Chery Tiggo NEV Roadtrip (2026)

The recent fuel price increase sent many South African drivers reeling, and with further increases looming, the thought of undertaking a cross-country road trip would now fill many with dread.

Related: Top 6 PHEVs in South Africa with the longest range

In a bid to reinforce the suitability of NEV vehicles and to prove a point, Chery SA invited a select group of media and social media influencers to take a drive, but not just any drive. We would be taking a range of Chery Tiggo plug-in and hybrid drive models from Johannesburg to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) via Port Alfred.

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Day 1 - Johannesburg to Colesberg

Our first day began very early as we gathered at the Chery SA head offices in Sandton for a quick briefing before being assigned our driving partner and choosing a vehicle. Brandon Jacobs from Snap Change Media would be my unfortunate co-pilot; my taste in music isn't to everyone's liking. We picked out a Tiggo 7 PHEV as our steed for the first stint, from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein.

With the vehicles fully fueled and charged, we hit the road during rush hour and headed South, stopping momentarily at the Grasmere toll plaza to sort out some baggage. We proceeded at a steady pace toward the Vaal Plaza were we once again stopped briefly to change drivers. The Tiggo 7 PHEV behaved exceptionally well, delivering plenty of power underfoot to overtake trucks while maintaining an economy rating of 4.6L/100km on the Forced hybrid setting. We rolled through Verkeerdevlei Plaza quickly and proceeded to our lunch stop in Bloemfontein.

The group put their vehicles on quick charge while we ate lunch, and by the time we finished, it was time to move on to our final stop of the day in Colesberg. The Tiggo 7 PHEV ended the day on 6.6L/100km after running the battery down on the last open stretch of the N1. There was little place for it to regenerate charge, but the figure is still impressive for a large family SUV.

Day 2 - Colesberg to Port Alfred

The day once again kicked off early as a relatively long day behind the wheel awaited us. We chose the Tiggo 8 CSH for this leg of the journey, which would see us leave the N1 and begin heading toward the coast on the N10. This road was much hillier, and the truck traffic was much heavier, allowing the vehicle to regenerate some. 

Due to higher speeds and overtaking manoeuvres, the battery drained quickly, and it took considerable time to recharge on the steeper downhill sections. This led us to return closer to 7.7L/100km once we stopped at our lunch venue in Nxuba (Cradock). After lunch, we hit a small gravel road section, a shortcut between two small towns that allowed us to feel how the hybrids behaved on maintained gravel roads before finding what was left of a tar road (R72) that snaked its way through windfarms. Dodging the multitude of potholes showed just how agile these vehicles are despite the extra weight of batteries.

Late afternoon saw us enter Grahamstown, and after a short water and photo stop at the Settlers Memorial, we finally descended into Port Alfred as the sun began to set over the Kowie River. Before heading off to dinner in a private game reserve outside of town, I took a quick stock of the economy figures. We ended the day on 8.8L/100km with 8% battery charge. Not bad, but not great either. 

Day 3 - Port Alfred to Gqeberha 

Day three was a bit of a later start, and after a light breakfast, we grabbed the Tiggo 9 PHEV and hit the road out of Port Alfred after a brief visit to the Kowie River mouth. After some time on N2 at speed, it became very apparent that the 9 PHEV is the vehicle to have. Due to a power issue in Port Alfred the previous evening, the vehicles could not be charged; they could only be refuelled. When we set off, the 9 indicated 1109km of range with 20% battery. Before we reached the outskirts of Gqeberha, the Tiggo 9 had recharged to over 35%, and the range dropped to 912km. The important thing to remember here is we weren't driving slowly; there was a push to get to the dealership in town and make it to the airport for our return flight, so there was little time for dilly-dallying.

This means that, in its forced-hybrid mode, the Tiggo 9 was generating more EV power than it was using, effectively increasing our range and significantly lowering economy figures. We arrived at the new Kelston Group Chery dealership in PE with time to spare and handed off the vehicle with a range of 867km and a battery sitting at 81%. The drive was smooth and supple, and we arrived refreshed and relaxed, even though drivers in PE really need to check their blind spots more often.

Verdict

So what was the point of this road trip? AutoTrader has already proven that EVs work on road trips and that our charging infrastructure is sufficient for use across the country, so why undertake this journey again?

Chery South Africa wanted to prove a point: that hybrid tech is where the future lies. Supplementing battery power with your standard ICE engine can extend your fuel range significantly and bring down your fuel costs by a whole tank if you are going on holiday. This can significantly change expenditure and provide major relief at the pumps over time.

Even though we have been singing the praises of hybrid technology for some time, it is still fascinating to watch it in action and see its real-world effects on drivers undertaking a trip of this nature in real time. We are impressed by just how much a change the addition of PHEV tech has made to the overall feel and drivability of Chery's products over the last few months, and cannot wait to see what other developments they have in store for SA when we head over to China at the end of the month with Chery, for the Beijing Auto Show.