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Thursday / 7 November 2024
HomeNewsChery announces new Tiggo 7 and 8 Pro plug-in hybrids – and they could be coming to South Africa soon

Chery announces new Tiggo 7 and 8 Pro plug-in hybrids – and they could be coming to South Africa soon

Chery has announced that it has two new cars in the works – a plug-in hybrid version of the incredibly popular Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro.

These new vehicles “will be available globally in due course,” according to the automaker, and it’s all but certain that South Africa will be one of the target markets, given that its local division previously stated that it would introduce its first hybrid on our soil within the first half of 2024.

The electrified Tiggo 7 and 8 were showcased at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show hosted in Qatar, where audiences were given the first hint of what’s to come in the near future.

What to expect

The only piece of information the Chinese carmaker has shared so far is that the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Tiggo 7 and 8 will use an electric battery system that affords both models an electric range of 95km and a combined petrol-and-electric range of up to 950km.

Likewise, the company’s local division has not been able to provide any information about the incoming models. However, Chery has already launched a PHEV version of the 8, known as the Tiggo 8 Pro e+, in certain markets such as the Philippines.

Assuming South Africa receives something similar, we should be able to expect a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine (in contrast to the 1.6l and 2.0l turbo plants the local units are fitted with) which is paired with two electric motors mounted on each axle.

Put together, this setup generates a total of 338kW and 510Nm, while allowing for an average fuel consumption of just 1.3l/100km if motorists maximize the amount of time spent on electric power.

Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Plug-in Hybrid at the 2023 Geneva International Motor Show

The battery supplying the motors has a capacity of 19.27kWh, which takes roughly three hours to reach a 100% charge, according to the manufacturer.

Chery has once again opted to use a CVT for the transmission, and the vehicle itself is capable of switching between petrol, single-motor, and dual-motor electric performance modes.

The brief glimpses of the new models shown in Chery’s recent promotional video from the Motor Show indicate that the cars’ bodies will remain largely the same, with the notable exception of a pair of blue styling details on either side of the grille.

These same details were seen on the incoming Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max that appeared at the South African Festival of Motoring earlier this year, which suggests they are being used to differentiate the company’s flagship models from the regular units.

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