Chery Tiggo 9 vs Subaru Outback

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.

The Subaru Outback Sport Touring XT is what you get when you want a beefed-up station wagon masquerading as an SUV that can handle adventuring and haul the family around in comfort. The limited edition has all of the great features you'd expect from a top model and a reasonable price tag but its fuel thirst will turn some people off.

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.

The Sport Touring XT model is only available in the exclusive Geyser Blue paintwork (you'll either love it or hate it), has green accents scattered across the body and sports sharply styled and dark 18-inch alloy wheels.

The rear gets black badging and a spoiler but the black plastic moulding that Subaru is well known for is well and truly present.

There are some small design differences between the limited edition and it's siblings but at the end of the day it looks like an Outback.

Head inside and you'll find a solid and well-built cabin. The dashboard features a flashy 11.6-inch tech screen but the instrument cluster is still mostly analogue with a small 4.2-inch screen.

There are heaps of buttons and dials to play with and you also get a proper gear-shifter. The design will make this a winner for folks who want a car to look like a car, with its controls where they expect them to be.

Overall, the cabin feels premium but isn't fussy.

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 cabin of the Outback has always been practical but the premium features this grade comes with ensures proper comfort for all occupants.

Seat comfort is high with the powered front seats that have heat and ventilation functions but the driver benefits the most with the extendable lumbar- and under-thigh supports.

The rear row is almost as comfortable as the front where passengers feel secured by the padded side bolsters, while taller occupants will love the head and legroom on offer. The heat function for the outboards is appreciated and the directional air vents are easy to position.

The 213mm ground clearance means it's easy getting in and out of the model but access to the back row is a little annoying. The footwell lip sits high and catches unsuspecting feet but it's the doors that made my eight-year-old grumble this week because they're heavy to operate.

Storage up front isn't class-leading but you get a glovebox that fits a manual, a dual-opening middle console, two cupholders and drink bottle holders, as well as a sunglasses holder and small cubby in front of the gear-shifter (which is annoying to access).

Storage is much better in the rear with four map pockets, storage bins in each door, two cupholders and two drink bottle holders to choose from.

The boot has 522 litres of capacity available, which is plenty of room for a road trip or a big grocery haul and the level loading space makes it easy to slide things in and out. You get a proper full-size spare tyre, which is rare nowadays and the powered tailgate is always a handy feature.

Technology feels well rounded and the touchscreen multimedia system is responsive and easy to use. However, the portrait position makes the icons and text on the wireless Apple CarPlay look small and I may have made a few accidental calls this week because of it.

The satellite navigation is easy to use and there's also wireless Android Auto. Charging options are decent with each row getting a single USB-A and C port but the front misses out on a wireless charging pad.

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There are usually five variants available for the Subaru Outback but the model on test for this review is a special edition that blends the qualities and features of the top Touring XT but with some exclusive design changes.

Did we need it? Probably not but Subaru has wisely kept the price increase to a minimum, so the AWD Sport Touring XT is $57,490 before on-road costs, just $500 dearer than the usual top grade.

Despite looking more like a station wagon, the Outback sits in the large SUV segment and when it comes to an 'apples to apple' comparison, there's nothing really to compare it to.

With that in mind, the Skoda Superb Sportline wagon costs $74,990 drive-away, and a more traditional SUV like the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 162TSI R-Line is priced from $60,590 MSRP.

The standard premium equipment for the Sport Touring XT model includes Nappa leather upholstery, eight-way powered front seats with the driver enjoying additional lumbar and under-thigh support, as well as two-position memory function.

Also included are heating and ventilation functions for the front seats, heat function for the rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and sunroof with manual blind.

Technology is well-rounded with an 11.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system with satellite navigation, dual climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, AM/FM radio, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, two 12-volt sockets, and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

Practical features include dusk-sensing LED headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, keyless entry/ start, a full-size spare tyre and hands-free powered tailgate.

The limited-edition model is well-specified and while it lacks the extra two-seats that its rivals have, it still offers solid value.

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 Sport Touring XT gets a 2.4L four-cylinder turbo-petrol boxer engine that produces a hefty 183kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

The re-tuned continuously variable transmission (CVT) system feels like it is changing gears but it's smooth and punctual, no matter the speed.

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.   

Unfortunately, the turbo-petrol engine is thirsty and the official combined fuel cycle figure is 9.0L/100km.

With its 63L fuel tank, you have a theoretical driving range of up to 700km, which is best-case scenario but expect less range if you’re a city dweller.

After doing a mix of open road and city driving this week, my real-world usage came out at 9.3L, which is better than I expected.

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. 

The Sport Touring XT model is nice to drive. The best word to describe the on-road experience is ‘smooth’.

Power delivery is prompt and getting up to speed feels effortless. It's a great open roader but also feels spritely in the city.

The ride comfort is excellent and it’s only when you hit the highway that the wind noise starts to creep up, otherwise, the cabin is quiet and you can chat with back passengers without raising your voice.

The higher ride doesn’t translate to a bumpy suspension and while you’re aware of the road, you’re never bothered by it.

The steering is on the right side of firm for it to feel agile and competent no matter what you’re throwing at it. Visibility is also pretty good but the headrests in the back seat, when up, can hinder your rear-view vision.

The Outback sits at 4870mm long and 1875mm wide, so it fills out a car space but the higher ground clearance means you’re not worried about scraping on ramps and it’s relatively easy to park.

However, it feels cheeky to not have a 360-degree view camera system at this grade level. The reversing camera it comes with is sufficient, but you miss out on front parking sensors.

The Outback has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2021 and features eight airbags which includes a front centre airbag.

It also scored highly across its individual assessment scores with ANCAP. It got 88 per cent for adult protection, 91 per cent for child protection, 84 per cent for vulnerable road users, and 96 per cent for its safety assist systems.

Standard safety equipment includes blind-spot monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring, LED daytime running lights, rear and forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, emergency lane keeping aid, emergency autonomous steering, lead vehicle start alert, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera and front parking sensors.

The driver monitoring system has been improved from previous models and while still sensitive, it no longer chimes at you all the time, which is a welcomed change.

The Outback has two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top-tether anchor points. The rear seat is wide enough to accommodate three child seats if they're not too large.

The auto emergency braking (AEB) has car, pedestrian, cyclist and back-over detection and is operational from 1.0 to 160km/h but it's usual to see this system operate from 5.0km/h, which is excellent.

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.

Subaru offers the Sport Touring XT model with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty but it’s becoming more common to see longer warranty periods being offered now.

You can pre-purchase a three- or five-year servicing program and the three-year program costs $1406.57 (average of $469).

The five-year option costs $2646.17 (average $529 per service) which is reasonable for the class.

Servicing intervals are good at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.