Chery just dropped a bombshell of information for the South African market, confirming that a host of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUVs are headed to our roads in the coming year.
This includes its new Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro PHEVs that offer close to 1,000km of range on a single tank thanks to their innovative new-energy foundations.
“Chery has outperformed the South African market consistently over the past two years, and we believe that we can further accelerate our sales performance by entering the new-energy vehicle market,” said Tony Liu, Deputy Executive General Manager of Chery South Africa.
“We cannot wait to introduce [the Tiggo 7 Pro and 8 Pro PHEVs] in South Africa.”
What to expect
The Chinese carmaker has been quiet about the specs of its new PHEV models, thus far only revealing that they will feature an electric battery system that affords both models an all-electric driving potential of 95km and a combined petrol-electric range of up to 950km.
Looking at the Philippines, Chery has already introduced a PHEV variant of the Tiggo 8 Pro in this market which gives us a good indication of what the local models might provide.
Assuming South Africa receives something similar, potential buyers can expect a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with two electric motors, one mounted on each axle.
Put together, this setup generates 338kW and 510Nm, while allowing for an average fuel consumption of just 1.3l/100km if primarily driven on battery power.
The 19.27kWh cell powering the e-motors will then take roughly three hours to reach a 100% charge, according to the manufacturer.
Chery has once again opted to use a continuously variable transmission to direct drive from the combustion engine to the PHEV’s wheels, and the vehicle itself is capable of switching between petrol, single-motor, and dual-motor propulsion settings.
Looks-wise, the SUVs’ bodies will remain largely the same, with the notable exception of blue styling details denoting their eco-friendliness.
The exact specifications of the new Chery PHEVs are yet to be determined for the South African market, and will be revealed closer to their launch dates.
Join the discussion