Overview
TOPPING out Chery’s local line-up is the plug-in hybrid Tiggo 9 Ultimate CSH large segment SUV that sells from $59,990 plus on-road with absolutely no need for any additional extras as it has all the fruit as standard.
We don’t know what relevance ‘9’ has in its name but the big, three-row plug-in SUV is something of a technical tour-de-force featuring no less than three electric drive motors, two at the front, one at the rear, aided and electrified with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 34kWh lithium-ion battery.
Furthermore, it has a three-speed “Dedicated Hybrid Transmission” for AWD, a claimed 1250km (NEDC) combined range (170km on electric alone) and happily consumes minimal amounts of cheap E10 unleaded petrol.
Competitors are numerous and include the likes of Hyundai Palisade HEV (from $89,900), Kia Sorento PHEV (from $71,130), Mazda CX-80 PHEV (from $75,250), and Toyota Kluger HEV (from $62,410) all excluding on-roads.
Then there’s always the coupe-style (Chery) Omoda 9 Virtue PHEV with a similar powertrain configuration but uprated to a whopping 395kW/650Nm priced from $61,990 excluding on-road costs.
Only available in Ultimate all-wheel drive spec’, the Tiggo 9 features a comprehensive list of standard kit across luxury, safety and tech the former including 20-inch alloy wheels, acoustic glass, automated parking technology, six-way electrically adjustable front seats with heating, massage, and ventilation functions, a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated outboard rear seats, LED ambient cabin lighting, LED exterior lighting, a panoramic sunroof with powered sunshade, and a powered tailgate.
On the tech front we find connectivity highlights like a 360-degree camera system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment array, a 14-speaker Sony premium audio bundle, native sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (wired and wireless), and a 50-watt wireless phone charger.
On the safety side there are 19 driver assistance technologies (ADAS) that include adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assistance, driver monitor, forward collision warning, traffic jam assist, automatic parking assist and more.
It’s available in a four-colour palette including Aurora Green, Cosmic Black, Star White, and Technical Grey (a satin grey on the test car).
The Tiggo 9 is backed by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with included 24/7 roadside assistance and capped-price servicing program, while the high-voltage battery is covered for a period of eight years/unlimited kilometres.
Driving Impressions
Take away all the tech-heavy features in this sharply priced and potent family wagon and it’s pretty good offering up super strong, economical engine performance, a supple, quiet ride, and a high level of comfort for five to seven peeps and some luggage.
But as per usual these days, the manufacturer couldn’t help themselves and crammed in about as much of what we would term “useless tech” as possible.
This includes proximity unlock that activates every time you walk past the car with the fob in your pocket regardless of whether you get in or not.
There’s no ignition switch or button so you’re never sure if the vehicle is “on” or “off” which might appeal to some, not us as we prefer certainty over presumption.
You can’t reverse or slightly move it without the seat belt being latched and what gives with the screen projected forward view… That you are actually looking at with your own eyes through the windscreen.
Getting out is a double pump on the door lever because one isn’t enough and then deactivating the myriad of super intrusive (ANCAP mandated) ADAS takes ages via screen menus… Every time you go.
One day, ANCAP and particularly the Chinese manufacturers may realise some people can actually drive safely without the car making all the perceived critical decisions/manoeuvres.
Or it is all preparation for autonomous driving in which case we suggest you play it safe and take the bus or train instead.
With all that off our chest, and after parking the Tiggo 9 for a few days due to tech’ aversion, we decided to bite the bullet and give it a go.
Glad we did because we realised here is a keenly priced big SUV with loads of performance, decent dynamics and generous luxury accoutrement slightly compromised by its 2220kg kerb weight.
It is a thing you can take on a long trip and arrive relatively fresh which is precisely what we did embarking on a 600km one day round trip that underlined all the above positives then sweetened the whole deal by recording impressive fuel economy and range thanks to its hybrid drive that left more than a third of a 70-litre tank remaining.
Full EV drive gives around 140km range for city commuting and three level regenerative braking further extends range to the point where the car seems to be actually creating range… if you get our drift.
The four(!) motors, two electric and one petrol at the front and one electric at the rear are good for 315kW/580Nm combined that is instantly evident upon pushing the right pedal lifting the big SUV’s nose to generate sports car performance.
Drivers will never find the Tiggo 9 CSH lacking in the performance department or other dynamics including the large and resilient brakes.
Measured against this is the inertia effect that seems to want to continue pushing the big Tiggo 9 hard despite being off the throttle and on the picks.
Multiple drive modes are available across Eco, Normal, Sport, Sand, Snow and Offroad with our preference Sport or Normal. We didn’t venture off road at all and as it wasn’t towbar equipped couldn’t assess its 1500kg braked towing capability.
A smooth ride on rough surfaces is provided by the well damped and moderately sprung strut front and multi-link rear that covers off a range of settings but is overall calibrated for comfort and cruising over canyon carving, as you’d expect.
The electric steering gives a somewhat light feel with predictable response limited by the size, weight and power of the Tiggo 9.
We loaded it up four adults all of whom found comfort and convenience readily accessible. It made no different to performance or economy with dead battery economy reading around 6.1litres per 100km.
The third row is small and kid-friendly only.
Though a PHEV, we didn’t bother plugging in choosing to just drive it and let the car sort things out. As it was, this was one of the few test cars we have (ever) had that didn’t require additional fuel or charging during the week-long test period.
Appreciated interior creature comforts include the leather upholstery, heated and cooled massage front seats, heated outboard rears, premium audio and large format screens that may be a tad over the top size-wise.
It is interesting to note that despite being at the lower end of the price scale against competitors mentioned above, the Chery Tiggo 9 CSH turns the tables in the power and performance departments eclipsing all of them apart from the slightly more expensive Omoda 9 1.5 Virtue PHEV stablemate for power, torque and performance.
And that counts for lot to plenty of people…
English (US) ·