Chery had an exceptionally good sales month this October, moving a grand total of 2,210 units.
This makes it the eighth most popular car brand in South Africa, placing ahead of other big names like Mahindra, Kia, Nissan, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
It’s also the second best-selling Chinese carmaker in the country, only losing out to GWM, which placed sixth last month with 2,805 units.
Much of this success can be traced back to Chery’s most-demanded vehicle, the Tiggo 4 Pro.
The Tiggo 4 Pro series, which includes the facelifted Tiggo Cross models, sold an impressive 1,725 examples in October.
While the Tiggo 4 has always been a popular model, it normally lands around 10th place on each month’s list of the best-sellers.
This time around, the small crossover jumped four spots to reach sixth place.
Bear in mind that three of the top six spots were taken by bakkies last month, namely the Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, and Ford Ranger, while the other two entries were the VW Polo Vivo and the Suzuki Swift.
In other words, the Tiggo 4 is now the third best-selling passenger car in South Africa.
This is especially noteworthy as it means the Chery outperformed its biggest rival – the Toyota Corolla Cross – which came seventh with 1,615 units.
What makes this comparison even more interesting is the fact that the Tiggo Cross and the Corolla Cross are the two cheapest hybrid SUVs in the country.
The Corolla Cross HEV starts at R494,400, while the Tiggo Cross CSH asks for R439,900.
Both cars have proven to be incredibly popular and are currently the segment leaders with regard to new-energy vehicle adoption in South Africa.
“We’re thrilled that the Tiggo 4 range continues to capture the imagination of South African motorists,” said Jay Jay Botes, General Manager for Chery South Africa.
“This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering vehicles that combine advanced technology, striking design, and exceptional value.”
Value for money
The Tiggo 4 is by far the most popular entry in Chery’s catalogue, selling more units than its other models combined.
The Tiggo 7 recorded 323 sales, while the Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 9 sold 121 and 41 units, respectively.
It’s not hard to understand why there’s such a big discrepancy when you look at the prices, as the Tiggo 4 starts at just R269,900.
In comparison, the Tiggo 7, 8, and 9 have a minimum price tag of R429,900, R529,900, and R689,900.
The Tiggo 4 costing less than R300,000 is particularly important, as this is generally used as the measuring stick to gauge whether a car is “affordable” in South Africa.
Only a handful of base-spec hatchbacks still cost less than R200,000, so most companies now compete in the sub-R300,000 scene, which accounts for a significant portion of all of South Africa’s vehicle purchases.
The Chery’s main advantage is that it is perceived as good value for money within this segment, as it has a more powerful engine, an expanded equipment sheet, and a longer warranty than most of its competitors, such as the VW Polo Vivo, Suzuki Swift, or Nissan Magnite.
While the Vivo and Swift are still more popular, this is starting to change as motorists cotton on to the idea that Chinese brands have more to offer than their legacy peers.
This is already happening in the pre-owned car space, where consumers are starting to buy new Chinese cars, rather than settle for a five-year-old Polo that costs the same amount.
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