2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro new car review

Australian families on the hunt for an affordable new ride now have another feature packed option to consider.

Chinese brand Chery is expanding aggressively in Australia and its Tiggo 7 Pro mid-size SUV has just landed in showrooms.

The Toyota RAV4-sized family-hauler joins the smaller Omoda 5 in its local line-up. Several more models are due next year.

Prices start at $39,990 drive-away.

Prices start at $39,990 drive-away and the Tiggo 7 Pro has its sights set on the big name models such as Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson that are priced from about $39,000.

Chery sweetens the deal with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, seven years roadside assistance and a capped price servicing program that costs $2055.78 or $2204.44 for seven years of scheduled visits depending on specification.

All models are powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and either front- or all-wheel drive. A plug-in hybrid version is available overseas and the brand is pushing hard to bring it to Australia.

Its a handsome SUV with plenty of road presence.

The Tiggo 7 Pro shines on the showroom floor with good looks and a long list of standard equipment.

A base Tiggo 7 Pro Urban has desirable items such as LED lighting front and back, 18-inch alloy wheels and a bold front grille.

Step inside and you are greeted by faux-leather seats that are heated and power adjustable up front. Dual 12.3-inch displays house the infotainment and the driver’s instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is an eight-speaker Sony stereo and a wireless device charging pad.

Ambient light adds some pop to the cabin and a panoramic sunroof gives the interior a light and airy feel.

The cabin is dominated by large twin screens. Picture: Supplied.

Stepping up to the $41,990 mid grade Elite variant adds a power tailgate, auto folding side mirrors, a bird’s eye view camera and an advanced cabin air filter.

Top-shelf Ultimate variants cost $45,990 and gain all-wheel drive, 19-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers, ventilated front seats with memory function for the driver, off-road driving modes and memory side mirrors.

One noticeable item missing is a head-up display that projects vital information such as travelling speed and safety warnings onto the windscreen in front of the driver.

The cabin is well put together without any noticeable rattles or creaks and it’s quiet on the road with minimal road and tyre noise permeating the cabin.

Soft touch and premium materials adorn most surfaces and there are easy to use steering-wheel mounted controls for entertainment and safety functions. The dashboard-mounted climate controls are hard to read, though.

The Tiggo 7 is a mixed bag to drive. Picture: Supplied.

Pairing your phone to the infotainment is fiddly and connecting wireless Apple CarPlay was hit and miss.

The “Hello Chery” voice commands allows you to make phone calls without taking your hands off the steering wheel but it can also be used to control climate functions and open and close windows and the sunroof.

There is plenty of room inside the cabin with ample head, shoulder and leg room in both rows. A giant boot trumps the competition and also houses a full-size spare tyre.

Chery has paid special attention to safety equipment with 18 driver assistance systems complementing eight airbags.

Previous Cherys have struggled with the calibration of the driver aids that were too intrusive and aggressive.

The driver assistance features are well calibrated for the most part. Picture: Supplied.

This time the brand has done the entire tune in Australia with about 50,000km of testing to perfect the tech.

The result is much more intuitive driver aids that step in more gently when required and without the bite of previous examples. There was the odd occasion where the lane-keep assist feature overcorrected and pulled the steering wheel too hard, though.

On the road the Tiggo 7 Pro is a mixed bag.

Its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine is strong and makes 137kW and 275Nm with max torque delivered low in the rev range. It is let down by an unrefined dual-clutch automatic that hesitates off the mark and then snaps abruptly into gear, even with light throttle application.

At motorway speeds it’s a more polished performer flicking through the gears adeptly to keep the engine humming along in the sweet spot.

The soft suspension soaks up bumps but can lean through corners. Picture: Supplied.

A soft suspension tune cushions passengers from hard bumps and road imperfections and is well suited to urban driving, but the counterbalance is there is plenty of body roll through corners.

The ultra light steering lacks feedback and doesn’t inspire confidence when tackling a tight and twisting road. It also gets unsettled when asked to change direction quickly.

It’s more competent around town where dynamic prowess matters less.

Chery claims the front-wheel drive versions drink 7.0L/100km and the all-wheel drive variant uses 7.8L/100km. We experienced about two litres above in both and it requires pricier premium unleaded petrol.

VERDICT 3.5/5

The Tiggo 7 Pro is packed with equipment and backed by an impressive warranty but lacks the polish of more established rivals.

CHERY TIGGO 7 PRO ELITE

PRICE $41,990 drive-away

ENGINE 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder turbocharged petrol, 137kW and 275Nm

WARRANTY/SERVICING seven years/unlimited km, $2055.78 for seven years

SAFETY Eight airbags, auto emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert with auto braking, driver monitoring, speed-sign recognition, door opening warning, 360 degree camera and radar cruise control.

THIRST 7.0L/100km

SPARE Full size

LUGGAGE 626 litres