DRIVEN: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Executive 

The dust has settled on Chery’s monumental return to South Africa, but that hasn’t stopped the growing Chinese brand from increasing their portfolio with another SUV for our market. Set to slot in between its two existing models, the latest Tiggo 7 Pro comes with all of the bells and whistles that are now expected from the automaker in the hotly contested compact crossover segment. We spent the day with the newcomer in Gauteng to get to grips with the new Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.

The affordable SUV segment grows by the month, we sound like broken records repeating this tune but manufacturers know the value of this lucrative market that South Africans have taken to like a fish to water. Fortunately, in the compact crossover SUV segment there aren’t many bad products, if any at all but contentiously, the growing segment is host to attractive vehicles which at the same time can lack true authenticity in terms of styling. There seems to be a safe recipe with exterior aesthetic that most automotive designers adhere to, don’t take anything away from a modern and elegant design but there are cues that mimic the Chery’s chief rival; Haval and their H6.

As with the Phil Simmons penned H6, the latest Tiggo 7 Pro looks to get a sizable chunk of the proverbial compact crossover SUV pie since it is a competitive and well equipped offering. Powering the sub 1,5 ton vehicle is the same 1,5-litre turbocharged in-line-four petrol motor found in the Tiggo 4 Pro. The 108 kW and 210 N.m mill is coupled to a CVT which delivers power solely to the front wheels unlike its fellow Chinese counterpart which has four-wheel drive optionality. This is also the same motor that boasts impressive after-sales support, but more on that later. 

Its performance is commendable when lugging the unladen weight around, with sufficient grunt available for highway overtakes while retaining ample comfort with the continually-shifting-cogs in the CVT of little notice to the occupants within. Foot-flat scenarios may warrant that the mill get a little bit noisy but for the most part, it is quiet and comfortable with the momentum from the power being delivered in a linear and constant manner. The plush and softly sprung suspension instils the same level of refinement, particularly over some poorly maintained Tshwane side roads. It also provided great comfort when traversing over rippled sand roads en route to the lunch destination for the day, with deeper crevices expectedly being the only real noticeable aspect of the journey.  The straight and flat highveld roads leading to the destination didn’t provide many opportunities to experience the latest Tiggo 7 Pro’s cornering capabilities but we found solace in the cruise control system and driving assist which simplify long, open road travels. The tech filled Executive model which we tested boasts a shopping list of features which includes blind spot detection, lane departure warning, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking to name a few. That being said, there were a few niggles that are yet to be sorted which include the overly-enthusiastic hazard lights coming alive at every braking instance, even in scenarios of gentle deceleration. The few scenarios of low speed cornering did present a considerable amount of body roll and weight transfer for a vehicle of this stature but nothing alarmingly uncontrollable that isn’t already expected from models churned out in this segment. 

Onto the topic of fuel consumption; From our limited encounter during the day which was dominated by highway routes and flowing country roads, our round trip of 200 km returned an economy figure that hung around 10 L/100 km. Despite being freshly out of the box and without run-in mileage, this still makes Chery’s claimed controlled-cycle of 6.8 L/100 km seem slightly unrealistic although less enthusiastic driving on a car with more than 200 km on the clock might yield a slightly lesser number.

Jumping aboard the commodious interior and like the Haval H6, the new Tiggo 7 Pro offers a level of luxury and refinement unheard of at its price-point. Familiar looking air vents and components line the dashboard which is covered in soft touch materials with a 7-inch digital centre information panel in front of the driver and a centrally positioned 10.25-inch LCD screen. The user experience is identical to its other siblings with clear resolution on both. A 360-degree around view-monitor and park distance control make navigating the subcompact crossover SUV in tight spaces an easy endeavour while music or navigation can be screen mirrored, via cable, onto the screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.The Tiggo 7 Pro boasts a fair bit of utility too, with a boot capacity of 475 litres which retracted seats can yield as much as 1,500 litres of cargo space. 

The newcomer will entice customers with its brimmed technology features that trump other competitors but the Tiggo 7 Pro manages to pip the Haval H6 in terms of pricing and has now become one of the most affordable options in the segment. Trim levels are divided into the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Distinction which will set buyers back R409 900 while the top spec and fully loaded Tiggo 7 Pro Executive will come in at an affordable R444 900.

Seven colours are available to spec the Tiggo 7 Pro in, which includes: Khaki White, Silver, Vanilla Blue, Caledon Ash (grey), Blood Red, Carbon Crystal Black and two-tone Khaki White with Carbon Crystal Black roof or Blood Red with Carbon Crystal Black roof.

Chery will once again offer their 10 year/1-million kilometre engine warranty for the solitary motor in the range. All Tiggo 7 Pro’s will also include a 5-year/60 000 km service plan, 5-year/unlimited kilometre roadside assistance programme, a 5-year/150 000 km general mechanical warranty and offers a comprehensive 

Like both of its predecessors did, the latest offering from the Chinese automaker should entice consumers looking for an affordable SUV that can do the daily commutes and double up as a holiday hauler. Just keep your eye out on that fuel economy gauge when you do.

FAST FACTS

Model: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Executive

Price: R444 900

Engine: front-mounted, turbo, 1 498cc, in-line-four

Transmission: CVT Model 25

Power: 108 kW @ 5 500 rpm

Torque: 210 N.m @ 1 750 – 4 500 rpm

Driven wheels: FWD

0-100 km/h: N/A

Top speed: N/A

Fuel consumption: 6,8 L/100km (controlled conditions)

CO2 emissions: N/A

Rivals: Haval H6, Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Citroen C5 Aircross, Peugeot 3008

Keyword: DRIVEN: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Executive