2026 Chery Tiggo 9 review

So, this whole Chinese car phenomenon. There’s been plenty of focus on what it’s done for bringing us hungry consumers cheaper cars. Cheaper plug-in cars in particular. But, there’s something to be said about what these carmakers have been able to achieve at the other end of the scale with models like Chery’s new flagship — the Tiggo 9.

Chery returned to New Zealand last year with a trio of well equipped, chrome-clad, affordably priced SUVs; Tiggos 4, 7 and 8. The Tiggo 9 goes in a different direction, cramming in a whole host of luxury car kit and decoration considerably less dollars than the cheapest Toyota Highlander. And while that is a traditional hybrid, this is a plug-in super hybrid.

So, what’s the catch? 

How much does the Chery Tiggo 9 cost?

Diving straight into money matters, Chery brings just one very heavily equipped Tiggo 9 spec — the Ultimate — into New Zealand. For now, at least. I wouldn’t put it past Chery to entertain making a pure combustion version.

At that price, and given the amount of kit it comes with, it’s hard to put together a list of logical rivals for the 9. On the surface you might think the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in $71,990 XLS or $77,990 VRX trim might be a good match, but the Mitsi is quite a lot smaller than the Tiggo 9. 

Whilst the 4710mm long and 1862mm wide Outlander is essentially a 5+2 mid-size SUV, it’s not in the same weight division as the 4820mm long and 1930mm wide Tiggo 9. The 9 is closer in its size to the full-time 7-seater segment of the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-80. The Tiggo 9’s closest rival in terms of current footprint and powertrain, therefore, is likely the $80,990 Mazda CX-80 SP. 

Closest rival that is, if you’re not looking at the 9’s direct blood lines. There’s a more obvious rival for the Tiggo 9, and that’s its direct relative — the Omoda 9. Based on the same platform and powered by the same plug-in hybrid hardware, the 9 retails for $68,990 plus on-road costs. The marque is currently running an end of financial year sale that drops that price down to $65,990.

Oh, and there’s another candidate to consider, too, and that’s the upcoming BYD Sealion 8. A bit more people-mover-like in its proportions, it too packs seven seats and a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Its pricing starts at $74,990. 

What’s the Chery Tiggo 9 like inside?

The Tiggo 9 does not merely feel like an economy car with all the fruit tacked on top, and this is most obvious when you hop inside. This cabin is sumptuous, gratuitous, and perhaps one of the best examples yet of how able Chinese carmakers are at pulling off premium vibes at a relatively bargain price. 

It isn’t perfect of course. This minimalist look up front — big landscape touchscreen, full-width horizontal air conditioning vent — is nothing new. Such is the size of that main screen that a portion of it is occasionally blocked by the steering wheel. 

Our tester also had the unique issue of having the lumbar support in its front seats being locked in place. And, unfortunately for me, the driver’s seat lumbar was stuck in its fully inflated position. I offered to remedy the situation by puncturing it with a knife, but the Chery staff didn’t find the suggestion funny.

Barring those details, though, there is plenty to be impressed by inside the Tiggo 9. Especially at its price point.

The majority of the Tiggo 9’s interior features (including most climate control settings) can only be accessed via the 15.6-inch touchscreen, but Chery has given it some physical buttons on the centre console for switching between drive modes, turning the air conditioning on and off, activating the demisters, and switching the car between hybrid mode and EV priority. The climate vents are also — thankfully — the conventional point-and-aim kind and not digitised, a la Tesla.

The screen itself works reasonably well, with Chery’s software being mostly quite straightforward. There are of course endless amounts of menus to dive through, but most key features are easy enough to access. These include the menu for switching off the Tiggo 9’s many driver assistance features (although everything you turn off will turn itself back on again between start-ups).

The Tiggo 9 Ultimate’s list of standard equipment features just about everything you could conceivably want from a large SUV. On top of fairly basic stuff like adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, satnav, vented wireless charging, head-up display, Sony audio, a series of excellent cameras, and heated and cooled front seats, the Tiggo 9 also gets features normally out of reach for a 60-something-grand car.

Heated and cooled second-row seats, massaging front seats, acoustic glass, electric steering column adjustment, and automatic park assist are all features you simply wouldn’t expect at this price point. Combined with the exceptionally comfy leather seats, it adds up to a package that feels as much ‘luxury car’ as ‘family hauler’. Just about all the Tiggo 9’s spec sheet really lacks is tri-zone climate control. 

Space is naturally absolutely ample. The Tiggo 9’s generous dimensions ensure it feels like a full-size 7-seater inside as opposed to a 5+2. Room for third-row occupants is admittedly a little disappointing. Although still better than what you get from an Outlander or Nissan X-Trail, it's still strictly for kids back there. But second-row space is absolutely cavernous, and arguably just as good as anything else in this segment. 

The boot offers a humble 143-litres with all seven seats in place, and 819-litres when in 5-seater mode. That 143-litres actually looks a little larger than the digits suggest in person, plenty big enough for a hearty weekly shop or a large suitcase loaded on its edge. The third row seats are simple enough to flip up and down from the boot, too, thanks to their tethers.

What’s under the bonnet?

Here’s where we get to the Tiggo 9’s not-so-secret weapon relative to its large SUV competition. 

This isn’t a mere conventional hybrid, this is a ‘super hybrid’. Meaning a big battery and bigger range. The Chery packs a 34kWh battery, one of the largest in any plug-in hybrid, with an NEDC-rated claimed pure electric range of 170km and a total range of 1200km. 

Paired to this battery is a turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine. A 1.5 in a car this size might sound a little ridiculous, but combined with its three supporting electric motors (two in the front, one in the back), it delivers a potent 315kW of power and 580Nm of torque. Chery claims a 1.4L/100km combined fuel economy, but of course like all plug-in hybrids there are plenty of conditions to this number. 

And for those wanting to know about towing, the Tiggo 9 is rated to lug up to 1500kg braked.

How does the Chery Tiggo 9 drive?

The Tiggo 9 is what we call in the business a ‘big bus’. Tipping the scales at more than 2200kg, you would naturally expect a certain kind of driving experience. By and large, that’s exactly what you get … although there’s at least one big surprise.

That surprise is pace. Despite its weight, the 9’s tri-motor hybrid powertrain combo does a very solid job with performance off the line and through to 100kph. Not at all the point of a car like this obviously, but relevant to anyone that still thinks a 1.5-litre isn’t sufficient for such a large SUV. 

Barring its straightline theatrics, the Tiggo 9 is naturally more geared towards being a comfortable cruiser. It’s fairly softly sprung, meaning there’s a hearty amount of bodyroll in the bends but ultimately making it an easy car to live with on a day-to-day basis. Its damping feels a lot more polished than its Tiggo 7 and 8 siblings. Its brake pedal is nice and smooth, too, something not always guaranteed in a PHEV or full EV. And, its steering is achingly light. 

As far as range is concerned, the Tiggo 9 doesn’t let you use the battery all the way to completely empty, ensuring that it will always have a little bit of hybrid energy to balance out its fuel usage. In our experience it’s capable of about 130km of pure electric real-world driving before it switches to hybrid mode — a big number that will carve out a huge chunk from the average weekly spend on petrol.

Beyond the very impressive powertrain and the way the Tiggo 9 rides bumps, it also does feel like quite a big car. Seven seaters that feel sharper to drive can often also feel a little more compact and approachable. There’s not much of that here. I had it for seven days, and the Tiggo 9 never ‘shrank around me’ in the same way that the likes of the Toyota Highlander or Kia Sorento have done in the past.

What do you get?

As we alluded to earlier, it’s easier to list the kit that the Tiggo 9 doesn’t come with than what it does. The lack of tri-zone climate control is probably its biggest miss, as it compounds the relative lack of space in the third row.

From a safety perspective, the big Chery comes with all the ADAS technology you would expect in 2026. The model hasn't been crash tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, but it comes with all the software needed to get a top rating. Chery's other SUVs all sport 5-star ratings.

Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid Ultimate AWD equipment highlights: 

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane departure prevention
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind spot detection
• Rear cross traffic braking
• Automatic parking assist
• Lane change assist
• Hill descent control
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Side parking sensors
• 360-degree camera
• Reverse camera
• 2 x ISOFIX points
• 3 x top tether points
• Leather upholstery
• Electric steering wheel adjustment
• Power operated front seats
• Memory driver seat
• Massaging front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated and ventilated second row seats
• Air conditioned storage box
• Second row armrest
• Alloy pedals
• Dual-zone climate control
• 10.25-inch digital cluster
• 15.6-inch touch screen
• Head-up display
• 12-speaker Sony sound system
• Head rest speakers
• Built-in satellite navigation
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless Android Auto
• Voice commands
• 2 x USB-A ports
• 2 x USB-C ports
• 12V power outlet
• Wireless charger
• Auto dimming rearview mirror
• Illuminated vanity mirrors
• Ambient lighting
• Illuminated scuff plates
• Roof rails
• Power retracting door handles
• LED automatic headlights
• LED taillights
• LED daytime running lights
• Power tailgate
• Puddle lights
• Rain sensing front wipers
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Panoramic sunroof
• Acoustic glass
• Rear privacy glass

CarExpert’s take on the Chery Tiggo 9

Loaded from top to bottom with gear, reasonably attractive to look at (if a little nondescript), and powered by one of the most capable plug-in hybrid systems on the market, the Tiggo 9 is a very difficult wagon to find fault with. And that’s before reckoning with the very pointy sub-$70k asking price.

If you’re a regular user of the third row of seats, the Tiggo 9 is probably a slightly flawed car. But as we know, there are plenty of 7-seater owners who only flip up that third row on occasion, who buy into the segment for the practicality and flexibility. For them, the Tiggo 9 shouldn’t just be a fringe contender. It should be a frontrunner.