Service with a smile
The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro has become the brand's bestselling model, reaching over 20 000 unit sales in two years. These cars are good value for money and a decent drive once you spend some quality time with them. A few months ago, Chery offered us a three-month, long-term test of the updated Tiggo 4 Pro DCT model, and it has been on rotation within our test fleet since.
Related: What is covered under the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro DCT warranty
With so many folks wanting a crack at the Tiggo, we quickly racked up the miles, and the vehicle has just now hit its 5 000km odo reading, meaning that the first service warning light was now illuminated, accompanied by a visual and audio warning recommending contacting your nearest service centre. As the service plan offered by Chery covers standard service costs, we merely had to find our nearest service centre and book the vehicle in, and Chery would take care of the rest.
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Booking the service
A quick Google search revealed that our nearest Chery dealer was Chery Sandton, aka DigiCars. We found their number and called to book the car in. Bookings are essential for these services so that the technicians know which vehicles are coming in and can prepare effectively.
We spoke with a lovely lady named Melanie, who turns out is the service manager, and made the booking for 7:30 a.m. the following day. We arrived promptly at 7 and were let into the parking area early (the bookings only open at 7:30). We found our parking spot. We were going to wait until 7:30, but a super friendly service advisor came outside to greet us and ask how he could help.
After finding out that we had a booking, Siswe ran inside to fetch his clipboard and booking sheets. He offered us a coffee while he did a quick walk around the vehicle, taking notes of anything untoward. Then, he invited us inside to do the paperwork.
The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro DCT infotainment system features
Associated cost
Chery offers a 5-year / 60 000km service plan which covers these types of determined services. The costs are covered unless they find something untoward that requires immediate attention, and then some costs would be involved if they are not warranty-related. In our case, this was just a simple oil service and software checkup. If anything untoward is discovered during the routine check, the service advisor will call you, let you know and give you the cost breakdown.
After we had signed off on the job card, Siswe offered us a shuttle back to the office while they took the car off into the workshop. We had already pre-arranged a pick-up, so the shuttle was not needed, but it's nice to know that it is offered.
How is the Chery Tiggo 4 DCT performance?
What does the 5000km service cover?
During this initial service, Chery will replace the oil, oil filter, and sump plug washer and do a diagnostic check for software updates. They also check the system for any recalls issued for the vehicle model and enter warranty info into the system. If all is in order, the vehicle gets its oil change, a quick wash, and a paintwork exam.
5 stand out features of the Chery Tiggo 4 DCT
Collection
Just before lunchtime, Sizwe called us to let us know that the vehicle was done and that we could come and collect it.
The service intervals on the Chery range are 5 000km or 6 months and then again at 15000km or 12 months whichever occurs first. This means that in the first year of your ownership, the vehicle will need to visit the service centre at least twice. If this is the type of experience one can expect every time, then we don't mind keeping that warranty up to date!
Chery Tiggo 4 DCT Long Term Test - Welcome Home
Verdict
The need to service the vehicle at such an early stage may seem a little trifling. Still, it is necessary to ensure the vehicle's health going forward and potentially catch anything that could become an issue later. This is one of the main reasons why Chery can offer that 10-year / 1-million km warranty on their vehicles and is a testament to the engineering that the brand brings forward.
Our dealings may have been short, but our exchange with the staff at DigiCars Chery Sandton was superb. Everyone was super friendly and helpful, from Melanie and Sizwe to the workshop manager, Vincent and even the technician who performed the work. Our entire interaction with the Chery team left us very happy. If you are a Chery owner and are approaching your first service and not sure about how it will go, we highly recommend the Sandton branch.
