After the various teaser events and the local launch only 2 weeks ago, we received the car for a full test almost immediately after the launch event.
Living with a vehicle for a longer period of a week instead of the much shorter launch drive or the experience at Gerotek gives the opportunity to experience day to day living with it instead of only having very specific conditions.
The i.5l 4 cylinder petrol engine provides 108kW and 210Nm that give good performance in general driving. Medium family SUV's are built for commuting and cruising and the Tiggo handles both of these with ease and with plenty in reserve for overtaking when required on the freeway.
The CVT automatic transmission is always smooth and unobtrusive, going about its business quietly and I never noticed the dreaded CVT drone that often accompanies these transmissions. Clicking the button to engage sport mode gives a feeling of a bit more urge but I left the car in Eco mode most of the time and simply enjoyed the relaxed feel of the car.
Many people have questioned fuel consumption, after a week of mainly urban driving and a cruise to Hartbeespoort, the car was showing 8.4l/100km. While this may not be the best result ever achieved, I was not driving specifically for economy but just treating the car in the way most owners would drive.
One issue that I must point out is that I couldn't work out how to reset the onboard computer to zero the trip meter. A visit to a helpful local dealer resolved this but apparently it involves numerous steps through menus and holding the button for 5 seconds at the end. Chery are not alone in making basic functions over complicated but I believe that this should be a much simpler function.
The Tiggo4 fits in as a medium SUV providing plenty of space for front and rear passengers and a good size boot that can be extended by dropping the rear seats in a 60/40 split. Ground clearance of 180mm is good and although I did not venture onto dirt roads this will help.
The test car was the range topping Elite SE (special edition) so offers a very high specification level. Some red touches around the lights and 17" alloys on the exterior. On the interior, the dash adds 2 tone leather trim and red stitching on the seats plus items like sunroof, 6 airbags, USB ports front and rear, dual-zone climate control, full connectivity and voice activation for many functions including opening and closing windows and setting the temperature in the car among others.
The biggest challenge that Chery face is convincing SA buyers to trust in the brand. The warranties being offered have surprised many with the 5 year/ 150 000km warranty having an extension to 10 years/ 1 million km.....with some conditions like only applying to the first owner. Add in a 5 year/ 60 000km service plan as well.
The cherry on top is in the pricing with the model tested currently offered at R369 900 with the range starting from R269 900.
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