China’s automotive surge continues — and this time, it’s not another budget-friendly crossover or rebadged curio. Meet the Chery Tiggo 9, a seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV that’s just landed in the UK with a spec sheet bold enough to make European rivals twitch nervously in their heated leather seats.
Starting from £43,105, it’s undercutting the plug-in versions of the Volkswagen Tayron and Kia Sorento, yet promising more of, well, everything. More power, more range, more toys — and, yes, more seats.
The Power Play
Under the bonnet, there’s no humble hybrid humdrum. Chery’s latest Super Hybrid setup pairs a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with two electric motors and a starter-generator cunningly tucked into the gearbox. Total output? A slightly bonkers 422bhp and 428lb ft of torque.
That’s Audi SQ7 territory in a family-friendly Chinese SUV. The 0–62mph sprint? 5.4 seconds. Fast enough to make your passengers spill their oat lattes while you smugly mention that this isn’t even a full EV.
Range Anxiety? Never Heard of It.
With a 34.5kWh battery, the Tiggo 9 claims up to 91 miles of electric-only range on the WLTP cycle — the longest of any plug-in hybrid currently on sale. That’s more than double what most PHEVs manage before firing up the engine. And when you do need a top-up, its 71kW DC charging capability means a 30-to-80% refill in just 18 minutes. That’s dangerously close to proper EV territory.
Inside: A Tech Buffet
Forget bargain-basement interiors — this thing’s fully loaded in just one trim level, the aptly named Summit. Heated and ventilated seats front and rear? Check. Massage function? Of course. A 14-speaker Sony sound system, 20-inch alloys, dual-zone climate, ambient lighting, wireless charging — all standard.
Front and centre sits a 15.6-inch touchscreen running wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, joined by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. It’s all very glossy, very modern, and very unrecognisable from the Cherys of old.
Europeanised and Civilised
According to Chery, the Tiggo 9 has been “fine-tuned for UK and European roads” at its R&D hub in Germany. Translation: the ride won’t rearrange your spine over British potholes, and the steering might even feel connected to the front wheels.
The Bigger Picture
Chery’s been busy this year. After Omoda and Jaecoo stormed into UK showrooms, the brand itself followed up with the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 — both decent mid-sized SUVs that proved the Chinese invasion isn’t just about low prices. Now, with the Tiggo 9, Chery’s gone premium-hunting.
And this is just the start. Next year brings the Tiggo 4, a smaller petrol-powered crossover aimed squarely at the Jeep Avenger crowd.
So, the question isn’t whether Chery can compete — it’s how quickly everyone else will have to catch up.
Because if this 422bhp, seven-seat, 90-mile-EV-range monster is the shape of the family SUV future, the Germans and Koreans might want to start sweating.
Source: Autocar