What's the difference?
Finding a half-decent small SUV for less than $30,000 has become quite challenging in the past couple of years. But as mainstream brands march further upmarket, some Chinese manufacturers are happy to grab sales at the lower end of the market.
One such brand, Chery, re-emerged with the Omoda 5 compact crossover about 18 months ago with keen pricing and loads of standard features.
Further pushing the value point, Chery recently added a new base grade of the Omoda 5, the FX. It sits under the Omoda 5 BX and EX with the same powertrain and it only loses a handful of features from the BX.
At $27,000 drive-away, it looks like a steal on paper. But how does the new cut-price Omoda 5 handle urban duties? And does this small SUV offer more than just a solid standard features list?
This is Australia’s most affordable plug-in hybrid vehicle.
It’s the Chery Tiggo 7 ‘Super Hybrid’ and you can have one for just $39,990 drive-away at the time we put this review together.
It beats the BYD Sealion 6, MG HS, and Mitsubishi Outlander when it comes to plug-in hybrid value then, but is it too good to be true?
Is the Tiggo 7 plug-in marred by caveats, or is it the new bar to beat when it comes to fuel-sipping hybrid value?
Stick with us as we find out.
There’s little argument that Chery is focusing on value-for-money when it comes to its model range, and that’s absolutely the case with its new range opener - the Omoda 5 FX.
The spacious, flexible and neat cabin also get a tick.Â
Purely looking at this car on paper, it is hard to beat for $27,000 drive-away. And if you stick exclusively to urban areas without hitting the open road, you might be happy with your purchase.
However, the overall drive experience, including the behaviour of the advanced driver assistance tech, is well off the pace of mainstream rivals from Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, VW and more.Â
If that price is too good to look past, then be sure to do back-to-back test drives with other similarly priced rivals to compare.
Is the Chery Tiggo 7 just cheap, or is it cheerful too?
Well, not only does this plug-in hybrid break new ground for pricing, but it’s more than a one-trick-pony with a cleverly-tuned hybrid drivetrain that saves fuel, even when the battery is depleted.
The Tiggo 7 still needs work in some areas, from the average software, to the spongy driving dynamics, but there’s no denying this SUV will put the pressure on its rivals.
Which variant would I pick? Actually I’d probably splash the extra cash for the Tiggo 8 plug-in, which seems slightly better at everything and is physically more car for not a lot of extra outlay.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.