Chery Tiggo 7 Pro (2022) Review
The family SUV or mid-size crossover has been a mainstay in the automotive market. There was a time when the SUV was reserved for the wealthy but lately, more affordable people movers with features you'd associate with upper-crust flagship models have been cropping up. Recently, automotive manufacturer Chery has been coming in hot with affordable yet premium grade products to rival European vehicles. The Tiggo range is at the forefront of this push from Chery.
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Related: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro - First Drive Impression
The Tiggo 7 Pro is a mid-size SUV. Basically, it's the bigger sibling to the Tiggo 4 Pro and just under the Tiggo 8 Pro, the biggest of the trio. It's clear here that the Tiggo 7 Pro doesn't suffer from 'middle-child syndrome'. This vehicle competitively aims for a higher market segment and settles itself nicely.
Styling
The Tiggo7Pro opts for more aggressive and angular styling in the front. This is done with scowling LED headlights merging into a hexagonal grill with tasteful touches of chrome. There are sprinkles of chrome in the grill with thin yet weighted lines of chrome akin to eyeliner around the headlights. You can tell a certain German manufacturer inspired this design. You can guess where.
Moving along to the side and rear, the angular design softens and is broken apart by the two-tone paintwork and a 'T' badge on the fender. The rear changes into softer angles with a lovely-looking light bar for the rear taillights which is functional across the tailgate. It looks quite the part at night. Not only that, a big rear spoiler to round off the look adds to the sporty elements of the vehicle.
Speaking of sporty, you also get two-tone machined wheels with red coloured brake callipers. The design of the Tiggo 7 Pro is pleasant to the eyes and quite a cohesive exterior design which takes after current euro design trends.
Space & Interior
The interior of the Tiggo 7 Pro's look is quite similar to the Tiggo 4 Pro bar some differences in design. The cabin is covered with soft-touch materials with a quality feel. Much to my surprise, the leather on the seats and steering wheel is all synthetic. It feels hard-wearing along with the materials used on the dashboard. To break apart the matte materials, you get gloss black trim pieces too which, in the centre console feels ill-designed, as it would have been better to have a matte texture to it to mitigate reflections from sunshine in some instances. This goes along with the poor placement of the smartphone holder, which would have served a better purpose if it was positioned on the side, running parallel to the centre console. Currently, it obstructs your arm when on the armrest and reaching for the gear-shifter. Nonetheless, the air conditioning controls are a great mix of touch and physical button controls. Buttons for when you need to adjust fan speed and temperatures quickly, and touch for the other air-conditioning functions which is welcome. Legroom and headroom in the rear is sufficient even for taller individuals. To top it all off, a massive panoramic sunroof lets in the light. You'll also find 475l of boot space.
Comfort & Convenience
The Tiggo 7 Pro flexes its premium muscle in the form of great features, exceptional ride comfort, and noise suppression in the cabin. There's a whole host of features to make driving and living with the vehicle as easy as possible. Such features include true keyless entry with an automatic tailgate. If you're struggling to see your vehicle at night in a shopping mall parking, have no fear, you have "follow me home" lights to guide you to your chariot.
Infotainment-wise, Android Auto/Apple Car Play is present with voice controls that not only operate the radio but also assist with functions such as opening windows in the vehicle and more. The Android Auto does have a tendency to be temperamental when it comes to connections with particular smartphones, but the system works well enough with a balanced sound system to boot. A very welcome feature is the N95 cabin filtration system with works exceptionally well to filter out any unpleasant smells from the outside world.
Performance
Powering the Tiggo 7 Pro is a 1.5l Turbocharged unit producing 108kw of power and 210nm of torque. This is paired to a CVT Transmission with selectable driving modes between ECO and Sport. During the test period, the car was set to ECO mode 95% of the time. The Tiggo 7 Pro has pep but is smooth off the line. Overtaking is easy with a simple squeeze of the throttle including good response from the turbo. The Tiggo 7 Pro is not a vehicle you need to wind out, it finds itself happy down low in the rev range.
Handling-wise, you can adjust the sensitivity of the steering wheel between normal and sport. During this test period, the vehicle was set to sport mode, which has a weightier feel to the steering on-road but becomes light when negotiating parking situations. The Tiggo 7 Pro is a heavy vehicle but it carries itself well when the road gets rough and when there are twisty roads involved. It's a smooth highway cruiser as well with highway manners that don't need questioning.
Read about everything you need to about the smaller Chery Tiggo 4 Pro
Fuel Economy
Chery claims a fuel economy of 6.8l/100km. Unfortunately, during this test period, the best that could be achieved was 11.7l/100km combined cycle. The Tiggo 7 Pro is heavy on fuel, even with the best behaviour, that's the best fuel economy that could be achieved here.
Read about everything you need to know about the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro
Safety
To keep you safe on the road, the Tiggo 7 Pro in Executive trim comes with 6 airbags as well as passive and active driver assistance systems. Passive systems include collision avoidance warnings which can be adjusted in the vehicle preference settings. Active systems include adaptive cruise control as well as automatic emergency braking. In addition to the standard safety features you'd come to expect with many vehicles in this range, you also get ISOFIX tethers in the rear seats.
In Executive trim, you'll also find a 360 view camera with what Chery calls, 'Around View Monitor'. A camera monitoring system that also features an augmented reality with a 3D model of the vehicle to assist with parking, managing intersections, and more. It's a nice touch and a party piece for your passengers to behold.
Price
Here you will find the ace up Chery's sleeve. The Distinctive trim takes away the 'Around View Monitor' as well as some passive and active collision avoidance systems but still has plenty of standard features to give a premium experience.
| Model | Price (incl. VAT) |
| Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Distinctive | R409 900 |
| Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Executive | R444 900 |
*The Tiggo 7 Pro is covered by: 5 year/60000km service plan. 5-year/150000km factory warranty. 5-year unlimited Roadside Assistance. 1 Million km/10 Year Engine warranty.
*Prices correct at time of publishing.
Competitors
Competitors within the same price bracket include:
- Ford Ecosport (Read our review here).
- Toyota Corolla Cross (Watch our review here).
- Opel Crossland X (Read our review here).
- Kia Seltos (Read our review here).
Verdict
The new Tiggo range from Chery certainly shows what the manufacturer is capable of when it comes to delivering premium packages at an affordable price. The Tiggo 7 Pro does need certain refinements when it comes to cabin ergonomics in some instances and fuel consumption needs to be addressed. Other than those, The Tiggo 7 Pro is a compelling package for the price. If you're a family looking for an SUV, this should be under your radar. It's definitely worth a look if you want something different from the norm on the roads. Pay attention to Chery, they're on the right path to make some grand vehicles.
