A Brief Drive Of The 2024 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro
Alongside models which may or may not make it to Malaysia (e.g. Tiggo 4, Tiggo 9, Arrizo 8), Chery International provided the Tiggo 7 for a brief driving session. It was admittedly a short course divided into an acceleration and braking course, and a slalom plus figure of 8 one, both designed to show the agility and driving quality of the vehicles. 
At a model preview in late March, Chery Auto Malaysia displayed a Tiggo 7 with 225/55 R18 Atlas tyres, which presumably will be the default tyre when the 2024 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is sold here (the official launch is said to be at the end of May). However, the Tiggo 7 which we drove in China wore Cooper branded tyres so the experience may not be exactly the same, though these are not sensitive formula race cars and thus the difference in OE tyre performance should not differ much.
In the slalom run, the Tiggo 7 got off the line quick to the first cones. The steering feel is on the light side and as we got faster and faster through the course, the sidewall flex of the tyres became more obvious. This led to some tapering off of the throttle to control the car around the figure of 8 as the tyres screeched; there were 4 adults in the Tiggo 7. As a rear passenger, you would feel the weight transfer as the car changed direction. No brakes were harmed in this course as they were used only at the end of the course. 
The brakes were however, abused in the acceleration course which was pedal to metal from the start and ending quite abruptly. The acceleration feel of the 1.6L turbo is within expectations – there is a slight lag followed by traction control reining in the tyres for grip. Brake feel was progressive and there was no doubt the vehicle would stop. If I recall correctly, the drive mode wasn’t in Sport (we just jumped in and drove) which would have held engine revs for longer and added weight to the steering. But these are all very extreme manoeuvres few owners of SUVs would make on a regular basis. The Tiggo 7 is also designed for the family oriented buyer so comfort and space are the greater priority. But for those who drive more enthusiastically, a switch to ultra high performance tyres should remedy some of the shortcomings. Again, I qualify that this was a brief drive session.
Spec-wise, the Malaysian version of the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro uses a 1.6L 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine paired with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission to deliver 197 hp and 290 Nm of torque. Officially, the 0 – 100 km/h sprint time is 8.3 seconds and top speed is 205 km/h. Officially, the company wants to price it in the region of RM130,000.
The Tiggo 7 Pro is a 5-seater SUV with a wheelbase of 2,670 mm. Its physical dimensions measure 4,513 mm (length), 1,862 mm (width) and 1,696 mm (height) (pictured here with average sized adults for comparison). This places it among the C-segment and makes it larger and more spacious than Chery’s other 5-seater SUV, the Omoda 5 (4,400 mm long, 1,830 mm wide and 1,588 mm tall, with wheelbase of 2,630 mm). Furthermore, the Tiggo 7 Pro’s rear cargo volume is 475 litres and expands to 1,672 litres with the seats folded. 
There will only be one variant on offer here and it will be fitted with dual widescreen displays each measuring 24.6”. This infotainment system is hooked up to an 8-speaker Sony sound system and includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There is a 50W wireless charger up front with active cooling, and 2 USB Type-A and 1 USB Type-C ports. Cabin comfort is complemented by a panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting system and ventilated leatherette front seats. 
For safety, the Tiggo 7 Pro comes with the latest Advanced Driver Assistance System 2.5 (ADAS 2.5). This carries 16 active safety features i.e. Autonomous Emergency Braking, Front Collision Warning, Lane Change Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, Blind Spot Detection, Door Opening Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Braking, Traffic Jam Assist, Emergency Lane Keeping Assist, Intelligent High Beam, Multi-collision Brake, Adaptive Cruise Control, Integrated Cruise Assist. Other key features include a tyre pressure monitoring system, Hill Descent Control, 7 airbags and a 540-degree panoramic camera view which allows you to view the ground under the vehicle. 
On another note, the Tiggo 7 Pro PHEV was also shown. If it is confirmed for Malaysia, it would come in the latter part of 2025. And if all the puzzle tiles fall in place, there is a probability Chery Auto Malaysia will offer this as a locally assembled model as well.
Based on the information available, the Tiggo 7 Pro PHEV pairs a 1.5L petrol engine with 2 electric motors to generate a combined output of 360 hp and 530 Nm of torque. The motors get power from a 19.27 kWh lithium ternary battery and power is transferred to the wheels via a CVT. The Tiggo 7 Pro PHEV has a claimed electric driving range of 80 km, and the battery can accept up to 7 kW of AC charging, with a full charge achievable in about 3 hours.
