Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

Highly anticipated, Chery Malaysia’s latest release, the new Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH, officially launched in Malaysia.

The C-segment (mid-size SUV) Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) underpins the Chery Super Hybrid (CSH) technology (Dedicated Hybrid Engine – DHE, Dedicated Hybrid Transmission – DHT, Dedicated High Voltage Battery – DHVB) platform.

Locally assembled (CKD – Kedah), available via Chery Malaysia is one variant (Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH – RM129,800).

Price (OTR, w/o insurance) includes a vehicle warranty (seven years/150,000 km), a PHEV system warranty (eight years/160,000 km – one-to-one battery replacement: <70% battery state of health), a service package (five years, six times free labour) and a towing service (free: seven years/150,000 km, 24/7).

Exterior (standard) colours (single-tone: Khaki White, Phantom Grey). Interior (single-tone) colour (Black).

Exterior (optional – RM2,000) colours (dual-tone: Black roof – Bloodstone Red). Interior (single-tone) colour (Black).

The new Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH has an angular and tiered dashboard, linked to a high-rising centre console (armrest cooler storage, partitioned storage, wireless charger, knob gear shifter).

Soft-/hard-touched (dash, steering wheel, centre console, doors), it sees one colour scheme (single-tone: Black) with contrast trims (Silver, Gloss Black).

Fitted are the driver/central displays (single-piece: instrument cluster, infotainment), air-conditioning vents (rectangular) and an ambient lighting system (64 colours).

Inclusively, the layout is modern (capacitive touch controls: centre dash, steering wheel) and ergonomic (functional) with accessibilities purposefully arranged (driver-centric, passenger-oriented). 

Part of a single-piece unit (floating), installed is a 12.3-inch HD TFT-LCD (Thin-Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display) fully digital (Multi-Information Display – MID) driver display (instrument cluster: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 System-on-Chip – SA8155P SoC). 

Features are vehicle telematics, Bluetooth, navigation, intelligent voice assistant and customisable interface (drive mode dependent).

Comfortable, the interior sees leatherette upholstery in one colour scheme (single-tone: Black) with contrast stitching (White: front seats).

The front gets electronic-powered (driver/passenger: multi-way-adjust, ventilation, heating, driver-memory) bolstered seats. The rear gets a manual-operated (60:40 split-fold) bolstered bench (three-seater).

Included are headrests (front, rear), armrests (front: centre console – rear: centre seat fold-out), cooler storage (front: centre console armrest), panoramic glass sunroof (electric: sunshade) and a tonneau cover (boot – foldable cover).

A five-seater (mid-size SUV), the cabin offers generous space, providing comfortable seatings with ample interior mobility for the occupants (front, rear).

Sufficient head, shoulder and leg rooms.

Practical storage spaces. E.g., glove box, centre console compartments (armrest/partitioned/caverned/under-stowage, cooler storage) and pockets (seat backs, side doors).

Mounted is a three-spoke-flat-bottom steering wheel. Leather (single-tone: Black) with contrast trims (Silver, Gloss Black).

Features are multi-switches (Bluetooth, media, intelligent voice assistant, vehicle telematics), column adjustments (tilt, telescopic) and steering modes (COMFORT, SPORT).

Drive is aided by an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

Provided are four cup holders (two: front, rear) and four bottle holders (one: side doors).

Equipped are three USB ports (two: front, one: rear), two 12 V sockets (one: front, boot) and one wireless charger (centre console).

Included is a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L – 3.3 kW) charging function for powering of external appliances.

Accessing the boot’s electronic-powered (handsfree: kick-sensor, remote-key fob, interior/tailgate button – anti-pinch, height-adjust, electric-suction-close) tailgate, opens to 475 litres (rear seats up) and 1,386 litres (rear seats down) of load capacities.

Weighing in at 1,795 kg, the new Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH stands at 4,553 mm long, 1,862 mm wide, 1,696 mm tall and with a wheelbase spanning 2,670 mm.

Sportily sleek, it exudes a solidly round sculpted exterior, emphasised by angularly chiselled and dynamic proportions.

The front-end sees a formed bonnet (raised sides), rounded quarter panels (flared fenders) and a robust bumper (‘Chery Diamond Grille’: vertical-diamond-stud pattern, Chery emblem – intake: lower-central, bumper sides – cutouts: bumper sides).

Accentuations, body clad (Black: bumper, fenders, side sills) and body trims (Black: grille, intakes, bumper side cutouts, side mirror arms, B-pillars – Chrome: grille, window surrounds, Chery emblem – Silver: roof rails).

Athletically sleek, it continues the solidly round sculpted profile, emphasised by angularly horizontal and sharply lined creases.

The rear-end sees a straight cut roofline (roof-edge spoiler, shark fin antenna), muscular quarter panels (flared fenders), a tapered tailgate (Chery/Tiggo 7 scripts) and a covered bumper (diffuser: hidden exhaust – cutouts: bumper sides).

Accentuations, body clad (Black: bumper, fenders, side sills) and body trims (Black: diffuser, C-/D-pillars – Chrome: window surrounds, Chery/Tiggo 7 scripts – exterior colour dependent: roof-edge spoiler, shark fin antenna – Silver: roof rails).

Seamlessly angular, the headlamps are housed sharply slim and inward tilted. Installed are full LED (intelligent high-performance) units.

Features are automatic On/Off/cornering, Daytime Running Lights (DRL – LED), Intelligent High-Beam Control Headlamp (IHC), welcome/leaving lights and sequential turn signals (LED). Included is a set of fog lamps (LED).

Seamlessly sleek, the tail lamps are framed full width (lightbar) and sharply slim with pointed wraparound edges. Installed are full LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off, welcome/leaving lights, sequential turn signals (LED) and ‘Tiger Pattern’ light graphics. Included are a high-mounted stop light (spoiler integrated) and a set of fog lamps (LED).

The side mirrors (dual-tone: Black-body-colour) are electronic-powered (auto-fold, adjust), with turn signals (LED), blind-spot indicators (Blind Spot Detection – BSD) and puddle lights.

Fitted are ventilated (front) and solid (rear) disc brakes. 

Drive is aided by an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold system and a regenerative braking system (CSH Energy Recovery).

Sportily designed, mounted is a set of 18-inch multi-spoke (dual-tone: Black-Silver) alloy rims, wrapped in 255/60 R18 (front, rear) Maxxis Victra Sport 5 SUV tyres.

The new Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH features the following suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Grouped are Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Emergency Lane Keeping Assist (ELKA), Blind Spot Detection System (BSD), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Cross Traffic Braking (RCTB), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Integrated Cruise Control (ICC), Autonomous Emergency Brake (AEB), Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), Door Opening Warning (DOW), Speed Limit Reminder (SLR), Intelligent High-Beam Control Headlamp (IHC), Driver Monitoring System (DMS), Drive Away Information (DAI), Intelligent Avoidance System (IAS) and Multi-Collision Braking (MCB).

Other systems include Around View Monitor (AVM – 540-degree), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS), Brake Override System (BOS), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Start Assist Control (HAC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Passive safety includes eight (driver-passenger, driver-knee, front-rear sides, front-rear curtains) airbags, seat belts (reminders, pre-tensioners, anchors), ISOFIX (two: outer-rear seats), parking sensors (four: front, four: rear), parking cameras (reverse, 540-degree), rear-view mirrors (exterior: BSD – interior: frameless, automatic-dimming), automatic-door locks (speed-sensing, central-locking, walk-away-lock), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), automatic headlamps (On/Off/cornering/low-/high-beam), automatic windows (anti-pinch, one-touch up/down), impact beams, door ajar warning, acoustic glass (windscreen, windows) and anti-theft system (security alarm, immobiliser).

Enabled are three standard drive modes (ECO, NORMAL, SPORT) and two PHEV modes (EV, HEV). Included are steering modes (COMFORT, SPORT).

Part of a single-piece unit (floating), installed is a 12.3-inch HD touchscreen central display (infotainment: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 System-on-Chip – SA8155P SoC).

Features are AM/FM radio, USB, Bluetooth, 5G/WiFi/WiFi hotspot, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (wireless), media, live navigation, Intelligent Voice Recognition customisable interface (drive mode dependent), vehicle telematics (drive), App Store and Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates.

Entertainment is channelled via a Sony Premium Audio System (eight speakers).

The new Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH comes with a Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) powertrain (petrol-electric). 

Underpinned is the Chery Super Hybrid (CSH) technology (Dedicated Hybrid Engine – DHE, Dedicated Hybrid Transmission – DHT, Dedicated High Voltage Battery – DHVB) platform.

Nestled is a 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder 16-valve Turbocharged Gasoline Direct-Injection (T-GDi) DOHC Deep Miller Cycle petrol engine (143 PS/105 kW, 215 Nm) and a transmission-integrated (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission – DHT) electric motor (Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor – PMSM: 150 kW/204 PS, 310 Nm).

Total system output (279 PS/205 kW, 365 Nm).

Fused (e-motor-integrated) to the setup is a single-speed DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission) automatic transmission.

Power is transmitted to the front wheels, via a Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) system.

Juicing-up the e-motor and completing the hybrid setup (CSH) is a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP – 18.3 kWh) battery (DHVB).

Charging via AC (Type 2: 6.6 kW) takes 3.0 hours for a 30% to 80% State-of-Charge (SoC). Charging via DC (CCS2: 40 kW) takes 19 mins for a 30% to 80% SoC.

The pure electric driving range is 90 km (NEDC).

Fuel tank capacity is at 60 litres, and the combined fuel consumption (driving: city, highway) is rated at 5.0 l/100 km (NEDC).

The combined driving range (petrol-electric) is 1,200 km (NEDC).

Included is a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L – 3.3 kW) charging function for powering of external appliances.

The new Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH features these conveniences.

E.g., Smart Entry system (keyless entry, engine Start/Stop button, remote engine start, cabin cooling), electronic-powered (handsfree: kick-sensor, remote-key fob, interior/tailgate button – anti-pinch, height-adjust, electric-suction-close) tailgate, automatic-door locks (speed-sensing, central-locking, walk-away-lock), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), automatic headlamps (On/Off/cornering/low-/high-beam), automatic windows (anti-pinch, one-touch up/down), impact beams, door ajar warning, acoustic glass (windscreen, windows), parking sensors (four: front, four: rear), parking cameras (reverse, 540-degree), rear-view mirrors (exterior: BSD – interior: frameless, automatic-dimming), interior illumination (LED: cabin/boot/ambient), dual-zone automatic climate control system (rear vents), steering wheel (multi-switches, column adjustments, steering modes, EPS), electronic-powered (driver/passenger: multi-way-adjust, ventilation, heating, driver-memory) bolstered seats (front), headrests (front, rear), armrests (front: centre console – rear: centre seat fold-out), cooler storage (front: centre console armrest), panoramic glass sunroof (electric: sunshade), tonneau cover (boot – foldable cover), interior storage areas (centre console compartments, seat/door pockets, armrest cooler), charging outlets (USBs, power sockets, wireless charger), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Installed is a dual-zone automatic climate control system (rear vents).

A suitable daily driver, the ride comfortability feels flexible and firm at the same time, providing great power with agile handling.

Suspension fitted is a setup of MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link independent (rear). Inside and out, performance- and comfort-wise, the ride quality is satisfactory.

Good sound insulation with the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) aspects accounted for. The cabin is well-designed, enhancing the in-car ambience.

Overall, the cabin can suppress unwanted noises well and make them barely noticeable, even when cruising through bumpy terrains or at high speeds. 

Equipped is acoustic glass (windscreen, windows).

The new Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH is built with a solidly sporty appeal, offering appearance, space and practicality.

Robust and sleekly sculpted, its exterior is well-designed with roundly angular lines donating to a powerful overall character. 

Inside and out, the quality of the equipment installed is impressive with clean and minimalistic detailing.

Ultimately, the new Tiggo 7 PHEV CSH bargains more than just good looks, as it also offers plenty of other amenities at the price it comes with.