Chery backs up its bold PHEV range claims

Having boldly promised circa-1200km driving ranges for its new-generation plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, Chery has now managed to prove even its biggest SUV, the Tiggo 9, is capable of cracking four figures on a full tank of fuel and a full charge.

The 2024 Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV’s economy run co-incided with the seven-seat family SUV’s public debut of the at the Beijing auto show last month and saw it cover 1214km from Beijing to Wuhu on a single fuel load, making the most of its economical 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and still-undetailed battery pack – which powers a 165kW electric motor.

Chery says the key to achieving the Tiggo 9 PHEV’s claimed WLTC fuel consumption of 5.2L/100km is letting the powertrain manage the switch between petrol and battery power automatically for the conditions at hand, as opposed to deploying each power source where they’re most efficient on paper.

We carried out a similar experiment late last year with a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV on an epic 1100km run across South Australia from the Nullarbor Roadhouse to Adelaide, which was doable – at least in theory.

The weather and charging infrastructure had other plans, however, and we ultimately fell 123km short of our destination after averaging 9.0L/100km over 936km.

Even with idyllic conditions and an entirely full fuel load, the Outlander wouldn’t have been able to crack much more than 1100km, despite being smaller than the Tiggo 9 PHEV.

Chery Australia has thus far said there are no plans to introduce the Tiggo 9 PHEV in Australia, where it would square up against the Toyota Kluger Hybrid, Kia Sorento PHEV and upcoming Mazda CX-80 PHEV, however, the internal combustion version is under study for Australia.

The electrified three-row SUV was joined on its run by a Chery Arrizo 8 PHEV sedan, which also comfortably made the distance from Beijing to Wuhu, its slippery shape proving a key factor in its combined fuel range of 1463km.

The route was “meticulously planned” by Chery so it would be interesting to see how either PHEV performs in the hands of independent testers in more trying conditions like those in Australia.

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