Chery TIGGO 9 Super Hybrid review

Driving position 

What makes you fall in love with the TIGGO 9 straight off the bat is how easy it is to get comfortable in. 

Because it’s a high-riding SUV, you’re always able to see what’s around you, and there’s lots of electronic adjustability in the seat and wheel to get your position spot-on. 

Plus, headroom is plentiful, even if you’re above six-feet tall – aided by the huge 1.3-metre panoramic sunroof that lets loads of light into the cabin. 

And yes, the TIGGO 9 is massive at almost five metres long, but it really doesn’t feel it when manoeuvring around town. Parking’s a doddle – especially thanks to the surround-view camera system. 

Even when you’re parking in a tighter spot, the door mirrors dip down so you don’t kerb your fancy Maybach-looking multi-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels. 

– Buy a new Chery on cinch

Tech and features 

Chery TIGGO 9 trims 

– Summit 

Something Chery (like JAECOO and OMODA, two other brands in the group) does very well is trim levels.  

The TIGGO 9 is ‘only’ available in one trim, but that single ‘Summit’ spec comes fully loaded from the get-go. 

All Chery TIGGO 9 Summits come with LED headlights, acoustically insulated glass, heated and cooled seats (front and second-row), front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, the aforementioned sunroof and a 14-speaker Sony sound system. 

All TIGGO 9s come with a large 15.6-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at your fingertips as well. 

This tablet-like screen is really responsive and crisp. Like lots of modern cars, it’s essentially an iPad strapped to your dash, but it’s well integrated. 

Below it is a 50W cooled wireless phone charger, which, unlike many others, actually keeps your phone cool, so you arrive at your destination with a fully charged, ice-cold phone. It’s the small things. 

A small gripe – and we have to say this isn’t just Chery – is the lack of physical buttons for the climate control. You do have a physical volume control, but to adjust the air-con, you need to fiddle with the screen. A little annoying while you’re driving. 

Engines and power 

Chery TIGGO 9 performance stats 

– Power: 428hp 

– 0-62mph: 5.4 seconds 

– Top speed: 112mph 

– Driven wheels: All-wheel drive (AWD) 

Like its sole trim level, there’s just one engine option, but it’s all you’d ever need.  

Each TIGGO 9 comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that’s mated to the ‘Chery Super Hybrid System’ (CSH). 

This is a clever plug-in hybrid system with three electric motors (two at the front, one at the back), for 428hp and all-wheel drive. It also adds nearly 100 miles of fully electric driving, which is great for city life – more on that later. 

All this power sent to all four wheels results in a 0-62mph time of just 5.4 seconds, which, for a hybrid SUV, is pretty staggering. 

This makes it great for nipping about town, joining motorways and navigating tricky junctions. And that’s just in Normal mode. Whack it in Sport mode, and the throttle is even punchier. 

Handling and ride comfort 

A concern with lots of big, heavy SUVs is the wallowy sensation you usually get from the suspension. It’s very easy to make a car feel too much like a Range Rover, and in doing so, overcook it so the ride’s like a wobbly seesaw. 

But the TIGGO 9 has been nicely set up for UK roads, meaning it still wafts over the road’s imperfections but can also feel well-put-together around the bends. 

Let’s not kid ourselves – it’s no Ferrari, but it does have a pleasant energy about it. Not sure what we mean? We’d highly urge you to try one out for yourself. 

Boot space 

Chery TIGGO 9 boot space:  

– Boot space: 819 litres (143 litres with all seven seats up) 

– Incl. rear seats folded: 2,065 litres 

Boot space? The TIGGO 9 laughs in the face of boot space. At 819 litres, it’s one of the roomiest in its class. Even with all seven seats in place, you’re getting 143 litres, which is plenty for every day. 

Fold down the second and third rows, and you unlock a colossal 2,065 litres, making it ideal for moving house or transporting longer items. 

By comparison, the Hyundai Santa Fe has 628 litres, the Kia Sorento 616 litres and the Peugeot 5008 gets 952 litres of boot space, so it trumps its rivals. 

Rear seats 

Passengers in the back are treated very well. The seats are comfortable; it’s light and airy, thanks to the sunroof and the rear seat bench slides back for more legroom – ideal for six-footers. 

There’s also a flat floor so middle-seat passengers don’t have to pile up their feet. 

Compared to the alternatives, it’s very similar to the Peugeot 5008, but the Hyundai Santa Fe has a bit more space. 

Storage solutions 

In the front row, the floating centre console creates a large open tray underneath for bags or tissue boxes. 

Second-row passengers get seatback pockets, bottle holders in the doors and a fold-down centre armrest, but the third row is largely starved for storage beyond basic cup cutouts at either side.  

Chery TIGGO 9 dimensions  

– Height: 1,741mm 

– Width (incl. door mirrors): 1,925mm 

– Length: 4,810mm 

– Kerb weight: 2,233kg 

Safety 

The TIGGO 9 comes as standard with a comprehensive Level 2+ Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).  

This includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control with Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Door Open Warning to protect passing cyclists.  

It also features an integrated driver monitoring camera that tracks eye movement for fatigue and distraction. 

These are also easily disabled in the settings, should you want to turn off the speed limit ‘bing’ or the driver monitoring system ‘bong’. 

Fuel economy and hybrid range 

– PHEV range: 87 miles 

– Battery size: 34.5kWh 

– MPG: 50mpg 

Being a plug-in hybrid means the TIGGO 9 comes with a dedicated chunk of battery (34.5kWh, no less) that can be used to power it without needing the engine. 

In this case, it offers up to 87 miles of fully electric range, which is much more than many rivals, like the Hyundai Santa Fe (34 miles) and Peugeot 5008 (55 miles). 

You can even charge the battery at up to 70kW using a public rapid charger, which is great if you’re on a longer road trip and need to get a wriggle on. 

In our tests, this is true to form, and we were able to get 45mpg over 300 miles of mixed driving, which we’re very pleased with. 

Reliability 

Chery might be a new brand to the UK, but it’s already well-rooted in China, where it sells other TIGGO models too. 

And just to set aside any worries you have about longevity, all cars get a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty with a separate eight-year hybrid battery warranty.