Review: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – A New Giant Killer?

Another New Chery Model? Really?

Since launching its first two models in 2023, Chery Automobile’s re-establishment in our market has been quite fast. Not only have they recently opened their second local production facility, but this Wuhu-rooted automaker is also fresh from launching its fourth model, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.

Positioned as Chery Auto Malaysia’s C-segment SUV fighter, the Tiggo 7 Pro has a lot of expectations to meet since its bigger sibling, the Tiggo 8 Pro, managed impress in almost every aspect, so much so that we think it’s the best Chery model to be sold here — at least for now.

The all-new Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is essentially a C-segment version of the Tiggo 8 Pro.

On the visuals, at least, we’re happy to report that the Tiggo 7 Pro exceeds the expectations set up by its bigger brother, with this C-segment SUV simply standing as the sportier and more compact version of the Tiggo 8 Pro.

Familiar Tiggo design touches like its diamond pattern front grille and full-width LED taillights are present in the Tiggo 7 Pro, while its upswept window line with blacked-out D-pillars gives this SUV a ‘floating roof’ effect. And due to its smaller size, the Tiggo 7 Pro rides on 18-inch alloy wheels instead of the 19-inch units the Tiggo 8 Pro rolls on.

The Tiggo 7 Pro's dimension puts it in the middle of the competitive C-segment SUV market space.

In terms of dimensions, the Tiggo 7 Pro slots perfectly in the local C-segment SUV market space, sitting 4,513 MM long with a 2,670 MM wheelbase, 1,862 MM wide, and 1,696 MM tall. Though slightly smaller compared to its newer and more expensive adversaries, the Tiggo 7 Pro sure hides some interesting bits inside…

So, What Lies Inside The Cabin?

Despite being slightly smaller than most, Chery has managed to throw *almost* everything it had inside the Tiggo 7 Pro’s cabin. As a result, this C-SUV boasts some of the most richly-kitted cabin spaces in the segment, and that is despite its highly affordable pricing.

Despite its relatively affordable price tag, the Tiggo 7 Pro's cabin is brimmed with modern tech equipment and comfort amenities

For the fit and finish, Chery has opted for a combination of soft-touch leatherette and faux carbon fibre for the majority of the cabin, plus some faux wood veneers on its central console. Similarly, all the seats are wrapped in plush leatherette upholstery, while the two front ones come in sporty semi-bucket form, equipped with both powered adjustment and ventilation functions.

Plenty of latest and greatest tech bits are all present in the Tiggo 7 Pro.

As for the tech, present here include the dual 24.6-inch curved display comprising a digital instrument cluster and the central infotainment display that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Other notable tech laced include a wireless charging pad, multiple USB charging ports, a multi-colour ambient lighting system, and an 8-speaker Sony audio system.

While most of the vehicle's main controls are nestled inside the infotainment screen, the Tiggo 7 Pro still boasts some physical buttons and controls for some essential functions. This includes the dedicated touch panel controls for the climate control, a drive mode selector dial, plus several buttons for the 540-degree camera view and vehicle settings.

Moving on to the rear seats, passengers here are indulged with their own dedicated pair of air vents, but only one USB-A port is present here. Looking upwards, the Tiggo 7 Pro also sports an expansive panoramic sunroof that helps to liven up the cabin.

Enough About Tech, What About Space?

As mentioned, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is slightly smaller compared to some of its fancier adversaries. But don’t let its overall dimensions fool you, as we found out that this SUV boasts a pretty decent cabin and cargo space.

Despite boasting a shorter overall length and wheelbase, the Tiggo 7 Pro has ample cabin space to comfortably house five adults. This is partly due to its conventional SUV body style, plus its almost flat flooring that allows a third passenger to sit comfortably in the middle of the rear seats.

While its 475-litre cargo space is not the largest in the segment, we found it to be decent enough. In case you need more space, you can just fold down the rear seats to release up to 1,672 litres of boot space, plus the retractable and removable tonneau cover also gives you extra flexibility in terms of space utilisation.

Despite being more petite, the Tiggo 7 Pro still boasts surprisingly enough space to carry a full-size spare wheel — something that many of its rivals surprisingly lacked.

All in all, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro harnesses ample cargo and cabin space to not only fit five passengers comfortably but also together with their cargo, making it an ideal car for a small family or for any occasional out-of-state trips with your buddies. But then again, don’t let its practicality fool you, because there’s more to this ‘family-friendly’ SUV.

How Does It Drive?

Calling it a ‘family-friendly’ SUV might not do the Tiggo 7 Pro justice, because this car packs some decent driving dynamics that allow you to have a bit of fun behind the wheel.

The Tiggo 7 Pro's 1.6-litre TGDi mill is developed by Chery's proprietary powertrain arm, Acteco.

Motivating this C-segment SUV is a 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbocharged petrol mill developed by Chery’s powertrain arm, Acteco. Mated to a seven-speed DCT gearbox, this engine delivers a healthy 194 HP and 290 NM to its front wheels (FWD), making the Tiggo 7 Pro one of the peppiest in segment.

Century sprint time reads 8.3 seconds, while its V-Max is capped decently at 205 KM/H. But what we found to be more impressive is how smooth and effortless the Tiggo 7 Pro accelerates, especially in both Eco and Normal driving modes.

Once you engage Sport driving mode though, you might experience some minor torque jerking and wheel spins, but they’re not too serious to warrant any unwanted incidents.

Despite its SUV body style, the Tiggo 7 Pro is quite a nimble and agile car to drive.

On the topic of drive dynamics, we also noticed that the Tiggo 7 Pro’s dampers are quite soft and more comfort-biased. This results in a pretty smooth ride, with the car feeling quite stable even when driving at higher speeds. The smooth ride also translates into the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) level, with some slight wind noise and tyre roars being noticeable once you drive at higher speeds.

But at the same time, this ‘family-friendly’ SUV is quite agile and can be nimble around twisty and bendy roads. But then again, this is still a sizable SUV, so as long as you don’t expect it to handle like a proper sportscar, then we definitely have nothing bad to report here.

With all of that being said, the Tiggo 7 Pro surprisingly excels in both comfort and driving performance, making it a decent all-rounder SUV that both drivers and passengers can enjoy. But surely, all this goodness must come with a price, right?

What About Fuel Economy?

Turbocharged powertrains, unfortunately, are well-known for their near unquenchable thirst for fossil fuels in a rather quick manner. While this is no exception for the Tiggo 7 Pro, fortunately, things are not as bad as they seem.

Chery claims that the Tiggo 7 Pro’s 1.6-litre TGDi mill is able to sip fuels as low as 7 litres/100 KM, or 14.2 KM/litre. From our one-week stint with this car, which includes a long-haul trip to Pekan, Pahang, we managed to get around 13.6 KM per litre of fuel consumption, which is not that far off from the claimed figures.

For reference, some of the Tiggo 7 Pro’s also turbocharged rivals boast similar fuel economy rates. But given the Tiggo 7 Pro edges them in the performance aspect, we’d reckon this Sino-badged SUV wins in this segment.

Of course, there are more fuel-efficient SUVs available out there, not to mention those that run on semi-electrified powertrains. But for a non-hybrid, turbocharged SUV, the Tiggo 7 Pro is quite decent on the fuel economy front.

How About Safety?

As per any other Chery models on our market, the Tiggo 7 Pro is beaming with both passive and active safety features.

Up to 17 ADAS functions are available on the Tiggo 7 Pro, granting it a Level 2.5 semi-autonomous driving capability.

On the active front, the Tiggo 7 Pro comes with a total of 17 ADAS functions, which include things like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Lane Departure Alert (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Emergency Lane Keep Assist (ELK), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Cross Traffic Braking (RCTB), and many more. All these ADAS functions work in tandem to grant this SUV a Level 2.5 semi-autonomous driving capability.

Throughout our tests, we found that some of these ADAS functions work quite decently, especially the lane-keeping assist and both the RCTA and RCTB functions. For those who aren't familiar with driving a larger SUV, the 540-degree camera system with visual guides will help them manoeuvre this car through tight spaces and parking bays easily.

While some of the functions may seem ‘dangerous’ for those who aren’t familiar with some of its preventative manoeuvres, you can always adjust the sensitivity and intensity of these functions via the infotainment. We’d reckon these adjustments may allow inexperienced drivers to play around with the ADAS settings, instead of outright turning them off.

Elsewhere on safety, the Tiggo 7 Pro also comes with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which is surprisingly lacking in some of its segment rivals. Paired with its full-size spare tyre, this combination gives drivers peace of mind, as they can just swap for a fresh wheel in case of any unwanted incidents, instead of relying on repair kits.

What’s The Cost For All This?

Decent looks, rich kit, ample cargo and cabin space, not to mention top-notch safety and driving performance, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro ticks all the right boxes for an ideal all-rounder SUV. In fact, we’re safely betting it could be the next ‘giant killer’ in this competitive C-SUV market space.

What makes this Sino-badged SUV more desirable is its price, with Chery Auto Malaysia tagging the Tiggo 7 Pro at only RM123,800. And that’s not even the early-bird special price, which lowers down to RM119,800 — albeit only for the first 2,000 customers.

To go with its eye-opening price are the comprehensive warranty and service packages offered by Chery Auto Malaysia. Besides the usual 7-year or 150,000 KM vehicle warranty, the Tiggo 7 Pro also comes with complimentary 24-hour towing services lasting 7 years or 150,000 KM, plus a 5-year free service package for peace-of-mind ownership experience.

To sum things up, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is simply too good and too well-equipped for its price, and we even dare say this is the best Chery product we’ve sampled yet, surpassing its bigger brother, the Tiggo 8 Pro. But then again, only time will tell whether this burgeoning, Sino-badged SUV is capable of toppling down reigning giants…

SPECIFICATIONS

2024 CHERY TIGGO 7 PRO