Chery Tiggo 7 Pro 2023 Review

The three-model 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro range has launched with very competitive drive-away prices, starting with the Urban at just $39,990 before moving up to the Elite at $41,990 and topping out with the Ultimate at $45,990.

There are more affordable models in the cut-throat mid-size SUV segment – including the SsangYong Korando (from $29,990 drive-away), GWM Australia’s Haval H6 (from $33,900 drive-away) and the Mahindra XUV700 (from $36,990 drive-away) – but the devil is always in the detail, as we’ll lay out in the next section.

The big-volume players in class such as the Kia Sportage (from $32,795 plus on-road costs), Hyundai Tucson (from $35,150), Mazda CX-5 (from $36,110) and Toyota RAV4 (from $39,760) might have cheaper or similarly priced entry models, but you need to push up higher in their respective range to get a comparable level of equipment.

What don’t you get in the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is probably more the question here, as Chery’s mid-size offering is extremely well specified.

Standard even in the base Urban model is a panoramic sunroof, artificial leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, heated and power-adjustable front seats (six-way driver, four-way passenger), electric windows/mirrors, multi-colour ambient interior lighting, an alarm, LED headlights and tail-lights, remote engine start function and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The mid-spec Elite adds auto-fold mirrors, a power tailgate, air quality management and a cargo blind, while the Ultimate tested here comes with an all-wheel drive system, 19-inch alloy wheels, red brake callipers, additional drive modes (Snow, Mud, Offroad) and ventilated front seats with position memory for the driver’s seat and exterior mirrors.

Chery’s aftersales provisions are also among the best in the business, with a long warranty and very reasonable capped-price servicing, which is linked to roadside assist.

The warranty is seven years/unlimited kilometres, while servicing for the Ultimate AWD presently totals $2204 over seven years/105,000km. The first five services are capped at $280 a service, then the last two are a little higher.

The AWD Ultimate costs a bit more than the front-drive lower-spec models for those last two capped-price services.

The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro boasts a comprehensive list of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) including forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning/prevention, emergency lane keeping and adaptive cruise control with integrated cruise assist and traffic jam assist.

There’s also traffic sign recognition, a speed limit information function, speed control function, driver fatigue monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring, blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear cross traffic alert/braking, rear collision warning and door opening warning.

A rear-view camera assists with parking, while the Elite and Ultimate also get a 360-degree camera.

There are eight airbags fitted: dual front, front side, side curtain, driver’s knee and a centre airbag in between the driver and front passenger.

Chery says the Tiggo 7 Pro was designed to meet current ANCAP standards, and is confident of a good result, based on recent Euro NCAP testing that hasn’t yet been published.

The ANCAP result should be published early next year, according to the car-maker.

The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is loaded with up-to-the-minute tech that, at first glance at least, makes some of the competition look outdated.

As standard, there’s two 12.3-inch screens on a sweeping panel, giving adaptability for the digital dash and a comprehensive infotainment system.

The infotainment system offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, wireless device charging, USB-A and USB-C ports up front (plus one USB-A port in the rear) and an eight-speaker Sony stereo system.

There’s also a voice control feature that allows you to operate key functions, such as making phone calls or changing the music, without having to take your hands off the wheel.

All 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro models use the same engine – a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder that produces 137kW of power at 5500rpm and 275Nm of torque from 2000-4000rpm.

It combines with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, driving the front wheels in the Urban and Elite models and all four wheels in the top-spec Ultimate.

A plug-in hybrid powertrain is available overseas, and is anticipated to arrive Down Under during next year.

The 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro has an official combined-cycle fuel economy figure of 7.0L/100km for the front-drive Urban and Elite models, while the all-wheel drive Ultimate returns 7.8L/100km.

During testing, the Tiggo 7 Pro Ultimate we drove averaged 8.7L/100km, showing that the turbo-petrol four is thirstier in real-world use than advertised.

The Tiggo 7 Pro also requires 95 RON premium unleaded, which will add your running costs every time you fill up.

If on just an around-the-block drive, you would likely walk away impressed by the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro. It would seem to do everything it says it can on the tin.

Gently cruising around the suburbs, refinement is quite good and the gearshifts imperceptible, as is engine and wind noise.

Vision out of the Tiggo 7 Pro is good, with the front ‘shouldered’ guards providing good width reference points and the A-pillars not too thick. Looking to the side and rear is also not bad for a mid-size SUV.

The convex rear-vision mirror takes a while to get used to, as it offers what seems like a very strange perspective at first. It might prove useful for seeing what the kids are up to in the back seat as well as what’s going on behind you though.

So doing ordinary driving, the Chery looks and feels as good as almost anything else in the class – but push a little more and you begin to see some rough edges.

Whether it’s because of too-low gearing or incohesive engine management we’re not sure, but if you accelerate assertively under load from rolling pace (up an incline, for example), the revs pile on quickly, the turbo spools quickly and suddenly the front tyres are fighting for traction – even in this (clearly front-drive-based) AWD Ultimate model.

Basically, it lacks progression, with what seems like a lot of torque arriving much more quickly than you’ve asked for.

It also became obvious that brake feel is hardly what you’d call sensitive and the steering feels dull too; in one car on our launch drive, there was actually just a slight initial resistance to turning the wheel, which made for an odd feel.

Ride quality proved to be quite good on our first local drive, with bumps dispatched without a fuss.

The launch was held on a hot day, and this might have something to do with it, but we experienced an odd, loud cracking noise on occasion, as if the windscreen had cracked… (it hadn’t).

With active cruise control engaged, the Tiggo 7 Pro was very difficult to steer on the freeway. The steering wheel was constantly tugging at your hands and the vehicle weaving from side to side slightly as it tried to stay in the freeway lane.

Despite several deep dives into the vehicle ADAS settings, we couldn’t stop the overly keen lane-centring except for when turning off the active cruise altogether.

The interior of the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Ultimate feels like it belongs to a more expensive car, and it’s anything but gaudy in appearance.

It’s understated, simple and elegant, with nice attention to detail such as the intricate metal door speaker covers, single-piece front-seat backrests and very simple buttons and controls.

There’s plenty of room in the front and rear, and the front seats are quite supportive.

The rear bench seat lacks support but parents will be grateful, we suspect: the lack of bolstering will make fitting a child seat easier.

As for unsuspecting adults sitting back there for a while, the lower backrest lacks padding and you can find yourself sitting against one of the hard ISOFIX points. At least there’s rear air vents to help keep you cool.

Boot space is a generous 626 litres behind the second row, expanding to 1672L when the split-folding rear bench is stowed. A full-size spare wheel is also included.

It is obvious that the 2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro serves up good value for money with its extensive features list, attractive servicing costs and long warranty, and it really looks the part too.

It’s worth noting that you’re approaching a $50,000 spend with the Ultimate model driven here – a lot of money for many of us – and that ‘value’ isn’t simply based on a long equipment list and the drive-away price.

Indeed, value really only presents itself fully when you’ve spent time with a car, and during our first drive the Tiggo 7 Pro’s initial shine was already starting to dull, the SUV lacking sophistication and refinement on the road that puts it a step behind the best performers in this popular class.

2023 Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Ultimate at a glance:
Price: $45,990 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 137kW/275Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 181g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested