A new player has entered the local motoring scene with the official opening of BB Chery Louis Trichardt. On the showroom floor are Chery's brand-new Tiggo 4 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro, targeting the small to mid-range SUV market and one thing is for sure – Chery definitely upped their game in terms of build and drive quality.
The top-of-the-range Tiggo 8 Pro truly offers high-end luxury, featuring a full set of features as standard. South Africa is the first right-hand drive country in the world to receive the Tiggo 8 Pro, and it arrives shortly after its debut in other large markets such as South America, Russia and the Middle-East. In Russia, where the Tiggo 8 Pro has been on sale for a few months, the vehicle is not only one of the best-selling luxury SUVs on the market but was also selected as the Most Technological SUV and the Most Popular Medium-sized SUV in the 2021 SUV of the Year Awards.
The Tiggo 8 Pro enters in the mid-range SUV market segment, falling somewhere between the Toyota RAV and the Toyota Fortuner model range, competing against the likes of the Nissan X-Trail and Audi Q5. The 8 Pro seven-seater comes with leather seats throughout and the interior takes luxury and comfort to the next level. Having said this, the cabin is compact, and while the bucket seats offer a snug fit, they might be a bit too snug for "bigger" people.
Inside, all major controls have been digitised on three separate screens. The first is the instrument panel, which is a large, horizontal 12.3" high-resolution screen. A second 8" screen takes over all climate-control functions, and mounted in the centre of the dashboard - forming the heart of the vehicle's controls - is the infotainment system. This 10.25" high-definition floating multimedia display takes care of the audio controls and displays from your mobile phone via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
With first-class luxury comes first-class safety featured in the Tiggo 8 Pro, which comes standard with six airbags that are all omnidirectional and have been designed to create the maximum protection for all occupants.
Also standard across the range is Traction Control (TCS), Roll Stability Control (RSC), ABS brakes with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). To further enhance the driving experience in the Executive model, Chery has added a comprehensive, intelligent safety package as standard. This uses an array of complex sensors to offer Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Automatic Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSC), Intelligent High-beam Control (IHC), Blind-Spot Monitoring (BSD), Front-Collision Warning (FCW), an emergency Brake Override System (BOS) and a Door-Open Warning and Prevention (DOW) system as standard.
The Tiggo 8 Pro is powered by a 1.6 litre, turbo-charged petrol engine delivering 145 kW of power and 5 500 rpm and a solid 290 Nm of torque across a notably wide powerband between 2 000 rpm and 4 400 rpm. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (7DCT) that delivers power to the front wheels. For a fairly mid-sized SUV, the 1.6 litre does pack a punch once the gearbox gets through it cycles. To manage this power, the Chery has tuned the electric power-steering system for improved feedback and has added Standard-, Eco- and Sport-driving modes. The steering further offers Eco- and Sport-driving modes, where the feedback and feel of the steering system adjust to the driver's intent.
As far as the Tiggo 4 Pro is concerned, this top-of-the line version boasts almost all the bell and whistles the 8 Pro features in terms of finishing, comfort, drive quality and safety. The five-seater Tiggo 4 Pro is, however, slightly shorter and lighter and powered by a 1.5 litre turbo-charged engine delivering 108 kW of power at 5 500 rpm and a maximum torque of 210 in a wide engine speed band between 1 750 rpm and 4 000 rpm. This power is delivered to the front wheels by an automatic, six-speed dual-clutch transmission (all Tiggo models come with an automatic transmission, apart from the Tiggo 4 Pro Urban entry-level model, which comes with a manual transmission). Being a bit smaller, the Tiggo 4 Pro does get through its gears more quickly and the vehicle feels both more responsive and more spacious in the cabin. The Tiggo 4 Pro competes within the small SUV market against, among other, the Volkswagen T-Cross, Nissan Magnite and Mahindra XUV300.
As for service intervals and warranties, the top models come with a five-year or 60 000km service plan, five years unlimited roadside assistance, a five-year or 150 000km warranty and 1 million km or 10-year engine warranty.
Cost wise, the Tiggo 4 Pro Urban starts of at R279 900, going up to the flagship Tiggo 8 Pro Executive, which retails for R546 900.
Visit the Chery dealership if you want to find out more about the impressive Tiggo model range.