Tested: Chery Tiggo Cross HEV – A Future-Proofed Game-Changer?

Fancy A Compact Hybrid SUV?

The Chery Tiggo Cross has long been part of Chery Malaysia’s plan - the automaker had teased its arrival since 2024. Now in mid-2025, this SUV is about to debut, and we certainly believe that the recently-previewed hybrid variant is a potential game-changer.

Also known as the Tiggo 4, the Malaysian-spec Tiggo Cross HEV is based on the face-lifted model previewed in China last year, featuring fresher design bits akin to its larger Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 siblings.

With these familiar design cues, the Chery Tiggo Cross does look like a smaller version of the Chery Tiggo 7.

Key highlights include the instantly recognisable front face featuring hexagonal front grille, sharp LED headlights with vertical DRL strips, through-type LED taillights with unique signatures, and a conventional boxy SUV bodystyle.

Notably, the hybrid also rolls on 17-inch wheels featuring a more enclosed design for better aerodynamics over the 18-inch units primed on its turbocharged twin.

As for footprint, the Tiggo Cross HEV spans 4,318 MM long with a 2,610 MM wheelbase, 1,830 MM wide, and 1,670 MM tall. This puts it on par with other popular B-SUVs like the Proton X50, Honda HR-V, and even its Chery Omoda 5 stablemate.

Yes, the Tiggo Cross HEV might not look as fancy or sporty as some of its rivals, but we reckon its ‘safe’ yet universal design may bode well with most, especially those who are familiar with the Chery brand. And the same sentiment applies with its innards too…

Tech-Brimmed Interior with Decent Practicality

The ‘Tiggo-ification’ continues inside the Cross HEV variant, which features a very familiar dash, albeit with some interesting changes.

For starters, the dual-screen setup measures smaller at 10.25-inch each, but the infotainment half still comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. Also present is a dedicated climate control panel with physical controls instead of being cluttered within the infotainment system.

Unlike other Chinese SUVs, the Tiggo Cross HEV retains several physical controls and dials inside the cabin.

Despite its screen-led setup, the Tiggo Cross HEV retains a number of physical controls and buttons, including the electronic gear shifter, plus several buttons on the steering wheel and below the central vents which controls the infotainment.

Other luxury amenities primed here include a wireless charger, multiple USB charging ports, powered driver’s seat with lumbar support, black faux leather upholstery, and multi-colour ambient lights.

Life in the backseat of the Tiggo Cross HEV is also quite decent, as this supposed compact SUV boasts decent legroom and headroom. Here, you will also find amenities like dedicated rear A/C vents, a USB-A port, and even Door Opening Warning (DOW) lights on the door cards to warn passengers of impending vehicles before exiting.

Boot space is also quite decent for this hybrid SUV at 350 litres, and it can expand to 1,125 litres with the rear seats folded down. What’s more impressive is that despite harbouring a small hybrid battery beneath, the Tiggo Cross HEV still has room to accommodate a space-saver spare tyre.

Putting aside the absence of both the panoramic sunroof and 8-speaker Sony audio system found on its larger siblings, the Tiggo Cross HEV’s cabin surely feels and looks more upmarket than some of its rivals. Not to mention, its practicality is also quite decent, at least by B-SUV standards.

Chery Super Hybrid Powertrain, Explained 

What could potentially set the Tiggo Cross HEV apart from other B-SUVs lies under the hood, as it features Chery’s proprietary Super Hybrid (CSH) powertrain setup.

Unlike the Tiggo 7 and 8 CSHs, the Tiggo Cross HEV gets a more conventional series-parallel hybrid (HEV) powertrain setup. At the base of which is a 1.5-litre 4-cyl naturally-aspirated Atkinson Cycle petrol engine, which by itself outputs 96 PS and 120 NM. Chery also claims this mill boasts decent thermal efficiency of up to 40%, putting it on par with other renown HEV systems out there.

The four-pot lump is then mated to a 3-speed Stepless Super Electric Hybrid dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT), which in itself integrates two electric motors that deliver combined outputs of 204 PS and 310 NM.

Just like other HEV systems, the engine acts mostly as a generator to charge a small 1.8 kWh battery pack, which in turn powers the electric motors. Besides the engine, said battery can also be recharged via EV-like regenerative braking with three levels of intensity. Moreover, both the engine and e-motors can drive the vehicle independently.

Claimed figures include a 0 to 100 KM/H sprint time of 8.9 secs in Sport mode. More importantly, Chery also claims a fuel economy rate of 5.4 litres/100 KM. With its 51-litre fuel tank, the Tiggo Cross HEV’s combined travel range is theoretically just short of 1,000 KM, which sounds pretty promising for a relatively new hybrid tech.

Overall, on-paper specs for the CSH system sounds both promising and convincing. But how does it truly benchmark against our real-world testing?

Smooth and Efficient Drive, But…

Immediately after hitting the accelerator, the first thing you’ll notice is the smooth and EV-like drive, which is self-explanatory since the e-motors provide most of the drive at lower speeds.

Bury the throttle deeper and the smooth drive continues. What’s more impressive is that you hardly notice when the engine runs to generate power for the small battery pack. Fortunately, just like the Jaecoo J7 PHEV, there’s an energy flow display that shows you where the power comes from or goes, which is a perfect addition to educate drivers about how hybrids work.

In terms of dynamics, the Tiggo Cross HEV still lands on the softer side just like most of its compatriots, but we felt its relatively small size does make it seem a little zippier and nimbler versus comparable rivals. Combined with the instant torque from the e-motors, the drive was quite zippy and engaging — something you don’t usually associate with an economical hybrid crossover.

The smooth hybrid drive also contributed to decent comfort and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels, with the former bolstered further by the aforementioned soft damper tune. We’ll add that wind noise is suppressed well, and the occasional engine hum during recharging isn’t too loud or jarring, to say the least.

Once the battery charge depletes and the N/A engine kicks in, this is where things start to feel a bit grainy. This is especially true during our Genting run with this hybrid SUV, where the engine revved quite high to power up the car through the hill climbs. Fortunately, once the battery gained enough charge for the e-motors, things went back to normal.

In terms of efficiency, we managed to get somewhere between 4.7 to 5.8 litres/100 KM. Mind you, this was achieved despite going through a variety of driving conditions covering B-roads, urban city streets, highway cruising, as well as the aforementioned Genting climb.

While some may argue that fuel economy rate isn’t on par with other more mature hybrid systems, we reckon the Tiggo Cross HEV is quite a promising contender, and that is despite the minor hiccups we experienced. Granted that our tester is a pre-production unit, we certainly hope some refinement tweaks are made to address this issue.

Unparalleled Safety Features

Another aspect that the Tiggo Cross HEV shines over other B-SUVs is safety. Here’s where this supposed entry-level hybrid SUV with both active and passive safety features.

The former consists of key ADAS functions like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Door Opening Warning (DOW), Front (FCW) and Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Prevention (LDP), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Braking (RCTB), Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), and more.

Throughout our test period, most of these ADAS functions work well. There are some rough patches, especially with the lane-keeping and ACC bits, but they aren’t alarming to deem them unusable.

Passive safety bits are also not too shabby, which includes seven airbags, Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), traction (TCS) and stability (ESP) controls, a 360-degree camera view system, and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

As of writing, the Tiggo Cross HEV has yet to go through the ASEAN-NCAP crash test, but its turbocharged twin has earned a full five-star score in the Australian NCAP test. Said protocol might differ from our regional one, but it at least does provide a layer of confidence on the safety aspect of the Tiggo Cross here.

Should You Consider One?

Our short answer? Yes, especially if you’re in a market for an affordable hybrid SUV that is brimmed with plenty of amenities and space for 4-5 pax, not forgetting decent driving performance and promising efficiency.

Sure, recommending a product without an exact price tag does sound harder than it seems. Given what we’ve experienced so far, the Chery Tiggo Cross HEV is a very promising proposition in this ever-competitive market segment. That said, should Chery Malaysia keep the price below the RM100,000 mark, then this hybrid crossover could instantly become a no-brainer choice.

Based on Chery Malaysia’s strategy with their previous products, we can expect pretty comprehensive warranty packages for both the vehicle and the hybrid powertrain system. Again - fingers crossed, it should at least match what other Chery products have.

Last but not least, the arrival of affordable electrified products like the Tiggo Cross HEV is truly appreciated. Not only will they provide a wider avenue for folks to try out this new tech, it could also become a viable alternative to consider once RON95 petrol subsidies are rationalised...

SPECIFICATION

CHERY TIGGO CROSS HEV