We like
Affordable list price; attractive interior styling; acceptable performance; long warranty; full-size spare wheel; notable climate control and sound system performance

Room for improvement
Vague steering and evident torque steer; sensitive throttle calibration; rear-of-cabin vibration; nervous ADAS technologies; clumsy human-machine interface; poor high beam performance

Overview

 

CHERY has been eking out a decent slice of the new car pie for a while now, some of it attributable to the mid-sized five-seat Tiggo 7 Pro Max SE+ tested here.

 

Launched a couple of years ago, the model struggled to gain sales traction initially, a $10,000 price cut earlier this year now helping the vehicle find ground.

 

The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max is offered currently in SE and SE+ guise, priced from $29,990 and $33,990 respectively driveaway. That makes the price of the ‘SE’ the cheapest in its segment.

 

As is increasingly typical of Chinese made vehicles, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max is crammed with goodies, nicely styled, and appears to be well built – thanks no doubt to the many joint ventures in China’s automotive sector with legacy premium brands.

 

Competition comes from the MG HS and GWM Haval H6 … with Toyota’s number one selling RAV4 kicking off a six grand north of the Tiggo 7 Pro SE+.

 

Power for both variants comes from a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 137kW and 275Nm, while returning a claimed combined fuel consumption of 7.0 litres per 100km on premium 95RON unleaded.

 

Drive goes to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with various electronic modulations.

 

Chery sweetens the deal by offering plenty of kit in both SE and SE+ with the base grade scoring as standard dual 12.3-inch instrument and multimedia screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, ‘Hello Chery’ voice command, 18-inch alloy wheels, 16 advance driver safety systems, native sat-nav, an eight-speaker Sony sound system, and a full-size spare wheel.

 

For the extra $4000 the SE+ adds a 360-degree surround view camera, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, heated front seats, and an air quality management system.

 

The Tiggo 7 Pro Max has a five-star ANCAP rating earned last year and will continue to be backed by Chery’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with bundled capped-price servicing and roadside assistance.

 

Driving Impressions

 

Designers of the oddly named Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max SE+ nailed the brief inside and out, the chunky-looking vehicle stacking up well against anything you care to compare it to.

 

Sensibly, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max SE+ is a five-seater, with Chery not tempted to cram in a third row of seats which pays dividends when you want to stack in a load or have a comfortable journey.

 

The 1480kg model that has a 51-litre fuel tank giving a theoretical range of roughly 730km. On test, the best we could manage was 8.0L/100km.

 

The drive feel is compromised by steering that needs to be completely revised to get rid of the lumpy feel off centre, and its tendency to overstrike when you make small direction adjustments.

 

It mightn’t sound like much, but driving the Tiggo 7 Pro SE+ is like driving a slalom as you are constantly correcting and recorrecting your line of travel.

 

Torque steer is evident too, if you push too hard off the mark or from low speeds, while the throttle is a touch oversensitive, leading to a somewhat jerky feel on rough roads.

 

Those points aside, the vehicle has a supple and controlled ride with minimal noise transmission, strong brakes, and good grip.

 

The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission does a good job of harnessing available power. It feels stronger than the claimed 137kW/275Nm as not once was the test vehicle found lacking in the get-go department.

 

But the vehicle is seriously encumbered by an overly intrusive suite of ADAS technologies that override driver decisions to the point of being dangerous.

 

In my opinion, it is more distracting to have nervous lane keeping and collision avoidance technologies working against you than it is to be without them.

 

ANCAP mandates that these systems are installed, but there is little governance on their suitability to local roads, resulting in a driving experience that is not only frustrating, but largely unnecessary.

 

Perhaps almost as annoying was a rattle from the rear of the vehicle and an infotainment system that would not revert to our previous selection after changing the climate control temperature, for example. The lack of an audio volume selector on the steering wheel is also an oversight.

 

We did, however, enjoy the vehicle’s comfortable ride, impressive audio system, supportive heated seats, and diligent climate control system.

 

Also scoring a big tick were the electric tailgate, air quality system, and the inclusion of a full-size spare wheel.

 

As a cut-price entrant in Australia’s busiest SUV segment, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max has a lot to offer. Sure, it needs some good local fettling to match the class average but is a good alternative for new car shoppers on a budget.