First launched to Mzansi in mid 2022, the Chery Tiggo 7 has been one of many fashions instrumental in Chery’s success because the model returned to South Africa on the finish of 2021. The favored small SUV has simply obtained its most vital replace up to now with the addition of the Professional Max mannequin.
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Chery Tiggo Professional Max Govt AWD
- Value: from R529 900
- Engine: 1,6-litre, four-cylinder, turbopetrol
- Transmission: seven-speed, twin clutch
- Energy: 145 kW @ 5 500 r/min
- Torque: 290 N.m @ 1 750 r/min
- Pushed wheels: all-wheel drive
- Gas consumption: 9,4 L/100 km
- CO2 emissions: 186 g/km
- Rivals: Haval H6, Suzuki Vitara
What are we driving?
The brand new Tiggo 7 Professional Max isn’t a substitute for the present Professional fashions, however will reasonably sit atop the vary with three additional ranges of specification over and above the Professional. It additionally makes use of the 1,6-litre turbopetrol motor and dual-clutch transmission from its large brother, the Tiggo 8 Professional.
Extra importantly, the Tiggo 7 Professional Max can be the primary mannequin within the Chery South Africa lineup with an all-wheel drive system. This caters to small households and budding adventurers who need to entry routes and areas which can be a bit of too rugged for almost all of front-wheel drive SUVs on our market.
Why is the Tiggo 7 Professional Max vital?
The three specification ranges provided on the Tiggo 7 Professional Max deal with the essential job of filling the hole between the Tiggo 7 Professional and Tiggo 8 Professional fashions – all of R132 000. In a extremely aggressive SUV phase, Chery is ensuring that there’s a variant obtainable to go well with all budgets.
What’s new on the Chery Tiggo 7 Professional Max?
The Tiggo 7 Professional Max introduces extra sought-after tech options. Objects like a extra highly effective wi-fi charging pad, 8-speaker Sony sound system, panoramic sunroof, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay together with a bigger twin display set-up (two 12,3-inch screens as an alternative of 10,25-inch models) make for a snug bundle. There are additionally three derivatives on provide; Distinction, Govt and Govt AWD.
The Govt AWD mannequin I drove on the native launch additionally will get 19-inch alloys (there are 18-inch gadgets on the Distinction and entrance wheel drive Govt), driver seat air flow, lane change help, and a PM 2.5 air air purifier within the local weather management.
What does the Chery Tiggo 7 Professional Max value?
- Tiggo 7 Professional Max Distinction – R529 900
- Tiggo 7 Professional Max Govt – R559 900
- Tiggo 7 Professional Max Exectuive AWD – R609 900
What’s the Chery 7 Professional Max wish to drive?
The launch route for the Tiggo 7 Professional Max included sauntering out of the busy southern suburbs of Cape City onto the M3 towards the CBD after which out onto the West Coast through the N2, M5, N1, N7, and R27. Right now of the day there was nothing else to do however sit again and revel in a number of the creature comforts within the 7 Professional Max. Entrance passengers would possibly discover that the seat cushion is a bit of too excessive, as the driving force’s seat drops fairly. Additionally instantly obvious is that the dual-clutch transmission is way extra intuitive than the CVT provided within the Tiggo 7 Professional.
Driving into a robust north-westerly headwind towards Paternoster, the Tiggo 7 Professional Max displayed spectacular ranges of NVH suppression, and the chunky 55 profile on the rubber helped to soak up imperfections within the asphalt en route. Straining in opposition to the wind with the added mass of the AWD system alarmingly yielded an preliminary gasoline consumption determine north of 12 L/100 km on the nationwide restrict, however with that gust at our backs on the return journey, the quantity dropped to a extra affordable 10,5 L/100 km.
With extra energy and torque on the driver’s disposal, and a wiser transmission, the Tiggo 7 Professional Max requires much less effort to maintain up with visitors than its lesser brethren. A small part of straight gravel highway did little to unsettle the Tiggo 7 Professional Max’s dynamics, although we’re eager to place this to the check in an upcoming check.
The jury’s nonetheless out on the driving force monitoring system, which helps you to know when the automobile forward of you has pushed off (ought to your consideration be elsewhere) or when it thinks that you just’re distracted whereas driving. Which is very often based on Chery’s software program.
Verdict
With many South Africans contemplating fashions from China resulting from their obvious worth for cash, it ought to come as no shock that Chery was eager to plug any potential holes of their lineup to go well with all budgets and tastes. Utilizing the engine and transmission from a bigger mannequin, together with added spec to make it the 7 extra interesting is a welcome addition to the compact SUV taking part in subject.
