The affordable Chery Tiggo 4 Pro small SUV will soon get a hybrid powertrain Down Under as the Chinese brand readies a raft of electrified models.
The confirmation of an electrified version of Australia’s cheapest SUV comes as Chery Australia has provided more specific timing for the already-confirmed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro; all of which are expected to hit Australian showrooms sometime this year.
“Regarding hybrids, a key focus for 2025 will be on new energy vehicles. We will be introducing three new hybrid models – Tiggo 4 – HEV, Tiggo 7/8 – PHEVs,” a Chery Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.
“Timing to be confirmed, but most likely around mid-year.”
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Already Australia’s cheapest SUV, the Tiggo 4 Pro went on sale in October 2024 and is currently offered with only a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, sending 108kW of power and 210Nm of torque through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
No details on the Tiggo 4 Pro’s hybrid powertrain are yet known, though there are at least two possible directions the Chinese manufacturer could take.
One is that the Tiggo 4 Pro will use an as-yet unseen ‘full’ hybrid powertrain, like that employed by brands like Hyundai and Toyota.
Chery Australia does refer to the upcoming electrified Tiggo 4 Pro as a ‘HEV’, a designation usually applied to full-hybrid models like Toyota’s rival Yaris Cross.
Alternatively, this SUV is offered with a mild-hybrid powertrain in some overseas markets.
Current Tiggo 4 Pro powertrain
In the Philippines, where the Tiggo 4 Pro is confusingly sold as the Tiggo 5x Pro, a version of the SUV with its own electrified powertrain was revealed in April 2023. It followed the reveal of South American hybrids in July 2022.
Such models retain the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, with electrification limited to a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that cannot drive the car on electric-only power according to local reviews.
In any case, Chery’s new hybrid SUV will likely be among the cheapest in Australia.
The current non-hybrid Tiggo 4 Pro ranges in price from $23,990 to $26,990 drive-away, placing it well below other new similarly sized SUVs and even against the likes of several small hatchbacks like the MG 3 and Suzuki Swift Hybrid.
A key competitor is the MG ZS Hybrid+, which arrived in Australia in November last year and currently costs between $33,990 and $36,990 drive-away. For context, the outgoing MG ZST is currently available for as little as $25,990 drive-away, but no electrification is available.
Chery Tiggo 7 Pro
PHEV versions of the Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro, meanwhile, had already been confirmed for Australia in May 2024, but now we know when they’ll reach local showrooms.
Overseas, where the PHEV models gain the ‘e+’ designation, both SUVs share a 240kW/545Nm PHEV powertrain with a claimed WLTC range of 80km from a 19.27kWh ternary lithium battery.
A Direct Hybrid Transmission (DHT) also features in both, which comprises three physical gears and three engine operating points with an adjustable speed ratio. Dual electric motors, a motor controller and transmission are integrated, and mated with a “hybrid-specific” 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The Tiggo 7 Pro e+ would compete with the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV in Australia while the Tiggo 8 Pro PHEV would go up against the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and BYD Sealion 6.
Chery Tiggo 8 Pro e+
It’s expected new PHEV models of the Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro won’t feature too dramatic a price increase over the current petrol variants, which start at $39,990 drive-away and $41,990 drive-away respectively.
Chery Australia managing director, Lucas Harris, told CarExpert in late 2023 that the Chinese brand’s key focus for PHEVs would be clearing barriers like price and supply.
“I think it’s hard to say the uptake hasn’t been good so far, because the offerings have been quite expensive and limited in supply. I think our strategy in regards to those two things would be quite different,” Mr Harris said.
“We’d have a very compelling value offering and wouldn’t be supply constrained. I think that in itself might be enough to help us, but obviously we’d be very clearly communicating to people what is the purpose that vehicle would suit, and how can it fit with their lifestyles.”
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