7 Things We Learned Driving the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH (PHEV)

Towards the latter part of last year Chery South Africa added new derivatives to the top of its popular Tiggo 7 range. The pair are formally known as the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH. We drove the range-topping Chery Tiggo 7 CSH in ‘Ultra’ guise for a few days.

Chery is, undoubtedly, one of the major new players in the South African new car market. Not only does the Chery have a full suite of crossovers/SUVs that carry its own badge, there are also several other brands that come from the same parent company in China. Among these are Omoda, Jaecoo, Jetour and most recently Lepas (which you can read about here).

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Chery, on its own, has been stealing the limelight. Its range of models registering strong performances on the sales charts, month after month. The smallest, and most affordable, Tiggo 4 is the best-selling. However, the Tiggo 7 seems to have swayed plenty of new-car buyers as well, about 5 000 and counting from the start of last year to date.

This family sized SUV has plenty going for it. Most recently the Tiggo 7 underwent a mid-life refresh. This brought with a few cosmetic changes. In addition, two new derivatives were added to the range. Both of these boast hybrid powertrains. We spent a few days living with the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH.

7 Things We Learned Driving the Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

The two hybrid powered Tiggo 7s are set apart by specific styling cues. Among these are a new-look grille on the nose. In addition there is a different front bumper and taillamps, the latter have a sort of ‘circuit-board’ motif. The most obvious change is a the adoption of wide-spoke alloys, which are probably shaped to improve aerodynamic efficiency.
Much of the Chinese brand’s appeal is offering a great deal of specification for not a lot of money. This Chery Tiggo 7 CSH Ultra keeps up that trend. As befitting a range-topper it lacks for nothing. All the typical mod-cons are present. This includes a proximity key for un/locking and starting, leather-feel upholstery, touchscreen infotainment, wireless phone charger, etc, etc. In addition to the usual, it also had a full suite of driver aids as well as a full-length panoramic roof along with heated/cooled front seats.
Standard goodies asides, the Tiggo 7 hybrid offers space aplenty for five adults. The boot volume is quoted as a handy 636 litres; impressive for a vehicle with a battery tucked between its rear wheels.
While legacy brands have been slow to introduce new tech, their Chinese counterparts have embraced new energy vehicles (NEV) with open arms. As a result we have seen hybrid options on sale from many of the Chinese brands. The Chery Tiggo 7 CSH is just such an NEV. Its powertrain consists of a small petrol engine allied with an electric motor. Total system power is rated at a 265 kW with a whopping 530 N.m of torque
Thanks to an 18 kWh battery, the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH can be driven on battery power alone. In fact, it can be driven for up to (a quoted) 93 km. That is pretty handy if you have a charger at home or at the office. This means you can complete your daily commute without using a drop of petrol. Or you can stop at the nearest mall with a charger on the way home as Chery says the battery can charge from 30 to 80 per cent in just 19 minutes.
The Tiggo 7 does have a petrol engine, which is called into duty when extra torque is demanded by the driver or the battery is low. This provides the best of both worlds. Chery claims that the large family car sips fuel at the rate of 4,9L/100 km. We managed to nearly match that figure during our review period.
However, we do have one gripe about the powertrain. And that is the fact that just two (the front) wheels are tasked with dealing with 530 N.m of torque. This means the SUV can scrabble for traction when you need to make a quick pull away or decided to zip into a gap in traffic. Admittedly, its not often one would be doing that, but we wonder why Chery didn’t opt for all-wheel drive.

Summary

The Chery Tiggo 7 CSH an otherwise polished product that is hard to fault. It fulfills the role of family car really well. It has plenty of space, rides well and has a comprehensive specification list. In addition it offers the benefit of frugal fuel consumption, which has been a heavy criticism of Chinese products to date.

At its list price it also brings the option to a new set of buyers. PHEVs or plug-in hybrid vehicles, were once the reserve of the wealthy as just a few, top-end brands offered this option. Chery’s Tiggo 7 CSH is one of the most affordable PHEVs on sale in SA today, and definitely worth a look if you are shopping in this segment.

Model: Chery Tiggo 7 CSH Ultra
Price: R679 900
Engine: 1,5-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol, plus electric motor
Transmission: automatic, FWD
Max power: 265 kW
Max torque: 530 N.m
0-100 km/h: ~8,0 sec
Top speed: n/a
Fuel consumption: 4,9 L/100 km (5,0 during review period)