Chery TIGGO 4 Super Hybrid review
On the face of it, the Chery TIGGO 4 is the epitome of ‘car’. It has all the features you could want, superb fuel efficiency, and it’s spacious. For the average buyer wanting a small hybrid SUV, this is quite possibly the best out there. But how does it stack up against its rivals, and what’s it like to drive? Read our full Chery TIGGO 4 review to find out.
)
Pros
- Cheap to buy (new and used)
- Incredibly fuel efficient
- Posh interior
Cons
- European rivals are nicer to drive
- Awkward boot floor design
- Vague steering
Interior
Our rating: 8/10
Driving position
Being an SUV, the TIGGO 4 offers a raised driving position, giving you excellent front and rear visibility, without making it feel as though you’re captaining a bus.
Our top-spec Summit trim came with a six-way power-adjustable driver seat, which makes finding your ideal seating position really easy on the fly.
Even with a driver over six feet, there’s no concern for headroom, and you’re not likely to clatter your knees on the steering column, either. That can’t be said for all small SUVs in this class.
Tech and features
Chery TIGGO 4 trims
– Aspire
– Summit
Chery keeps trim levels simple by offering the TIGGO 4 in two flavours.
The range starts with Aspire, which gets you the same 12.3-inch display found in all models, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and keyless entry.
Step up to the Summit trim, and you unlock rear privacy glass, a six-way power-adjustable driver seat, a heated steering wheel, a 360-degree parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, a 50W wireless phone charger, artificial leather seats, heated front seats and dual-zone climate control.
For the amount extra you pay for the Summit trim (£2,000 at the time of writing), it’s totally worth every penny.
All the tech works well in the car, and it’s handy to have a separate climate control panel below the central screen, but it still launches a menu on the display, which obstructs your view of your maps while driving, which is a bit annoying.
Performance
Our rating: 7/10
Engines and power
Chery TIGGO 4 performance stats
– Power: 204hp
– 0-62mph: 8.9 seconds
– Top speed: 93mph
– Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive (FWD)
No matter which trim you opt for, all versions of the TIGGO 4 share the same engine underneath.
Power comes from a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to a 1.8kWh battery and electric motors, sending 204hp to the front wheels.
This is a decent chunk for an SUV of this size, though it has a modest 8.9 seconds to 62mph.
The electrification comes from what the brand calls ‘CSH’, which stands for Chery Super Hybrid system, and it essentially works like any other self-charging hybrid.
This means you never have to plug it in, and the engine works with the regenerative braking to feed juice into the battery pack, aiding overall efficiency.
We tested the TIGGO 4 on a range of roads, and can say it didn’t feel necessarily sluggish. Okay, it could have a little more urgency from a standstill, where there’s a slight hesitation from the accelerator pedal, but this is less prominent in Sport mode.
For around town, it’s silent and leans on the electric motors to help it along at slow speeds.
Handling and ride comfort
During our week-long test with the TIGGO 4, we took it on a range of road surfaces to get a good idea of what it’s like.
Around town, the ride quality is fine, and the fact it isn’t sitting on 20+ inch wheels helps soak up the bumps in the road.
We found the steering to be a little vague, with minor numb patches as you turn around the clock, so it would be nice to see this sorted for the next generation to give you full confidence in the car.
On the motorway, it sits happily at 70mph. It doesn’t feel wallowy or jittery. We suspect this is thanks to a well-sorted ride height and decent damping.
There is quite a lot of road and wind noise when you’re doing the national speed limit, but for a car costing around £20,000 when new, it could be a lot worse.
Practicality
Our rating: 7/10
Boot space
Chery TIGGO 4 boot space:
– Boot space: 430 litres
– Incl. rear seats folded: 1,155 litres
The Chery TIGGO 4 has a 430-litre boot, which, when you compare it to rivals, is very good, especially when you take the extra batteries into account, but more on that a little later.
Dacia’s Duster has 472 litres, the Toyota Yaris Cross has 390 litres, and the Renault Captur E-Tech has 379 litres.
The boot itself has a wide opening, and it’s fairly deep, making it really easy to slide suitcases or shopping in there. Except, there’s a weird hump in the boot floor, which we’d never seen in a car before.
It turns out this is to make space for the 12V battery underneath. It’s a shame Chery couldn’t find another place to put it, as it makes it awkward to stack items in the boot.
If you need more space overall, you can fold down the rear seats, creating 1,155 litres of boot space – ideal for moving house or transporting longer items around.
Rear seats
For a small SUV, it’s usual to have doubts with regard to rear-seat space. Some have a sloping roofline or just not enough space at all, but not this Chery.
Even rear-seat passengers over six feet tall won’t have any issues back there. There are acres of headroom, and kneeroom shouldn’t be a problem either.
The addition of a sunroof would be nice for added light into the cabin, but overall, it’s a very pleasant place to sit.
Storage solutions
When it comes to interior practicalities, the Chery TIGGO 4 manages to punch well above its budget-friendly weight class.
Step inside, and you are immediately greeted by a surprisingly clever layout anchored by a floating centre console design.
Beneath this main controls bridge sits a large pass-through storage bay – a deeply practical nook that easily swallows a small handbag, a tablet or a tissue box while keeping them completely out of sight.
Occupants in the back get access to deep door pockets that easily hold large water bottles, map pockets integrated into the front seatbacks, air vents and a fold-down central armrest complete with twin cupholders.
Chery TIGGO 4 dimensions
– Height: 1,653mm
– Width (incl. door mirrors): 1,831mm
– Length: 4,320mm
– Kerb weight: 1,550kg
Safety
In independent crash testing, the TIGGO 4 scored four stars under Euro NCAP standards. Structural integrity proved solid during side-impact and side-pole tests, where the car scored maximum points and demonstrated good head and torso protection.
It also features a central airbag between the front seats to prevent occupants from colliding with each other during a lateral crash.
You also get a comprehensive suite of active safety technology.
This includes Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) capable of detecting pedestrians, cyclists and oncoming traffic. You also get standard lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, speed sign recognition and a clear 360-degree camera setup.
Running costs
Our rating: 9/10
Fuel economy
Fuel efficiency is the TIGGO 4’s strong point. From its 1.5-litre petrol engine and Chery Super Hybrid (CSH) system partnership, it claims 53.2mpg.
While this is already impressive, during our testing with the car, we saw above 60mpg, which is phenomenal.
That equates to over 550 miles on one tank – remember, no plugging in needed at all.
When you compare this to rivals, it performs well. The Toyota Yaris Cross returns 63mpg, the Dacia Duster 52.3mpg and the MG ZS sees around 55mpg.
Reliability
Yes, Chery’s a new brand to the UK, but it’s already established in China (its home country), and there have been many TIGGO models before it.
Mechanically similar OMODA and JAECOO cars have already proven to be dependable here in the UK.
Plus, you get a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty and an extra eight-year warranty on the hybrid’s battery.
The verdict
Interior
8/10
Performance
7/10
Practicality
7/10
Running costs
9/10
The Chery TIGGO 4 Super Hybrid lands in the small SUV class with a simple promise: give you massive value, loads of kit and running costs that will make your wallet smile.
It delivers on that promise big time. You get a surprisingly posh cabin, two generous 12.3-inch screens and a self-charging hybrid setup that easily tops 60mpg in real-world driving – all without ever having to faff around with charging cables.
If you're searching for a stylish, ultra-thrifty crossover that packs in tech usually reserved for far pricier cars, buying a Chery TIGGO 4 is a seriously smart move for you and your family.
Similar to the review
