The next Chery launching in South Africa

The next vehicle that Chinese automaker Chery has in store for South Africa is a more affordable version of the Tiggo 7 Pro Max.

In February, Chery announced that a new all-wheel-drive Tiggo 8 Pro Max would be launched in March, and that an entry-level Tiggo 7 Pro Max would follow “shortly thereafter.”

Well, the first of these vehicles arrived just last week, so next in line is the lower-priced Tiggo 7 Pro Max.

What to expect

The Tiggo 7 Pro Max range is currently sold in Distinction and Executive trim levels with the name of the new, cheaper specification yet to be disclosed.

Be that as it may, we know it will be more affordable than its siblings and should therefore bring fewer creature comforts to the table.

As standard, the current base model which is the Distinction comes with keyless entry and start, leather upholstery, electric front seats with heating, automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless charger, multi-colour ambient lighting, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, all-round LED lights with automatic activation, rain-sensing wipers, and 18-inch alloy rims.

The kit is completed with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s cluster alongside a 12.3-inch central control display with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and offline navigation which is wired to an eight-speaker Sony stereo.

Looking at the impressive equipment list of the Tiggo 7 Pro Max Distinction, there are a few standout luxury items that Chery could forgo to bring down the price of the incoming entry-level model.

These include swapping out the panoramic glass roof for good old steel, switching climate control for manual airconditioning, taking away the electric adjustability and heating functions of the seats, removing the hundreds of LEDs that form up the ambient lighting system, making the wipers and lights manual, changing the smart door handles to standard ones, and bolting on smaller wheels.

These changes would barely alter the premium look and feel of the SUV while they have the potential to bring down its price by a significant margin.

It’s worth noting, however, that this remains speculative until such time that Chery makes an official announcement on everything its new vehicle will offer.

Like the rest of the range, the incoming entry-level Tiggo 7 Pro Max will be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol mill generating 145kW and 290Nm paired up with a seven-speed automatic box.

The front-wheel-drive setup slingshots the SUV to 100km/h in approximately eight seconds with fuel consumption pegged at 7.0l/100km.

As for pricing, the new Tiggo 7 Pro Max will be positioned under the Distinction which currently retails from R529,900.

We suspect that it will slot in either just above or just below the lower-tier Tiggo 7 Pro Executive which sells for R477,900, thus giving it a ballpark pricing figure of between R450,000 and R500,000.

Like all Chery Tiggo 7s, it will likely be sold with a 5-year/150,000km general warranty, a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty for the original owner, and a 5-year/60,000km service plan.