In November 2023, Chery introduced two hybrid crossovers to the Russian market at once: Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro. The full names of the models are too long; they now have the prefix Plug-in Hybrid, which refers to a rechargeable hybrid power plant. For simplicity, we will call them “seven” and “eight” in this text. The first was previously sold in our country only with gasoline engines, the second had the e+ prefix and changed slightly after restyling.
We care about nature
“See Squirrel?” – a colleague asks me like in the comedy “DMB”. We were currently driving along a rocky dirt road in the Tazheran steppes, not far from Lake Baikal. The squirrel was really there – he was rummaging around the ground and did not notice how the hybrid crossover, driven solely by electricity, silently approached him from a distance of ten meters. In this mode, using only electric motors, Tiggo 7 Pro can travel up to 80 kilometers. It should come in handy if you need to get to work and back home, take your kids to kindergarten, school, or go shopping without spending money on gas.
The main difference between the new product and other Tiggo “sevens”, which are already often found on Russian roads, is PHEV technology. It combines the advantages of gasoline cars and electric cars: the crossover can travel entirely on gasoline alone or in mixed mode, without the participation of electric motors. Traction is transmitted to the wheels of the front axle through a three-speed gearbox and a “robot”.
The crossover has a power plant based on a 1.5-liter turbo engine with a capacity of 147 hp and two electric motors with a total power of 88 hp. and battery. The hybrid system automatically switches between nine operating scenarios, calculating the optimal operating gear in real time. For example, when driving in traffic jams, only one electric motor is activated, but during acceleration and overtaking on the highway, the gasoline engine and both electric motors are turned on in parallel. In total, the power plant produces 235 hp, and the maximum torque is an impressive 510 Nm.
The process of turning the engines on and off while driving is so smooth that you don’t notice it at all while driving.
Thanks to the excellent sound insulation, you always feel like you are driving an electric car. This feeling is only intensified by how quickly the car reacts to pressing the gas pedal – so we need to move more carefully on a dirt road full of sharp stones in the steppe.
The performance of the power plant leaves the impression of a pleasant ride on the track – in addition to the fact that acceleration to “hundreds” is 7.5 seconds, the crossover at speeds above 100 km / h allows you to make sharp “jumps” on the track without lingering in the oncoming traffic lane for a long time when overtaking.
The S7 engine does not require high-octane fuel (the manufacturer allows the use of AI-92), and the combined cycle consumption is 7.3 liters per 100 km. For comparison: this is almost a liter less than the Haval F7, Russia’s best-selling foreign car.
The range declared by the manufacturer is 1 thousand km, provided that the journey starts with a full tank and the battery is fully charged.
The 19.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery is mounted under the body and protrudes noticeably from below the sills.
“So how will we drive on the dirt road, will we break the car?” – We ask Chery experts. We are sure that everything will be fine: the battery is reliably protected from damage and stored in a durable case.
Tiggo 7 Pro is not only quite stable thanks to its stiff suspension and barely rolls when cornering, but the hybrid “seven” feels more stable than the regular one due to the changed center of gravity due to the 130-kilogram battery.
The charging connector is located on the left front fender and complies with the European Type 2 standard, which is the most common in Russia. An adapter is included that allows you to charge the car at home. We couldn’t check the charging time ourselves, but Chery claims it will take anywhere from 2.5 hours (with a powerful charging station) to 7 hours (from a home power source) to fully replenish the energy.
Even though we actively drove on country roads for two hours, we could not completely reduce the battery to zero due to the combined operation of the internal combustion engine and electric motors.
When braking, one or two electric motors go into recuperation mode, charging the battery and “consuming” energy to move the car.
The driver can choose between three recovery process options that affect the intensity of deceleration when releasing the accelerator pedal. Depending on the road condition, in peak rest mode you can drive the car with almost no brake pedal. Thanks to this, the battery is charged more efficiently and the wear of the brake pads is minimized (in theory, car owners will be able to save on maintenance costs).
what’s inside
“Off” pilot off When I got behind the wheel of the Hybrid Tiggo 7 Pro, I saw this message on the digital dashboard. What does this warning mean? Probably the manufacturer still needs to work on Russification.
The interior of the hybrid model is almost no different from the regular “Seven”. Perhaps the main change is the appearance of the 8-inch dual-zone climate control display with touch buttons and two temperature adjustment dials. It’s nice that the automaker did not follow the trend of completely abandoning physical buttons, but in sunny weather it may be difficult to read information about the operation of the “stove” from the display.
In front of the driver is a curved panel with dual 12-inch screens with many menu options to get lost in. In general, the interior design makes a pleasant impression: when you get into the car for the first time, there is no question where to look for the right button on the steering wheel or in the central tunnel. Unlike the Omoda C5 and many other new crossovers, the smartphone charging podium is located as far as possible from the steering wheel – right next to the center armrest and even horizontally, which reduces the desire to reach for the device in traffic jam.
What else can the hybrid “seven” do? The vehicle is offered in a single configuration consisting of LED headlights, surround view system, hands-free trunk lid opening, ventilated seats and panoramic roof. Unfortunately, there was no room for a spare wheel in the car.
G8 updated
The speed of modernization of models from Chinese automakers is incredible. Apparently, Chery started Russian sales of the new hybrid Tiggo 8 Pro with a third row of seats and socialbites.ca only in May. tested It was on the mountain roads of Kabardino-Balkaria when the redesigned version arrived in November. Let’s briefly tell you about the innovations.
Externally, only a big fan of Chery cars can notice the changes in the G8: the car received a new radiator grille with a bright nameplate, 19-inch wheels and revised headlights.
Inside, the changes are bigger. The dual-screen panel has become curved and it is now more comfortable to read information from the multimedia screen facing the driver. Thanks to the head-up display, it has become easier to track your speed without looking at the instrument panel. Finally, the crossover is equipped with a 540° panoramic viewing system (instead of the previous 360°). You can also see what’s happening under the car thanks to the camera – a useful thing on bad roads. But the G8 doesn’t have all-wheel drive to conquer off-road terrain; As with the hybrid G7, there are no plans yet to supply such modifications to Russia.
No matter how much hybrid crossovers save on gasoline, they cannot be called affordable. The minimum recommended retail price of Tiggo 7 Pro Plug-in Hybrid is 4 million rubles, while for Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid you have to pay another 1.2 million rubles.
However, if we consider only cars officially presented on the market, the choice of hybrid cars in Russia is very small. The closest competitor to Chery SUVs is the mid-size Skywell HT-i, which according to its passport can travel up to 1,260 km and costs 4.5 million rubles. There will be more hybrid Cherys in Russia in 2024 – such a version of the Arrizo 8 sedan is expected to be released at the beginning of the year. The company plans to sell hybrids and electric cars under a new brand – Chery NEV.