The entry-level car segment has become a battle ground these days thanks to Filipinos looking for basic, no-frills motoring. Plus, thanks to the entrance of Chinese-branded and China-sourced vehicles, choices that defy traditional feature and sizing convention have arrived as well. One such vehicle is the Chery Tiggo 2. Starting at P 695,000, it’s still the second cheapest new SUV you can buy locally; with only the dinky Suzuki S-Presso being more affordable.
But what if the penny-pinching Filipino car buyer wanted a bit more style, a bit more equipment, a bit more everything? Well, that’s where the Chery Tiggo 2 Pro comes in. In the greater scheme of things, it is still an affordable new SUV. Yet, because it’s priced at P 818,000, it finds itself going against more formidable foes. Foes that include industry stalwarts like Toyota and Kia. And when you take it in that consideration, you begin to see its problems.
The problem starts with the way it looks. Things start out strong with a front-end that’s actually nice. Chery’s done well to graft on their new design language here making it look like a baby Tiggo 7 Pro. The dot-matrix grille, slim LED DRLs on top, and the headlights positioned towards the middle of the bumper make it visually wider than it is. Further along the side and the rear though, it’s evident that all the work’s been concentrated at the front. At the back, it’s still pretty much the non-Pro Tiggo 2 save for some minor trim differences.
Thankfully, things become more cohesive design-wise inside. It’s still very clear that the Tiggo 2 and Tiggo 2 Pro share the same basic layout (as evidenced by the location of the vents and electrical hardpoints like where the gauges, infotainment system, and AC controls are), but at least the Tiggo 2 Pro tries its best to lend a sense of style. Hard plastics are still the order of the day, but the high-gloss black and carbon fiber accents do uplift the cabin. The steering wheel’s been nicked from the Tiggo 7 Pro, so it’s got the same flat-bottom design. To the well-trained eye though, there are still some visible cost-cutting measures—like how there’s almost no plastic cladding on the hatch or how the antenna’s actually “printed” on the front windshield, but hey, at least it feels solid.
The amount of steering wheel and seat adjustment is more than enough to accommodate a wide range of drivers. However, the Tiggo 2 Pro isn’t exactly ergonomic. Because the front seats are mounted high (the rear seats are even higher), hitting the A-pillar during ingress/egress is possibly an everyday occurrence. Then, you get to things like where the power window switches are located (it requires you to contort your left shoulder to press properly), or the design of the door trim which you tend to bang against when driving.
The A-pillar and door trim aside, interior space is adequate. Take note though that because the front seat backs are thick, it encroaches into the already tight rear knee room. Sitting three abreast is still possible, but it won’t be for long drives. Still, kudos to Chery for putting in three-point seatbelts and individually adjustable headrests. Meanwhile, compared to the non-Pro model, there’s far more usable cubby holes, particularly the one located in front of the shifter.
New to the Tiggo 2 Pro is a larger 9-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay. The interface is actually the same one found in other Tiggo models, but thankfully, a physical volume knob and a shortcut for the vehicle setting menu has been added near the base of the shifter.
When it comes to the driving aspect, the Tiggo 2 Pro is merely a means to mobility. It takes you from Point A to Point B. But while it moves, steers, and brakes as any car should, it doesn’t exactly score high on refinement.
Let’s start with the powertrain. Under the hood is a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder that makes a respectable 108 horsepower and 140 Nm of torque. These figures are slightly up than the non-Pro Tiggo 2, but remain in line with engines of similar displacement. Unfortunately for the Tiggo 2 Pro, it actually has more mass to pull around negating its slight power advantage.
Furthermore, swapping its 4-speed automatic for a CVT hasn’t really improved its responses. It beats having to row gears and exercise the left leg in stop-and-go traffic, but it just feels mismatched to the engine. Power delivery is extremely peaky with nothing happening at less than 50 percent throttle. The sensation is largely on/off, and hard to predict at times. It does, however, improve the overall fuel economy by 10 percent (8.92 km/L versus the Tiggo 2’s 8.06 km/L).
Despite the small size, the Tiggo 2 Pro doesn’t feel particularly nimble with an on-road feel closer to that of a big car. This makes it great for long stretches of straight roads, but not for zipping around in Metro traffic. The hydraulically assisted steering is as old school as they come, but at least it does that old school feedback too. Sadly, it’s not much fun to push through corners mainly due to its putty-like body structure.
No matter how you spin it, the Cherry Tiggo 2 Pro doesn’t score high from an enthusiast’s perspective, but the bigger challenge facing this small SUV is the segment in which it’s fighting in. In this price range, car buyers are extremely elastic, and they’ll make sure to make every peso count. Though Chery will surely lean on things like its upsized dimensions, ultra-long warranty, and list of standard features, by crossing the psychological P 800,000-bracket, it makes the case of this particular SUV much, much harder.
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2022 Chery Tiggo 2 Pro |
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5 years / 150,000 kilometers 10 years / 1,000,000 kilometers (powertrain) |
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Stereo USB Bluetooth |
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Apple CarPlay QD Link |
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Keyword: Review: 2022 Chery Tiggo 2 Pro