Tiggo 9 CSH Vanguard Review

The Chery Tiggo 9 is the range-leader of the brand’s local portfolio. We spent some time with the very apex model to see if Chery can cut it with the best.

Chery SA has been a regular top seller in the local car market. That comes mostly from Tiggo 4, small SUV, sales. However, the automaker has larger, more expensive products, up to and including the Tiggo 9. The latter was added to the range towards the end of 2025. We recently got our hands on a Tiggo 9 to find out if the move up to this level has yielded a good product.

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A Range Leader

As mentioned, the Tiggo 9 is the range leader of the automaker’s local line-up. Chery has stuck with an all-new SUV portfolio in SA, although there are sedan options available in other markets. This tactic has served the local arm of the company quite well as SUVs are still all the rage. The range builds from the 4, numerically, with each model successively larger and more luxurious.

At the very top of the family tree is the Tiggo 9. There are a few different derivatives and top of the Tiggo 9 line-up and at the very top is the Tiggo 9 Vanguard CSH AWD. This is the most expensive Chery model to go on sale locally, getting quite close to the million-rand mark. But what does one get for that, rather large, chunk of change? The short answer is: everything. But let’s explore a little deeper.

Top Notch, Mostly

Firstly, the Tiggo is, at nearly five metres long and two metres wide, the largest Chery on sale. So you do get a lot of physical car for your money. Tiggo 9 has the styling hallmarks of its siblings, so it is easy to place it within the family. The range-topper has a massive front grille, LED headlamps and snazzy, multi-spoke 20-inch alloys. There is a body-wide LED strip at the rear as well. It cuts a handsome, if slightly anonymous, figure that lets one know its for a more mature, rather than younger, buyer.

Fully Loaded

Step inside and initial impressions are positive. The seats are covered in soft leather as is the steering wheel. The colour choice is sombre, all black on black in our test unit. The, now, usual items are all in place: dual screens (one for the driver and another for infotainment interface), wireless charging, cup holders, etc. This derivative also has a large panoramic roof as standard along with a premium 14-speaker audio system, which sounds rather good.

There are many, many items that are included as standard. These include the aforementioned panoramic roof and dual-zone climate control. Vanguard versions have an electrically adjustable steering column, massage function for the front occupants (which we rather enjoyed), ventilation for the front seats as well as heating for the first and second row.

If we have a gripes about the interior one is the scratchy plastics on the door cards that continue onto the facia. The other relates to physical buttons or switches… there are virtually none in the cabin. Even something as simple as resetting the side mirrors requires one to dive into the screen menus. The lack of a starter button gives is the impression that Chery is taking a lead from Volvo, as its small EV is quite similar, in these regards.

Space Aplenty

Thanks to the large external dimensions, the Tiggo 9 has an exceptionally roomy cabin. We had the chance to ferry a pair of 6+ footers on the middle row of seats and both commented favourably on the knee- and headroom. The 9 also comes with a pair of chairs that fold flat into the boot floor. These are relly just for kids. It’s worth noting that the second row of seats can slide to create more space for the rear-most passengers. With the third pair of seats folded there is a handy 448 litres of boot space available.

Powertrain Options

There are different powertrain options available for potential Tiggo 9 buyers. The Vanguard CSH AWD has the most powerful and most complex of the line-up. A 1,5-litre turbocharged inline-four is supplemented by a trio of electric motors, including drive on the rear axle, which is what gives it AWD capability. All together the hybrid powertrain delivers an impressive 455 kW and a whopping 920 N.m of torque.

A 34,4 kWh battery pack means that the Tiggo 9 CSH AWD can travel up to, a quoted, 160 km on a full charge. Oh, did we mention it’s a PHEV? That means you can plug it into an EV charger to replenish the battery, it doesn’t rely solely on the petrol engine to recharge. That is pretty handy as it means you could travel to work and back for more than a day, maybe even a few days, without having to recharge. Chery quotes a combined cycle range of 6,2 L/100 km, but with regular use (as opposed to lab testing) you can expect a figure closer to the 8 L/100km-mark. Still pretty impressive for a vehicle of this size.

For the most part the Tiggo 9 CSH feels like an electric car. It defaults to its electric motors for forward force. The petrol engine is only called into play when you mash the loud pedal for full torque or when the battery’s state of charge (SOC) drops below 15 per cent. Even then, the engine fires up and adds to the equation in an unobtrusive manner. It’s all very premium in feel and execution as the goings-on underneath are kept well away from the passenger compartment. Speaking of isolation…

Road Manners

The Chery Tiggo 9 has excellent road manners. Those 20-inch alloys are shod with plump Michelin tyres. In addition the suspension set-up leans heavily towards comfort. As a result the car has a cushy ride with no sporting ambitions. Push it hard(-ish) through corners and you will be met with a fair deal of body lean, more so than, say, in the likes of a BMW X3 or similar. However, that doesn’t mean it relinquishes grip, just a forewarning that you will.

But, this is a preferred set up for a family car as far as we are concerned. With the strides in suspension and tyre tech, modern cars should have a ride quality that is befitting their station. No one ever complained that a Toyota Camry is too comfy, but people will tell you how they spent hundreds of kilometres road-tripping in absolute comfort. The Tiggo 9 feels very much as though it was created/set up in a similar vein.

Summary

The revitalised Chery brand has been shooting out the lights in terms of sales. But that success was built off the more affordable products in the portfolio such as the Tiggo 4 in its two guises. The Chery Tiggo 9 takes the brand into a whole new realm as the million-rand mark starts to come into play. That is new territory for a brand that was built on budget beaters.

The Chery Tiggo 9 Vanguard CSH AWD is also a budget beater in a way. It offers a comprehensive suite of features and seating for up to seven, at a far lower price point. But will buyers be prepared to trust Chery at this level? For now, we see the Tiggo 9 as a brand builder, a product that showcases what the company is ultimately capable of, but we suspect it will remain quite niche for a while, as good as it may be.

Model: Chery Tiggo 9 Vanguard CSH AWD
Price: R989 900
Engine: 1,5-litre inline-four, turbocharged + three electric motors
Transmission: three-speed automatic, AWD
Max power: 455 kW
Max torque: 340 N.m
Top speed: 920 km/h
0-100 km/h: 7,8 sec
Fuel consumption: 6,2 L/100 km