Chery launches NZ’s cheapest mid-size SUV

Chinese carmaker Chery has continued its new-model march, announcing local pricing for the pure petrol variants of its Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 SUVs as the pair hits the local market.

Plug-in super hybrid versions of both family wagons arrived in New Zealand last year, with the former becoming the country’s most affordable plug-in hybrid on the market — a marker recently stolen by the BYD Sealion 5. 

Now Chery is in pursuit of another value marker; cheapest mid-size SUV in the country. 

The pure combustion Tiggo 7 is priced from $34,990 plus on-road costs. This sees it undercut mid-size SUV rivals like the $39,990 Mahindra XUV700 and the $40,990 GWM Haval H6. 

In base form, the Tiggo 7 petrol comes with dual 12.3-inch displays, wireless Android Auto (Apple CarPlay is wired), LED headlights and taillights, 18-inch wheels, an acoustic glass windscreen, and dual-zone climate control. 

Technically speaking, the flagship Tiggo 7 Ultimate would also be cheap enough to be the country’s cheapest car in segment — equalling the base price of the $39,990 Mahindra XUV700. 

The Ultimate adds a bevy of features, including a panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather upholstery, ambient lighting, power adjustable front seats that are also heated and cooled, a wireless device charger, 360-degree camera, power tailgate, and more. 

Both models are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 108kW/210Nm, paired to a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive. Chery claims a combined fuel economy of 6.9L/100km. 

Not to be completely outshone, the Tiggo 8 petrol is also sharply priced. At $39,990 for the entry-level Urban it is the equal cheapest 7-seater SUV on the market, again equalling the aforementioned Mahindra XUV700.

The Tiggo 8 gets a larger 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine, developing 180kW/375Nm and coming paired to a 7-speed DCT. Unlike the Tiggo 7, Chery offers the Tiggo 8 in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. 

The entry-level Urban 2WD comes with dual 12.3-inch screens, an 8-speaker Sony sound system, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera, LED headlights and taillights, ambient lighting, synthetic leather upholstery, and more as standard. 

Priced at $44,990 plus on-roads, the flagship Ultimate AWD adds a power tailgate, built-in dashcam, air vents for third-row occupants, 19-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, optional brown leather upholstery, a 10-speaker Sony sound system, and more.