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

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