) |
| Output: 137kW/275Nm |
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2023) |
Disclaimer: Images supplied by Chery Australia.
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