Chery Tiggo 7 Pro locked in for Oz

Jul 06, 2023

The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro will be released in Australia by the end of the year when three variants of the all-new mid-size SUV will be available, but pricing and specification details remain unconfirmed.

Announced this morning by the resurgence Chinese brand, the three-pronged Chery Tiggo 7 Pro line-up will comprise the Urban, Elite and Ultimate grades, the latter of which will come standard with all-wheel drive.

Just one powertrain will be offered across the range – a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder good for 145kW/245Nm, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – and it will put the Tiggo 7 Pro on an even playing field with turbo-petrol Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage variants.

Based on what we’ve seen from the Chery Omoda 5 small SUV released in March, the kicker is that the Tiggo will more than likely be cheaper than the established Korean medium SUVs (and better than the Hyundai at least in terms of warranty and aftersales care), both of which are priced from under about $35,000 but cost closer to $45,000 with turbo-petrol power.

If the first model released as part of Chery’s Australian relaunch in 2023 is any guide, the Tiggo 7 Pro will also undercut the top-selling Toyota RAV4 (from $39,760) and other popular Japanese mid-size SUVs like the Subaru Forester (from $37,890), Nissan X-TRAIL (from $37,250), Mitsubishi Outlander (from $37,240) and Mazda CX-5 (from $36,110).

First launched in China in 2020 but recently updated inside and out, the Tiggo 7 Pro was one of three models dispatched from China to Australia mid-last year to undergo local testing and preliminary market evaluation by consumers and retailers, in a project that’s clearly gone to plan given today’s announcement.

The Tiggo 7 Pro is slightly smaller than the medium SUVs listed above, but bigger than small SUVs including Chery’s own Omoda 5 and the popular Hyundai Kona, Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan QASHQAI.

The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro will be joined in Aussie showrooms late this year by the larger (Outlander-size) Tiggo 8 Pro and a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol version of the Omoda 5.

Equipment on display in images of an Australian-spec vehicle released today suggest with Tiggo 7 will be offered with a digital instrument cluster, large infotainment touch-screen with Apple CarPlay, satellite-navigation, 360-degree cameras, wireless smartphone charger, electric park brake, leather-like seat trim and 18-inch alloy wheels.

“As the Tiggo 7 Pro arrives on Australian shores in the coming months, it brings with it an impressive international sales history and an award-winning reputation for blending style, safety and technology,” said Chery Australia managing director Andy Zhang.

“This, coupled with Chery’s commitment to delivering unmatched value to Australian new-car buyers, is set to elevate the driving experience to new heights within this category.”

Like the Omoda 5, electrified versions of the Tiggo 7 Pro are a strong chance to materialise Down Under following the establishment of the petrol variants, including plug-in hybrid and battery-electric alternatives.

The capabilities of the PHEV were displayed recently at the Shanghai motor show, where the semi-electric SUV negotiated a series of ramps, moguls and other obstacles to showcase the responsiveness and composure of its all-wheel drive system.

Like its competitors, the Tiggo 7 Pro e+ (PHEV) is significantly more powerful than its petrol-only siblings with combined outputs of 180kW/510Nm on tap from the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors.

A 19kWh battery pack provides a claimed all-electric driving range of up to 100km.

Become a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.