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    Mitsubishi Outlander rival to lead Chery plug-in hybrid push in Australia

    Chery will launch two plug-in hybrid SUVs in Australia, to do battle with Mitsubishi's Eclipse Cross and Outlander PHEVs.

    William Stopford

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    William Stopford

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    Chery Australia has confirmed it’ll launch plug-in hybrid versions of its small Tiggo 7 Pro and mid-sized Tiggo 8 Pro SUVs.

    The company didn’t confirm launch timing, other than to say they will arrive “in the near future”.

    Petrol versions of the Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro, along with a more powerful 1.6-litre version of the Omoda 5, are still on track to launch in the second half of this year.

    The Tiggo 7 Pro e+ and Tiggo 8 Pro e+ both use a three-gear Direct Hybrid Transmission (DHT), with three physical gears and three engine operating points with an adjustable speed ratio.

    Dual electric motors, a motor controller and transmission are integrated with each other, and mated with a “hybrid-specific” 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

    Chery claims the “world’s first DHT technology” therefore incorporates three engines, three gears, nine working modes and 11 speed ratios, and offers a combined range of nearly 1000km. Brake energy recuperation helps replenish the battery.

    The seven-seat Tiggo 8 Pro e+ uses a 19.27kWh ternary lithium battery and total system outputs of 240kW of power and 545Nm of torque.

    It has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.5 seconds and 75km of electric range on the WLTC cycle, with a kerb weight of 1769kg – up just 57kg on a Tiggo 8 Pro with the turbocharged 2.0-litre four.

    A vehicle-to-load function also allows you to provide up to 3.3kW of power to appliances.

    Inside, the Tiggo 8 Pro e+ features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

    Other features include colour-adjustable ambient lighting, a surround-view camera, an eight-speaker Sony sound system and a panoramic sunroof.

    There’s also a suite of active safety and driver assist features available, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist.

    The Tiggo 8 Pro is similar in size to a Skoda Kodiaq, and slots in above the 4.5m-long Tiggo 7 Pro with which it shares its platform and which straddles the small and medium SUV segments.

    The Tiggo 7 Pro e+ shares its 240kW/545Nm plug-in hybrid powertrain with the Tiggo 8 Pro e+, and offers a claimed electric range of 80km under the WLTC cycle.

    The claimed 0-100km/h time is seven seconds.

    The Tiggo 7 Pro e+ features matrix LED headlights and low-drag wheels, while inside there’s a 24.6-inch dual-screen unit.

    The vehicle-to-load functionality of its larger sibling is also standard, while Chery claims there are as many as 18 Level 2.5 intelligent driver assist features.

    The Tiggo 7 Pro e+ will give Chery a rival to the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV, while the Tiggo 8 Pro e+ will battle the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

    The brand also promises to introduce its first electric vehicle Down Under, with an EV version of the Omoda 5 due next year.

    MORE: Everything Chery Tiggo 7 Pro MORE: Everything Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

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    William Stopford

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    William Stopford is an automotive journalist based in Brisbane, Australia. William is a Business/Journalism graduate from the Queensland University of Technology who loves to travel, briefly lived in the US, and has a particular interest in the American car industry.

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