This is the end of my journey with the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH (Chery Super Hybrid) also known as the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). I own the 2022 petrol variant of the Tiggo 7 Pro.In my first month with the vehicle, I was extremely impressed by how far the brand has come in the past three years in terms of styling, comfort and drive quality. The reason I asked Chery South Africa for this vehicle on a long term test is because I was extremely curious to see if a PHEV really saves you money in a real world scenario.
The Tiggo 7 CSH Plus variant is priced at R619 900 and the Ultra (tested) is priced at R679 900. When I purchased the Tiggo 7 Pro in 2023, the entry model was priced at R409900 and the top of the range model was priced at R 444 900. In 2023, Chery brought in more variants of the vehicle which pushed it past the R500 000 mark.
But since the Tiggo 7 Pro entered the country, there has always been one problem with it: fuel consumption. I have managed to do well with the one I own. It’s rare that I see over 8.5 litres/100km.
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The reason for that is because I used to drive mostly on the highway out of peak times when I stayed in Springs, but since my move to the city, it has mostly been urban driving and that has pushed my fuel consumption up to 9 litres/100km. But I also have a light foot on the throttle. If it was a little heavier, those figures might be higher.
This has been the case with most Chinese vehicles since they made a big entrance in 2021. They are jam packed with features and very comfortable, but they are also very thirsty. However, earlier this year, Chery introduced hybrid models — both traditional and PHEVs — as extensions to all its models.
When I received the Tiggo 7 CSH, I already knew that the fuel consumption would be much better than the one I own. I just wanted to experiment on how far this vehicle could go before I needed to go to a garage and fill it up. I also wanted to know if it was worth paying over R600 000 for a car that is available for less than R500000. In short, I wanted to see what the fuss of owning a PHEV is all about.
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