Chery Tiggo 7 Pro 2023 Review

Jun 29, 2023

Chery returned to Australia earlier this year with the all-new Omoda 5 small SUV, and is now sizing up the top-selling mid-size SUV segment with the Tiggo 7 Pro. This is a vital model for the Chinese car-maker, which will seek to emulate the Haval H6 and MG HS with a value-laden package that’s hard to ignore next to the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. We’ve taken a drive of the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro in its Chinese home market ahead of its Aussie launch due later this year to see whether there’s any truth to the rumour that another strong contender is heading this way…

The Tiggo name has long been associated with Chery SUVs, including the previous unloved J11 that was sold in Australia a decade ago and known as the Chery Tiggo in its home market.

In fact, the Chery Tiggo was the Chinese brand’s first SUV, dating back to 2005 and serving as a precursor for the Tiggo 3 small SUV.

Today, the Tiggo name represents a family of Chery SUVs, and the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro (or Tiggo 7 Plus, as it’s known in China) is an upmarket export-ripe version of the second-generation Tiggo mid-sizer that first hit the market in 2020.

The Tiggo 7 Pro received a major facelift in China last year, and this will be the one that’s on track to launch in Australia in the second half of 2023. It will sit above the smaller Chery Omoda 5, and below the larger Tiggo 8 Pro that’s also heading here.

The Tiggo 9 seven-seat family SUV is under consideration for launch Down Under too.

Importantly, the latest upgrade for Tiggo 7 Pro includes a move up from the previous 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine (108kW/210Nm) with CVT transmission – as seen in the Omoda 5 – to a larger-displacement 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo (145kW/290Nm) coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

To be competitive in Australia, the Chery Tiggo Pro 7 will need to match up closely with the MG HS (from $32,990 drive-away) and Haval H6 (from $33,900 drive-away).

The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro we’re driving here is known as the Flagship and, well, as the name suggests, it’s fully loaded with pretty much everything you could ask for and more given the price, which in China is less than $30,000…

Not only is there a panoramic roof but it’s also a tilt/slide sunroof complete with blind.

Other premium features include an electric tailgate, keyless entry/start, a head-up display, 64-colour ambient interior lighting and eight-speaker Sony stereo.

While the seats are upholstered in imitation leather, up front they have full electric adjustment with both heating and ventilation.

The Flagship is fitted with 19-inch alloy wheels whereas all other versions run with 18-inch rims.

In China the car only comes with a three-year/100,000km warranty but in Australia it should emulate the Omoda 5 in offering seven-year/unlimited-kilometre coverage, seven years of free roadside assistance and a seven-year capped-price service plan.

High-series versions of the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro come with Level 2 semi-autonomous driving assistance with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.

Warnings are available for lane departure, forward and rear collision, side warning when reversing, and door opening. There is also traffic sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.

All models get six airbags including front and side airbags up front, and curtain airbags front and rear.

Rear seats get ISOFIX child seat attachment points.

So far, the car doesn’t have an ANCAP safety rating and the Pro version has not gone through an equivalent test.

However, Chery has pledged that every car it launches in Australia will be at a top-level five-star ANCAP standard.

All 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro models get a 12.3-inch digital instrument display screen, which blends into a 12.3-inch infotainment system.

A reversing camera is provided on the two lowest-spec models in China, but on the Premium and Flagship versions the driver gets a 360-degree surround-view camera.

The Flagship also adds an integrated dashcam.

The infotainment system comes with Baidu CarLife and Apple CarPlay phone integration in its home market. A wireless phone charging pad is also included at this level.

Powered by Chery’s Lion operating system, the touch-screen is reasonably easy to navigate around, despite our system being purely in Chinese. An icon that looks suspiciously like the Microsoft Windows button gets you in to further options.

Voice activation is available for many controls, meaning you don’t actually have to use the screen all that much. A mobile phone app and on-board modem allows for a digital key, vehicle monitoring and other functions.

On the outside, the Flagship model gets six cameras and four ultrasonic radars to help with sensing what’s around the car.

Perhaps the biggest surprise given the price point is the head-up display, which shows satellite navigation prompts as well as other information such as speed.

With the latest upgrade, the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces a very respectable 145kW of power and 290Nm of torque – as shown by the 290T badge on the rear.

It combines with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, driving the front wheels.

Previous versions of the Tiggo 7 have relied on a 108kW/210Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and CVT auto, as seen on the Chery Omoda 5 sold in Australia, so the step up with the larger and heavier (circa 1500kg) Tiggo 7 Pro makes a strong impression.

The 1.6-litre turbo/seven-speed DCT on the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, for example, produces 132kW/265Nm.

Chery claims the Tiggo 7 Pro can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.3 seconds, on its way to a maximum speed of 200km/h.

There are three drive modes available – Eco, Normal and Sport – selected by a rotating dial on the centre console. This then shows the selection on the infotainment screen, however there was a lag in displaying the mode setting on our test car, meaning we kept skipping through them.

A PHEV plug-in hybrid powertrain, fitted in a model dubbed the Tiggo 7 Pro e+, may also reach Australia.

This adds two electric motors to a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine for a combined output of 180kW/510Nm. It also provides four-wheel drive.

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Official combined-cycle figures claim the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro will average 6.6L/100km on the rather generous NEDC testing regime, or 7.1L/100km under WLTC.

The specs sheet for the Tiggo 7 Pro suggests the car should have an automatic engine idle-stop system, however this appeared to have been disabled on our test car.

Presumably the stop/start option is buried somewhere in a menu as we couldn’t seem to find a physical button to turn this on. Had we done so it would have certainly helped with economy on our test route through Shanghai.

Armed with the new 1.6-litre turbo, the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro provides for a spirited drive, although it’s not likely to set too many pulses racing.

There appears to be some laboured gear changes with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, with a hesitancy at low speeds that’s not uncommon with this type of transmission.

When you drop down into the lower gears, there’s also a tendency for the engine to rev a lot without a corresponding surge in speed.

The electric-assist steering has some weight to it, which is unlike most Chinese domestic cars and perhaps more in line with Australian preferences, while the ride and handling combination is also biased towards dynamics rather than outright comfort.

The suspension comprises MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear, defining its sporting intent but leaving more to be desired in terms of ride quality, particularly over harsh road surfaces.

There’s a quality feel to the materials and interior layout and design of the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, particularly in the high-spec model you see here.

Last year’s refresh seems to have changed the interior almost completely from the earlier version, and it seems to look all the better for it.

Covering the top of the dashboard are soft-touch plastics which give way to a kind of laminated carbon-fibre-effect plastic. The lower sections, together with the doors and centre console, are lined with padded imitation leather.

On the lower dashboard there’s also a metallic-look panel with capacitive switches to manage the dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning, window demisting and air purifier.

Underneath a sliding panel on the centre console are two cup holders together with a wireless charging pad, which to the side has both USB-A and USB-C ports.

Behind the drive selector is a push-button-opening ventilated cubby hole.

Aided by the panoramic roof, the five-seater Tiggo 7 Pro feels light and spacious, and in the back seat there is good headroom.

Legroom is reasonable, too, but I felt my thigh position was quite high when sitting in the back.

On the back of the centre console are two air vents for rear passengers along with a third USB slot.

Boot capacity is 475 litres with the 60/40-split folding rear seats upright, extending to 1500 litres with them folded. The process for folding the seats is easy, but doesn’t create a flat surface.

The electric tailgate is a welcome feature, and under the sturdy cargo floor is a space-saver spare wheel.

The exterior design of the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is, to my eyes, rather generic-looking, but there’s a lot to like about the car, especially when you look at what you get for your money.

Of course, Australian pricing and specification are still to be confirmed, but it’s safe to assume the Tiggo 7 Pro will be competitively positioned with a high level of standard features.

There’s no shortage of advanced tech and creature comforts at the top end of the range, while the Tiggo 7 Pro also acquits itself well on the road.

From this first taste in China, the Tiggo 7 Pro will certainly bolster Chery’s position in Australia as the Chinese brand builds its presence with a broad range of new models.

So, bring it on…

2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro at a glance:Price: From $35,000 estimated (drive-away)Available: Second half of 2023Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrolOutput: 145kW/290NmTransmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automaticFuel: 7.1L/100km (WLTC)CO2: 165g/km (WLTC)Safety rating: Not tested

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