Chery has just revealed an all-new crossover, and it’s coming to South Africa.
The automaker recently unveiled the fresh model in Australia, where it will be sold as the Tiggo 4 Pro.
Of course, the Tiggo 4 Pro moniker is already familiar to South Africans, but the new Australian model is not the same vehicle.
It’s actually a higher-spec crossover that slots above the South African Tiggo 4 Pro, and the good news is we will be getting our hands on it very soon.
A representative from Chery South Africa confirmed to TopAuto that the new model will be launched here at the end of the year, and that it will be called the Chery Cross.
What to expect
The announcement of a new Chery model doesn’t come as a big surprise, given that the Tiggo 4 Pro is the second best-selling SUV in the country after the Toyota Corolla Cross.
Despite being called the Tiggo 4 Pro in Australia, the newcomer is not intended as a replacement for the South African model of the same name.
Instead, it will slot between the Tiggo 4 Pro and Tiggo 7 Pro, though interestingly it is not using the same naming convention as its brethren.
South African Chery Tiggo 4 Pro
Rather than being called something like the Tiggo 5 or 6 as one might assume from its position, the company is opting to call this unit the Chery Cross.
The automaker has yet to announce the pricing or specifications of the inbound crossover, but considering where it will be placed in the line-up, we can make an educated guess as to its showroom sticker.
As a reference, the Tiggo 4 currently starts at R279,900 while the Tiggo 7 goes for R442,900, so it’s reasonable to assume the Cross will start somewhere in the R300,000-to-R400,000 bracket.
Chery Cross front
Regarding the engine, the Australian examples are shipped with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol motor producing 108kW and 210Nm.
This same plant can already be found on the local Tiggo 4 and 7 units, making it the likely choice for our market.
Less obvious is the gearbox, as the 1.5-litre drivetrain was exclusively sold with a CVT transmission until recently.
However, the manufacturer added a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic option to the Tiggo 4 earlier this year, so it’s possible the Cross could get this option as well.
It’s worth noting that Chery sells an upmarket version of the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 called the Max, but no such derivative currently exists for the Tiggo 4.
The Cross’ positioning suggests it could fulfil a similar role, however a defining trait of the Max units is a more powerful engine, so it remains to be seen whether the newcomer could also get something like the Omoda C5’s 1.5-litre powertrain with 115kW and 230Nm.
Chery Cross interior
Inside, the Australian Cross is getting two 10.25-inch displays for the driver and infotainment systems, the latter of which has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
Other touted features include heated front seats, a wireless charging pad, and an extensive suite of driver assistance functions.
Chery South Africa will confirm the Cross’s local specifications and pricing closer to the vehicle’s launch in the final quarter of 2024.
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