Introduction: 2024 marked a milestone year for Chery, with the Chinese automaker achieving record-breaking global sales over the past twelve months. Chery reported sales of 2,603,916 vehicles globally, reflecting a 38.4% increase that surpassed its annual target and outpaced the industry’s growth rate by 10-20 percentage points. The automaker’s commitment to electrified vehicles is evident in strong global sales. NEV (New Energy Vehicles) sales reached 583,599 units, a 232.7% increase—the fastest growth among major automakers. In December alone, global PHEV sales exceeded 100,000 units, marking a 31.9% month-on-month rise. Btw, there are a number of acronyms describing this space and another one is CSH, which stands for Chery Super Hybrid. The new Chery Tigo Hybrid NEV, in its Cross derivative is a great vehicle combining a petrol engine with the latest electric technology affording the driver an enjoyable drive. With a range of 1000 kilometres this vehicle is very economical, which should attract many a customer to this segment of the market.
Engine/ Economy/ Drive/ Comfort: The 1.5L Petrol engine delivers 150 kW of combined power and 310 Nm of combined torque, with an amazingly fast 0 to 100 kilometres per hour off the mark. There are varying reports between 4.26 seconds and 7.5 seconds but having driven it I would guess around the 5.5 second or six second mark. The combined fuel economy claimed by Chery of 5.4L / 100kms is excellent, but I got seven whilst busy testing the DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission) gearbox between traffic lights. I must say that I was a tad alarmed with the sudden noise type growl of the engine when I got to around the eighty kilometres an hour mark. It felt like the gearbox was slipping and over revving, but it still gained notable speed. I am not sure why this was the case, and I am sure its user error, but I did get used to it and drove the vehicle accordingly with much continued delight.
Features: There are many to mention but here are some: Remote Control Key LED Headlights (LED Lamp), Shark Fin Antenna, Maintenance Remind, Automatic Headlights, Roof Rack, Instantaneous Fuel Consumption Display, Dual Reversing Lights, Headlight Delay Off, Electric Sunroof, Keyless Entry System, LED Daytime Running, Driver Display LED Cluster (26 cm), Bulb Tail Light, LED second row dome light, High Brake Lights, EPS - Electric Power Steering, Soft touch and functional Dashboard, Bluetooth Mobile Phone Hands-Free System, BAS - Brake Assist System, Wireless AA+CP, ACC - Adaptive Cruise Control, ESP - Braking Force Control System, awesome 6 speaker DST sound system, automatic wiper, Faux Leather Seat Fabric, Two USB Ports -A+C, backlight display, guide customers USB location at night), AEB - Automatic Brake System, HDC - Hill Descent Control, Front passenger seat with manual 4-way adjustment, Two Rear USB Ports, LDW (Lane Departure Warning), RTCA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert), IHC (Intelligent High Beam Control) and more.
Interior/ Exterior/ Boot: The interior is wonderfully comfortable and spacious with ample legroom for both front and rear passengers. I really loved the 26-centimetre infotainment system and enjoyed the quick blue tooth connection to my Spotify account via the android car play. I found the extra space below the gearbox very handy and enjoyed the rear seat 60/40 split which fitted my golf clubs in comfortably. The extra USB ports in the rear are also impressive for the children when going on road trips, should their devices need charging! The headlights are inspired by a tiger claw and look fantastic, with solid lines cleaning up the rear sides of the vehicle. The roof racks and electric sunroof sporty up the cross somewhat and give it that marketed feel of adventure. The boot size comes in at 380 Liters which is sufficient for that weekend away anywhere in South Africa, whether it be a long or short drive, we have plenty amazing options. The ground clearance is a decent 180 millimetres which should take care of those gravel roads when sauntering off the beaten track in your Weekender travel partner.
Price/ Warranty/ Service Plan: R469 900, five-year/150,000 km warranty, a 10-year/one-million km engine and battery warranty (1st owner), and a five-year/60,000 km service plan. I would need to verify the battery warranty with Chery before using this information as verbatim.
In Summary: I think that this is an awesome vehicle. I thoroughly enjoyed driving it around Durban and my family loved it. If you are the kind of person and or family that enjoys working hard in the week and loves going away on the weekend, then I would recommend the Tiggo Cross as a very worthy economical vehicle to take you comfortably and safely on your next trip, into the great outdoors.
*This article is written in my opinion only. For detailed information on the specs, please contact Chery SA*
