Chery Tiggo 9 vs Hyundai Imax

What's the difference?

The Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid is outstanding in many ways, especially value and the way it drives. I can only stress the importance of charging this vehicle frequently, however, otherwise it will go from super hybrid to super fuel consumer.

It looks a bit old-fashioned in a ‘Tarago’ sort of way and is starting to show its age with a five-speed transmission and in lacking some of the latest safety features. However, if you need to regularly transport up to eight people and expect good comfort, economy, performance, practicality, reliability and warranty as part of the deal, then the iMax still has more than enough going for it to justify top three positioning on any people mover shopping list.

Chery has crafted a superb-looking SUV here. Sure, the design isn’t ground-breaking or unique, but styling is beautiful from the large grille and multi-spoke wheels to the chrome framed windows and smooth lines of the tailgate.

Our car was painted in 'Aurora Green', which looks stunning in the sunlight. There’s also 'Cosmic Black', 'Star White' and 'Technical Grey'.

The cabin is super modern and luxurious looking, with only a few physical buttons for the hybrid system and climate control. The leather seats are a lovely high-end touch, and while the level of refinement is not up there with the likes of Audi and Lexus flagships the build quality appears to be good.

The Tiggo 9 stretches 4800mm end to end and is 1930mm wide. That classifies it as a large SUV, albeit not an enormous one. A fairly short wheelbase of 2750mm means the cabin space isn’t as voluminous as you might have thought.

Compared to the Kia Carnival, which looks like tomorrow’s people mover today, the iMax is looking more like yesterday’s as its tall and minibus-like dimensions are immovably defined by its iLoad commercial van birth twin. Even so, there is still plenty of practicality and ease-of-use inherent in this traditional design, including a bright and airy cabin with generous headroom for all.

The iMax rides on the same 3200mm wheelbase as the iLoad and shares many of its key dimensions along with power-assisted rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes. However, to provide better ride quality than the van’s leaf springs, for human cargo the iMax’s multi-link live rear axle rides on plusher coil springs. The Series II upgrade also includes restyled 16 x 6.5-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/70 R16C tyres and a full-size steel rim spare.

The large front doors open wide for easy entry and exit and with no console between the front seats the driver and front passenger can literally walk through to the passenger area. Sliding doors on each side, with large windows that can be propped open for extra ventilation, allow generous access to the second and third row seating. These bench seats provide ample head room and adequate shoulder and legroom for medium-sized adults, even with three across the back row, which is a refreshing change from many SUVs that treat third-row adults as extra baggage.

There’s also ample ventilation, with roof and floor-mounted air vents for the second and third rows linked to a separate control panel which allows passengers to adjust the fan speed and air-con temperature independent of the driver. Combined with generous headroom and large rear passenger side windows which can also be propped open, the iMax succeeds in minimising claustrophobic feelings particularly for those in the back row.

The Chery Tiggo 9 is not overly large and with a relatively short wheelbase the cabin room is adequate but not outstanding. I’m tall at 189cm, but there is still room for me to sit behind my driving position and headroom is good, too. That said, the cabin floor is high which raises the knee height for second row passengers.

The third row is really just for children and for those occasional but unpredictable times when as a parent you’re suddenly thrown into having to transport more kids home or to parties.

Cabin storage is good with door pockets and cupholders front and back, while a large storage area under the centre console is great for loose items or even a handbag or small backpack.

The wireless charger is perfectly situated on top of the console and features a grippy soft surface.

I would have liked more physical dials and buttons for climate and the stereo, which are accessed through the central screen.

Boot space, according to Chery, is larger than it looks, with the manufacturer saying with the third row up there is 143 litres of cargo capacity and with five seats in place it's 819 litres.  

The iMax’s hefty kerb weight of 2230kg and GVM (gross vehicle mass) of 3030kg allows for a payload of 800kg and up to 125kg of that can be carried on the roof with a three-rack system. Eight average-sized adults on board would use up most of this payload capacity, so if they need to bring luggage it could easily surpass the payload limit. 

It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with a GCM (gross combined mass) of 4530kg it can carry its maximum payload while doing it. However, you also need to keep in mind that the 150kg tow-ball download limit is included in the total payload, leaving 650kg rather than 800kg to play with. Even so, any vehicle that can tow its maximum trailer weight with a full payload gets a big tick from us, particularly one with a cavernous (VDA) 842 litres of cargo volume available behind the third row of seats.

An impressive array of storage solutions includes dual map pockets and a single bottle holder in each front door, a dash top storage compartment, dual glove box compartments, central dash dual retractable cup holders and an overhead felt-lined sunglass holder. Those seated in the second row get dual map pockets and single bottle holders in each sliding door plus mesh-type storage pockets on the rear of each front seat, while third row outer passengers get storage recesses and cup holders.

Our test vehicle was the premium grade with 2.5 CRDi turbo-diesel four cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission at $47,290 plus on-roads, with metallic paint an extra $695.

The Series II upgrade features minor styling tweaks and new equipment including driver and front passenger side (thorax) airbags, driver-front passenger climate control, an upgraded 7.0-inch touchscreen multimedia interface with connectivity including Bluetooth, 'Siri Eyes Free' (iOS) and 'Google New' (Android) but no Apple CarPlay, electric folding door mirrors, premium steering wheel and gear-knob, rear view camera and cruise control (on diesel auto only).

These upgrades boost what was already a well-appointed package including numerous passive and active safety features, tilt-adjustable steering wheel with audio controls, one-touch power front windows and a 12 volt dashboard power outlet to name a few.

The Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid has three electric motors (two at the front and one at the rear), plus a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The combined output is a whopping 315kW and 580Nm.

A dedicated hybrid transmission sends drive to all four wheels. 

The iMax shares the same 2.5 litre common rail four cylinder turbo-diesel found in the iLoad and it’s just as well suited to moving people as it is to shipping heavy cargo. With 125kW at 3600rpm and a bountiful 441Nm of torque peaking at 2000-2250rpm, this refined and torquey engine uses its variable vane turbocharger (VGT) to good effect with great flexibility through the rev range.

The five-speed automatic with sequential manual shift option is the only transmission available with this engine and they are well matched. The torque converter’s stall speed and low 3.730 first gear combine with the 2.929:1 diff ratio to provide lively response from standing starts, making it well suited to stop-start city and suburban duties. The overdriven fifth gear allows economical cruising at highway speeds.

The Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid. There’s a fuel tank for petrol (95 RON minimum) and a charging flap for you to fill up the 34kWh battery.

Super hybrids are so-called because of their relatively big batteries and longer ranges. Chery says on a full 70-litre tank and charged battery the Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid has a range of 1250km (NEDC). The WLPT range isn’t given but while it will still be impressive it would be less than the NEDC. The same goes for the electric-only range of 170km (NEDC).

If you keep the battery charged, fuel consumption is outstanding. In our short time with the car the trip computer was reporting an average 1.4L/100km, which is exactly the manufacturer's claim.

I noticed that once battery charge fell below 20 per cent the fuel economy worsened to 7.1L/100km.

The battery has a 71kW DC charging capacity however and will fill up fast.  But you will have to top up frequently to get the good fuel economy.   

Hyundai claims a combined figure of 9.0 litres/100km but our numbers based on trip meter and fuel bowser readings came in at 11.8L/100km. Based on these ‘real world’ figures expect a fuel range of around 640km from its 75-litre tank.

The Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid drives silently and smoothly with strong acceleration just like an electric car for the most part while in the city at lower speeds.

Hills and higher speeds call on the engine to help but even then the transition is almost imperceptible. 

A comfortable ride with well set up suspension, light and accurate steering make for an impressive and effortless driving experience.

There are downsides, like the brake pedal feel. As in many hybrids there’s a ‘wooden’ sensation and I felt I needed to depress the brake pedal harder and longer to pull up at times. This is a heavy vehicle at 2200kg and brake response could be better.

The active safety tech is also intrusive, as is the case with so many cars these days, but the alerts and warnings can be turned off. 

Impressive comfort, refinement and low NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels ensure the task of moving people is not a chore. The iMax is well designed for its specific role in life and gets the job done with a minimum of fuss. Loads varied from driver only up to six adult passengers during our test.

Although fitted with rear coil springs the tail stills feel a bit jittery over smaller bumps.

In city and suburban traffic it’s a surprisingly agile and energetic performer that belies its 2.2 tonne-plus kerb weight, with nicely-weighted steering, responsive braking and a sharp 11.22 metre turning circle.

Although fitted with rear coil springs the tail stills feel a bit jittery over smaller bumps and road irregularities when empty or lightly loaded, as those thick coils are designed to cope with a GCM of more than 4.5 tonnes. In other words, ride quality is at its best with a decent load on board.

Wind, tyre and engine noise are well suppressed. The resulting low cabin noise is a big bonus, particularly at highway speeds where conversations between front seat passengers and those in the third row can be conducted at normal voice levels. Along with its comfortable bench seating, this quietness makes longer journeys less tiring and more engaging for all passengers no matter where they’re seated.

Driver and front passenger comfort is excellent with all controls and dash contours thoughtfully placed.

The iMax’s tall highway gearing results in only 1800rpm at 100km/h and 2000rpm at 110km/h where maximum torque also resides. Driver and front passenger comfort is excellent with all controls and dash contours thoughtfully placed, plus supportive seating with inboard fold-down armrests. Those front seats provide a commanding view of the road and all external angles thanks to large door mirrors and a rear view camera.

Our only major gripes are that in wet weather the swept area of the left-hand wiper leaves the front passenger with more than half of their forward view obscured by unswept glass. It also shares the iLoad’s terrible static interference on AM band radio at times. And one iLoad feature we would like to see shared with the iMax is its automatic central-locking mechanism which locks all doors when vehicle speed exceeds about 5 km/h

The iMax falls one star short of the maximum five-star ANCAP crash safety rating. Even so it’s equipped with numerous passive safety features including front (and now) side airbags for driver and front passenger, full lap-sash seatbelts and head restraints for all passengers, ISOFIX child restraint anchorage points for the two outer seats on the second row and three top-tether child restraint anchorage points.

There’s also the usual electronic active safety features including brakeforce distribution (important for load luggers), rear parking assist and rear view camera with guidelines, but no auto emergency braking (AEB), blind spot detection or collision alert.

The Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery has an eight-year unlimited-kilometre warranty.

There’s also roadside assistance and capped price servicing for seven years at $3174, or an average of $453 per year.

Chery's national dealer network consists of 86 sites, including 21 in Melbourne, 20 in Sydney and 12 in Brisbane.

Standard warranty is five-year/unlimited km, with scheduled service intervals of 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

A capped-price servicing scheme is in place, with $349 the standard rate ($499 for 60,000km service only).

Roadside Assist is complimentary for the first 12 months, plus there's an optional Roadside Support Plan for up to 10 years, 'Lifetime Service Plan' and 'Sat Nav Update Plan'.

You can also expect a dedicated Customer Care Centre and the ‘myHyundai’ exclusive owner website.