In a time where smartphone brands like Apple, Xiaomi, Sony, and Oppo are venturing into making cars, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see a car named like a smartphone. The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro sounds like a flagship device with the looks to stop you in your tracks. Question is, can it back it up or is it a first impression affair?
The Tiggo 7 Pro stands out from the lineup because of its new look. It’s not as bulky or squarish as the current Tiggo 5x or the Tiggo 8, and instead has more curves and a modern design. The post-modern chainmail-looking grille is very unique and is complimented well by the rear despite being modest in its light assembly. It’s only the sides that lean towards being bland with its contemporary looking wheels and uncreative use of chrome on the cladding.
Inside is where you’ll see the ‘Pro’ manifest itself. Upon opening the door, you’ll be greeted by the panoramic sunroof that spans up to the second row. There’s a huge 10.25-inch touchscreen at the center of the dash, but there’s a smaller screen for the aircon controls, then another one in front of the driver. It’s like having a laptop connected to multiple monitors for your workstation.
Hop onto the driver’s seat and things get better. At your right is a dedicated space for your phone with wireless charging, a very accommodating 6-way powered driver’s seat, and a great feel because the armrest on the door and the steering wheel are clad in leather. Premium is definitely the keyword here. More so if you get in at night when the ambient light shines best. Combine it with a starry night and the sunroof open and you’ll want to rest on the rooftop parking of Home Depot in Ortigas.
Things are less than stellar at the backseat, but only because there are too many things happening in front. There are air vents here, a dedicated USB charging port under it, and a cubby hole below which is sized just enough for power banks. I appreciate the decently placed center armrest which isn’t very low so you can really rest your arm there. Apart from those, there’s nothing else to swoon you over here.
If ‘Pro’ phones are all about screen real estate, this Tiggo 7 Pro is all about spatial estate. I’m a wide man so I really appreciate having generous space for myself without compromising legroom for those behind me. It continues at the rear where there’s 475-liters of cargo space and combined with the powered tailgate, it makes for a smooth hauling experience.
Chery didn’t take the ‘Pro’ badge lightly as they loaded the Tiggo 7 with a lot of tech. Aside from the big screens, powered driver’s seat, ambient lighting, wireless charger, and powered tailgate, there’s a lot more in every nook and cranny of this crossover. Electronic parking brake with auto-hold, around view monitoring with 3D display, tire pressure monitoring, cruise control, manual headlight adjustment, 6 airbags, dual-zone climate control and remote engine start all made its way to the Tiggo 7 Pro.
So far, so good. But what about the drive? Well, that’s where the Tiggo 7 Pro falls short of being a true new flagship vehicle. It’s not exactly bad but compared to what we’ve seen and felt, driving it could’ve been a better experience.
First off, there’s the AC controls. Yes, I’ve praised it previously because it is indeed a wonderful touch, but on the road, it’s tricky to operate. Or I may be old school regarding this matter. Second is the cabin noise isolation. There’s room for improvement in this area because on the highway at 60-70 km/h, there is audible wind noise even if you have your music on. It’s not distracting if you’re talking to a person but kind of irritating when alone, especially when you’re just above the minimum speed limit.
Third are the driving modes. Granted, this is a fairly big vehicle for the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and CVT, but it could’ve been tuned better for the modes. I have no qualms with normal mode – it’s eco and sport that I have issues with. With Eco, the throttle is dulled more than necessary in order to save fuel. Combined with the size of the crossover this makes the Tiggo 7 Pro struggle in overcoming small hills especially when on an incline. In sport mode, it’s like they still want to save gas because you know the engine can go, it’s just that the power delivery is slow so overtaking on the highway is still tricky.
This is coming from a place of experience. If you’re looking for your first car or moving up, I’m sure you’ll get used to the touch controls on the aircon and you won’t mind the wind noise creeping in. It can be easily countered with higher music volume anyway. Maybe it’s just the throttle response on the driving modes that you’ll notice.
Luckily, the consequence of those is fuel economy. In the city despite the traffic, I was able to get 7.8 km/l during rush hour, while on the highway at around 80-90 km/h, I got 18 km/l. Impressive numbers considering the size of the car and the engine. Take note that both were done with normal mode so they could be better or worse when you change the setting.
It’s obvious that Chery had high standards when they made the Tiggo 7 Pro. It’s just that they focused too much on giving value for money that they overlooked some basic aspects of the car. It could’ve been the best at its price point, but now it has to settle for being formidable. It doesn’t drive as good as the Geely Coolray but the Tiggo 7 Pro is bigger and has Apple CarPlay and just recently, also Android Auto. It’s not as spacious and techy as the Ford Territory, but it drives better and is more fuel efficient. Chery may not have perfected this crossover but somehow, it became the perfect compromise between its rivals.