The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro that will be launching soon in Malaysia is a sizeable SUV; upon first sight, it’s immediately apparent that the Chery is a larger car than a Honda CR-V or Mazda CX-5. Having also seen the Proton X90, the Tiggo 8 – also a three-row vehicle – looks more substantial too, both in bulk and premiumness.
But the giant you see here is in another league. Say hello to the Tiggo 9, Chery’s new flagship SUV. It’s a handsome big guy, with a large and imposing grille and clean lines throughout, made even cleaner with pop-out door handles. Two-tone body, a horizontal strip above the license plate, 20-inch turbine wheels – all standard stuff, but finished tastefully. I found an interesting quirk: a round Chery stamp on the rearmost pillars, only on the driver’s side.
It almost looks American, and the feeling I get (not saying that they both look alike, just the feel) is similar to the latest Kia Carnival, a suave MPV. It’s almost American in size too. At 4,820 mm long and 1,930 mm wide, the Tiggo 9 is 98 mm longer and 70 mm wider than Tiggo 8 Pro, while its 2,820 mm wheelbase is 110 mm longer.
Inside, it’s fittingly classy in looks and materials, although some Mercedes-Benz owners and fans might yell ‘Copy!’ Anyhow, the dash has the now de rigueur horizontal layout, two wide screens (12.3-inch) sharing a frame, and a high centre console with a see through cubby.
Chery’s angled double phone charging slots, as seen in the Omoda 5, is present. The centre console is kept very clean as gear selection is via a steering stalk, MB-style. Chery uses Sony for audio and there’s a 14-speaker sound system here.
What I find really refreshing is Chery’s use of lighter tones and surprising interior colour combos, as opposed to the dull and dark default. It really adds to the luxury feel. Chinese brands are quite creative and bold in this aspect – who’d have thought that blue leather and yellow stitching would look OK in a car?
There are five and seven-seat options for the Tiggo 9, and the car you see here is the three-row version, with 50:50 flat folding third row seats.
Under the hood is a 2.0L turbo-four engine with 261 hp and 400 Nm of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission with steering paddles puts down the power to all four corners. Chery claims combined fuel consumption of 7.7 litres per 100 km. A 2.0T plug-in hybrid version is in the works, and that PHEV will do 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and have a combined range of 1,300 km in the local cycle.
If you’re expecting us to conclude by saying that the Tiggo 9 is Malaysia-bound, just like the Chery posts before this, sorry, it is not coming to our market. The Tiggo 8 Pro is already quite a stretch for the Chinese brand given our bias and preference, so let’s see how that one does first. Anyway, what do you think of the Tiggo 9’s looks and package?
GALLERY: Chery Tiggo 9 at Auto Shanghai 2023
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This look more in the size of Proton X90….. but look far more premium.
Nice. Too bad it’s not coming to Malaysia
Oh it’s Volvo xc90(front and frnt side look),oh it’s Porsche cayenne,no it’s Toyota harrier (back look )so v confused bez china brand give middle finger to designers who really designed car and exists for over or about to have decade years to established,china brand just simply cut copy paste .impress world and make money and buy old established car manufacturers like Volvo
These good looking china-made cars are so tempting but I’m really concern how it is going to be in the long run. Reliability is the only thing holding me up from buying one.
Chery is the only car company in the world perhaps, to give one million km warranty or ten years… Why worry. Chery has confidence to their products.
I’ll select Chery Tiggo 9 instead Proton X90.
Smart guys buy original logo brand.
Mercedes: give back my aircond design !
It’s very nice but in Pakistan it I’ll be expensive no one will buy it because more Taxes in Pakistan
Don’t think many people would be able to buy it in Pakistan. The economic condition is at its worst & your govt is at best jokers. With pakistani currency falling everyday it will be hard sell. And Chery won’t be looking at very fragile market. Plus Foreign reserves are all time low!! Don’t think such luxury could be afforded by almost dead pakistan economy.
if cant afford a cayenne, can get a chery.
If its available in Malaysia. No doubt Ill buy 1