We’re all familiar with the old adage that ‘if something seems too good to be true then it probably is’.
Well, that’s not the case with the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro SUV that we’ve just tested where its price has dropped by $10,000 with only a minimal reduction in equipment levels.
Just over a year ago we reviewed the original Tiggo 7 Pro. Three variants were offered, Urban, Elite and Ultimate priced from $39,990 to $45,990 driveaway respectively. The first two were two-wheel drive and the third all-wheel drive
These have now been replaced with a pair of 2WD models tagged SE and SE+ selling for $29,990 and $31,990, again driveaway.
The SE in the new names stands for Special Edition and Chery confirmed that they were effectively the same vehicles and that they were effectively being cleared in advance of a new model due here later this year.
The entry-level SE loses a sunroof and powered front passenger seat when compared to the Urban but these do come standard in the SE+.
Both SE and SE+ are front-wheel drive with no AWD option.
Tiggo 7 Pro is the third model in Chery’s SUV sub-brand positioned between the small-medium Tiggo 4 and the large seven-seat Tiggo 8. Its main rivals are the fellow Chinese Haval H6 and MG HS and – more ambitiously – the Korean twins Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.
Just to clarify, despite the digit, Tiggo 7 Pro is a five-seater. The Tiggo 8 adds a third row.
STYLING
The look is smart and contemporary. Neat and attractive but without anything that will stand out from the crowd.
The large grille features chrome highlights with a large Chery badge at the top, framed by large blue highlights below slimline LED headlights and LED daytime running lights.
The rear features a full-width LED tail light and LED stop light above the rear window.
SE+ adds a panoramic sunroof with a powered sunshade, powered tailgate and powered folding side mirrors.
Both models get 18-inch machine finished alloy wheels, black in the SE+.
There are five colour options. Nothing exciting – just white, silver or black although the SE+ does have an optional two-tone with a black roof on the white body.
INTERIOR
There’s the high-quality feel and ambience within the Tiggo 7 Pro that you could easily pass for a much more expensive, even premium, vehicle.
The dashboard is beautifully crafted with the twin 12.3-inch screens merged together.
The seats are comfortable and supportive. The driver’s seat in both variants has power adjustment. The front passenger in the SE+ also gets power controls, SE is manual. Likewise, only the SE+ front seats have heating.
Tiggo 7 Pro has plenty of rear legroom, with air vents and a fold-down armrest for rear seat passengers.
The steering wheel in both variants is height and reach adjustable with mounted audio and Bluetooth controls.
Cargo space is an impressive 626 litres, expandable to 1672 litres with the rear seats folded. It also has a full-sized spare under the boot floor.
ENGINES/TRANSMISSIONS
Power comes from a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that puts out 137kW of power at 5500 rpm and 275Nm of torque at 2000 rpm.
It’s paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
SAFETY
Tiggo 7 Pro gets a five-star ANCAP rating.
Standard features include eight airbags, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, various lane keeping alerts and corrections, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, integrated cruise assist, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert and braking.
There’s also a door opening warning, speed limit information function, driver inattention warning, speed control assist, driver monitoring system and two Isofix child seat anchors.
SE+ adds a 360-around view camera.
The only thing really missing is head-up display which projects important information onto the lower part of the windscreen, and means you don’t have to take your eyes off the road.
INFOTAINMENT
Infotainment in both variants consists of a 12.3-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, AM/FM radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded SatNav and an eight-speaker Sony sound system.
A second 12.3-inch screen in front of the driver houses the instrument cluster which can be configured to suit.
There is no DAB+ digital radio.
SE+ adds a 50W wireless charger.
Voice-control partially offsets the need to access the touchscreen to operate key functions, such as making phone calls or changing the music, without having to take their hands off the wheel.
There are USB-A and USB-C ports in the front, with another USB-A port in the rear, and 12-volt outlets in the front and the boot.
DRIVING
The Tiggo 7s square profile makes for easy entry although we found the tune that plays when the driver’s door is opened a bit annoying. Equally annoying is a loud pinning noise from the turn indicators.
As we seem to be commenting regularly in our reviews, especially of Chinese vehicles, there are far too many controls and features that must be accessed through the central touchscreen.
Tiggo isn’t the biggest offender, it does at least have a row of air-conditioner tabs below the screen although we found them difficult to see in strong sunlight and at night.
Despite its modest engine outputs Tiggo 4 provides capable if unexciting performance. Around town, which is likely to be its natural habitat, it’s easy to manoeuvre although the engine stop/start system was too sensitive, coming on and off regularly as we crept through roundabouts.
But promising dynamics are spoiled by turbo lag, together with a touchy accelerator, and an indecisive, slow-to-respond auto transmission.
By the time the twin-clutch tranny works out what is required, the moment has passed. Paddle shifters would normally help overcome this but there aren’t any.
Once out of the suburbs the turbocharged four offers plenty of poke, with torque available nice and early. Steering is relatively light especially in urban conditions.
Ride is relatively firm but still comfortable enough.
There are three drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. They are engaged using a large rotary control located in the centre console. Eco is the default setting and is fine for routine driving while Sport does sharpen performance.
The lane correction feature is quite severe and we quickly included it in our turn-off sequence together with the speed limit and driver attention alerts before taking off.
While it is not apparent on smooth well-formed roads, back roads see the wagon crash through potholes. Bumps and undulations are likely to set off a series of bouncing, up and down movements – even low speeds.
Fuel economy isn’t great. Listed at 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres, we averaged 8.2 L/100km, but that was after a run down the motorway at 6.5 L/100km. Before that we were getting 8.9 which is probably more indicative.
The value equation is further reduced because Tiggo 7 Pro needs 95 RON Premium fuel.
SUMMING UP
Although sales of its two current models are growing rapidly the Chery brand is still relatively unknown here. Which is probably a good thing because those with long memories may recall the brand’s previous incursion into the Australian market a decade or so back.
These early models were imported independently with inferior quality and sub-standard safety features and were quickly dropped.
Everything changed when Chery re-entered the Australian market with factory-backing in 2023. It made an immediate impact based not only through low prices but also attractive styling and quality engineering backed up by a seven-year warranty.
At its current bargain price Tiggo 7 Pro should be a no-brainer for small to medium sized families. But they will need to move quickly because supply is limited and when the next model arrives later this year the price will almost certainly jump back to its previous levels.
Tiggo is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with roadside assistance and capped-price servicing for the same period.
RATINGS:
Looks: 8/10
Performance: 7/10
Safety: 8/10
Thirst: 7/10
Practicality: 8/10
Comfort: 7/10
Tech: 8/10
Value: 9/10
