Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid 2026 Review

The 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate largely looks and feels like a premium product, but it isn’t the fanciest version of the models sharing its platform – that title belongs to the Omoda 9 which, unsurprisingly, costs more.

At $59,990 before on-road costs (ORCs), the feature-packed seven-seat Tiggo 9 makes a lot of sense.

It only comes in the one, high-spec Ultimate guise and promises tangible luxury without breaking the bank. And because of its sophisticated plug-in hybrid setup (branded Chery Super Hybrid – or CSH), it proclaims a massive 1250km of combined range.

The biggest competition to the Tiggo 9 could come from within its own bloodline. The Tiggo 8 CSH Ultimate promises the same three-row versatility in a package that’s only slightly smaller. Yes, it doesn’t attract the same performance figures or fancy kit, but it’s also $10K cheaper for what is essentially a watered-down version.

Harnessing a bit more space and grunt, the BYD Sealion 8 is another viable PHEV option, while the Hyundai Santa Fe is hard to go past for a regular (plug-less) hybrid. The Kia Sorento is also worth a look, yet the PHEV variant doesn’t come cheap.

It’s clear to see that the designers took ‘inspiration’ from high-end European marques for the 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate. Although, considering it is based on the PHEV version of Chery’s T2X platform with roots back to 2024, the aesthetic has held up well.

The 20-inch wheels, with plastic centre caps, are a bit polarising, yet the $600 optional Mercurial Grey Matte hue adorning our test car certainly gains points for intrigue. And it ups the premium vibe. As do the projector LED headlights, daytime running lights, and taillights, along with sequential turn signals.

Proximity-based keyless entry, a powered tailgate and a full panoramic glass roof are further niceties.

Power retracting door handles can be a faff, but once inside the Chery is fitted with a cavalcade of luxury features. The mix of real and man-made leather materials are soft, while the front seats are not only powered (six-way adjustability with memory for driver), but they’re heated and ventilated with a massage function, too.

The outboard seats in the second row gain heating and ventilation, while the premium steering wheel is heated and the climate control is dual zone. Essentially, you aren’t missing out on much for your $60K.

The Tiggo 9 gains Chery’s competitive seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, while the battery is covered for eight years/unlimited kilometres. If you service with an authorised dealer, up to seven years of roadside assistance is also complimentary.

Checkups at a dealership are every 12 months or 15,000km and the first seven years (or 105,000km) of servicing is capped at $3174.15 – averaging to $453.45 per year. It’s worth noting that the sixth service is by far the most expensive at $1291.31 (at the time of writing).

The 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate is yet to be crash tested, yet it is loaded with safety tech.

Active systems include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning with active lane keeping, head-up display and rear cross traffic alert.

Helping park the seven-seat Chery are front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and a 360-degree around view monitor – or the Tiggo 9 will auto park for you (APA).

Yes, it does have traffic sign recognition and driver attention monitoring, but like most of the newer wave of Chinese offerings, they aren’t too intrusive. In fact, most of the safety suite is relatively easy to live with – apart from aspects of the cruise control.

ISOFIX points and top-tether anchorages are found in the second row, and while the Tiggo 9 comes with 10 airbags, it’s a shame the curtain bags don’t extend to the third row.

A lot.

The 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate’s dash is dominated by the central 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. It houses a relatively quick and sleek operating system, but it won’t be immediately familiar and intuitive to new users of the brand. Learning how to use to drop-down or swipe-up menus is paramount.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, while a cooled 50W wireless charging pad keep your devices powered up. Navigation is also included, as is an AM/FM tuner, DAB+ digital radio, Bluetooth and intelligent voice command (Hello Chery).

A highlight of the package is the Sony sound system; it comprises 12 speakers (including two in the driver’s headrest for phone calls) and it produces acoustics to please a range of audiophiles.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, which offers a few themes and a limited amount of trip information. It’s a shame it only offers fuel consumption for the past 50km, yet it is handy to have the amount of total distance and the EV-only range displayed.

There is an awful lot going on underneath the bonnet of the 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate. It’s a very sophisticated, of-the-moment powertrain that delivers on multiple fronts.

Taking care of internal combustion is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with 105kW and 215Nm. If that sounds underdone for a 2220kg SUV, you’d be right. Thankfully it’s more of a generator than directly driving the front wheels – although, it can do that, too.

The top-line Chery has three electric motors – two up front, and one on the rear axle to generate faux-wheel drive. The two forward e-motors produce 75kW/170Nm and 90kW/220Nm, while the unit at the back is rated at 175kW/310Nm.

Combined, the system output is a healthy 315kW and 580Nm. A three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (branded 3DHT by Chery) is called up and as stated previously, the Tiggo 9 is all-wheel drive.

Depending on the level of charge, acceleration can be inconsistent, but when the petrol engine and e-motors combine, the Tiggo 9 is quick, delivering potentially more pace than any owner will ever need or want. But it’s nice to have.

The important part of the 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate equation is its sizeable battery.

In the realms of a PHEV, a 34kWh lithium-ion battery pack is a biggun. This affords a claimed EV-only range of 170km. However, it is under the notoriously overquoting NEDC rating, meaning the 146km WLTP assertion is more realistic.

We racked up 143km of pure EV driving before the petrol engine kicked in. Considering all this is paired with a 70-litre tank, Chery’s bold overall range projection of 1250km from one ‘fill’ is feasible.

What is murkier is the official average fuel consumption of 1.4L/100km. Keep it fully charged and, unsurprisingly, you won’t use a drop of 95 RON premium unleaded. Let it deplete to around 20 per cent and a consumption of 5.9L/100km is more realistic – which is what we achieved on a 100km trip.

When it comes to replenishing the battery, it can handle up to 71kW DC fast charging, which is impressive for a PHEV and results in a 10-80 per cent zap in less than 30 mins. At home, AC charging is supported up to 6.6kW and results in a full refill taking less than seven hours.

Those combined power figures aside, the 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate is not a performance SUV.

And that’s a good thing.

What the Tiggo 9 is proficient at is being a comfortable daily driver and highway cruiser. Yes, the 20-inch alloys and the low-ish profile tyres (245/50 squared) don’t always aid the pursuit of compliance, yet the ride quality is absorbing enough most of the time.

Despite being a seven-seat SUV, it isn’t cumbersome, which means the Chery is manageable around town. Plus, the myriad camera views, as well as auto parking and a retracing function for reversing, means it feels more like a mid-size SUV.

However, the Tiggo 9 retains good manners on the open road, too. The suspension continues to provide a balance between tautness and comfort, while the damping straddles the same line. While there is some float present, it isn’t unruly, meaning there is enough body control despite the 2200kg mass.

No, it isn’t engaging with pin-sharp steering, but as we’ve stated, this isn’t a performance SUV. You won’t feel much through the tiller and the driving modes don’t significantly alter that. Yet, despite the three-level regenerative braking, the pedal itself is progressive enough after strong initial bite. That can’t be said for all PHEVs.

If you do a lot of country driving and like to use cruise control, testing the Tiggo 9 before you buy is important. Like some other Chinese offerings, it curtails road speed at the mere thought of turning into a corner no matter how open or closed the radius is – and in defiance of the signposted limit. While it isn’t quite as aggressive as some, it remains intrusive.

Still, the Tiggo 9 drives with enough polish to be convincing in this price bracket.

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, and the 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate is taking design cues from Mercedes-Benz. It’s in the finer details like the seat adjustment and the headlight controls where the German marque’s ‘inspiration’ is clearest.

In many ways, most of the materials used as well as the level of fit and finish would shame some more premium badges. The design language is understated but breaks away enough from the generic Chinese interior aesthetic – again, the ambience feels elevated considering the $60K sticker price.

Storage areas abound, especially with the gear selector being moved to the steering column. The large sunroof gains a retractable shade, vision out is relatively unobstructed and NVH levels are decently suppressed, too. Middle row head and legroom is generous with the slide-and-recline seat arrangement, while air vents and manual sunblinds are welcome inclusions.

Having said that, there are a few shortcomings. Our test car did struggle to both read out and accept dictation of text messages while using Apple CarPlay and for some drivers, the steering wheel blocks their view of the entire infotainment screen.

Despite measuring 4800mm in length, the Tiggo 9 isn’t ‘that’ big in terms of a seven-seat SUV. And while the dimensions aid manoeuvrability behind the wheel, it doesn’t bode well for interior space – especially for room in the third row. The short 2750mm wheelbase is also a limiting factor.

Not only are head and legroom compromised, accessing seats six and seven is difficult for anyone other than small children. The middle row is also heavy and cumbersome to move and there aren’t any air vents back there. Suffice to say, the Tiggo 9 works better as a spacious five-seat SUV with the extra pews for occasional use.

This also goes for cargo capacity, given only 148 litres of space (to the roof) is available with all seats occupied. That grows to 448L in five-seat mode (and maxes out at 2065L), but it’s also disappointing not to find a spare wheel of any type under the boot floor.

This isn’t about affording the 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate concessions, but for the price, it’s hard to argue against the sheer metal-for-money factor here. Your $60K is working hard for you.

Yes, there are few niggles with the safety systems and if you’re after a true seven-seater for every trip, then the reality of the Tiggo 9’s five-plus-two arrangement won’t work well. And not having curtain airbags extend to the third row is an oversight.

Yet, as an SUV with loads of tech and features as well as perceived luxury, it ticks a lot of boxes. The real clincher is the efficient CSH system which provides the benefits of city EV driving without the worry of road-trip range anxiety.

Maybe what was once seen as an automotive litmus test has become the right powertrain of the moment.

2026 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid at a glance:
Price: $59,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol electric
Output: 105kW/215Nm
Combined output: 315kW/580Nm
Transmission: Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (3DHT)
Fuel: 1.4L/100km (NEDC)
CO2: 32g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: Not tested