First Drive: 2025 Chery Tiggo 7 and 8 Super Hybrids

Omoda and Jaecoo have recently been joined in New Zealand by their parent brand, Chery, which is being presented as a pragmatic fleet and family orientated choice focussed on offering value for money.

At the  media launch of the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 (CSH) plug-in hybrid models Chery Motor Australia and New Zealand chief operating officer Lucas Harris described the latest Chinese entrant as an “every day part of the family type brand… there to make sure that you can safely get your family where they need to go… without too much fuss or hassle.”

The mid-size five-seat Tiggo 7 offers up to 93km of pure electric range, or a combined driving range of up to 1200km. The slightly larger Tiggo 8 provides up to 95km of pure electric range, or a combined driving range of up to 1200km.   

Read more – all the Tiggo 7 and 8 features

Harris says the Chery Super Hybrid (CSH) system differs from other PHEVs in the market in that it does not require constant plugging in to be effective.

He says unlike some other PHEVs which are affected by noise and power loss when their traction battery is depleted, the Chery technology will allow customers to drive a Tiggo 7 in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode 100 per cent of the time if they so choose. 

Harris believes the CSH technology is better suited to the hilly and mountainous terrain of New Zealand than other competitor products. 

The Tiggo 7 is available in two variants: Urban and Ultimate. Pricing starts from $42,990 plus on-road costs for the Urban model , which Chery says makes it one of the most affordable plug-in hybrid SUVs in the New Zealand market.

The Ultimate will retail from $46,990 plus on road costs.

The closest local competitor vehicle to the Tiggo 7 is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV which is priced from $44,990, and next up is the BYD Sealion 6 priced from $52,990. 

The Tiggo 8 will be solely offered in the high specification Ultimate grade and will retail from $51,990 plus on road costs. Undoubtedly it will offer strong competition to the new MY25 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV which retails from $62,990 to $75,990. 

Hybrid System

Both the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 feature a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine which produces 105kW/215Nm, while a single electric motor provides 150kW and 310Nm of torque. All power is sent to the front wheels via a single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).

The Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery has a capacity of 18.3kWh. Both the Tiggo 7 and 8 can be charged from 30-80% at up to 40kW on a DC fast charger in 20 minutes. Above 30% charge, both can run as a pure EV up to speeds of 120km/h. In hybrid mode, the two units work together to achieve a potential driving range up to 1200km.

The Tiggo 7 offers plenty space for up to five occupants thanks to its generous dimensions, being 4535mm in length, 1702mm in height, and 1864mm wide with a wheelbase of 2653mm.

Luggage space is quoted as 356l to the top of the rear seat and 549l to the roofline, but Chery was unable to confirm the capacity with the rear seat folded down. 

The seven-seat Tiggo 8 measures 4722mm in length, 1860mm in width, 1746mm in height and the wheelbase is 2700mm and the ground clearance is 207mm. Luggage space with the third row in use is 117 litres. Luggage space with the third row folded flat is 479 litres up to the window line and 739 litres up to the roof. 

First drive impressions

Our drive route for the two-day media programme took us from the heart of urban Sydney to the Hunter Valley wine region via a series of motorways and local back roads which provided a good insight into the on road behaviour of the Tiggo 7 and the bigger Tiggo 8.

We think most buyers will opt for the Ultimate spec cars as they provide greater seat comfort as well as the 360 degree around view monitor which really helps when parking in tight places.

The interior and appointments of the Ultimate models feel more high end for a brand which is focussed on offering value for money, the only fly in the ointment was a squeaky driver’s seat in one of the cars on test. 

While the noise vibration and harshness is muted on smooth roads, and the steering response is excellent at all velocities, we did notice that the Tiggo 7 had quite a bouncy ride over rougher surfaces and corrugations, and that the suspension was tuned for performance rather than comfort. The choice of tyres on the standard 17-inch alloy rims may also have played a role in the occasionally uncomfortable ride quality.

However, the larger Tiggo 8 Ultimate which was supplied with 19-inch alloy rims shod with Continental Tyres was far more comfortable over the rougher surfaces and seemed to have a much more absorbent ride quality than its small sibling. We were genuinely surprised by its finesse, and no doubt it will prove an excellent long distance companion for family groups of five or more.

In addition there is no lack of performance from the CSH powertrain, both the Tiggo 7 and the Tiggo 8 SUV’s happily ate the highway miles consuming less than 6L/100km even when shown the cloven hoof on Sydney’s open roads with a maximum speed limit of 110km/h and some fairly steep inclines to boot.

Overall, we felt that the Tiggo 7 and 8 are well-priced and well-specified products for the New Zealand market and will bring some competition to the medium/large size SUV segment which has lacked some of the technology on offer from the Chery brand.