Chery Tiggo 7 Pro arrives in SA

The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro was launched in SA last week, and as its name implies, the newcomer slots between the compact Tiggo 4

Pro and the larger Tiggo 8 Pro sevenseater.

Like its smaller sibling, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro seats five occupants and in size terms is slightly larger than the Toyota Corolla Cross.

Chery will sell it in two derivatives, with the entry-level Distinction model coming in at R409 900 and the more lavishly equipped Executive commanding R444 900.

While its pricing puts it in the upper end of the Toyota’s price range, it does still undercut similarly-sized models such as the Kia Sportage (R479 995 - R663 995) and Volkswagen Tiguan (R671 799 - R798 000).

Both Tiggo 7 models are powered by a 1.5 litre turbo-petrol engine that pushes 109kW and 210Nm to the front wheels via a CVT gearbox with nine ‘steps’ that simulate traditional ratios.

In terms of spec, both variants feature a 7.0-inch LDC digital instrument cluster, 10.5-inch ‘floating’ touchscreen infotainment system and dual-zone climate control that’s operated via a separate 8.0-inch touchscreen.

All models ship standard with synthetic leather seats, with electric adjustment for the driver, multi-colour ambient lighting, cruise control, LED auto headlights, wireless charging and an electrically operated tailgate, among other amenities.

Safety features include blind spot detection, rear traffic alert, hill descent control, and four airbags.

The Executive model adds a powered panoramic sunroof, curtain airbags and a whole suite of driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, lane departure warning, front collision warning and 360-degree around view monitor.

Autodealer will publish a test drive report on this fancy new SUV as soon as Chery Zululand makes a demonstrator available.