Hyundai Ioniq 6 vs Chery Tiggo 7

What's the difference?

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 will stand out in any automotive crowd, thanks to its distinctive aero-influenced design.

It’s well-equipped for the money, surprisingly roomy, energy efficient and notwithstanding some niggles around the ride and steering feel, comes up to scratch dynamically.

Does it do enough to apply the thumb screws to the likes of Tesla's Model 3? I think it’s got a pretty good shot, and it will be interesting to see if EV buyers embrace the car’s unusual streamlined look.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

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.

Lots of cars are said to be “shaped by the wind” but all you have to do is look at the Ioniq 6 to know that in this case it’s 100 per cent true.

In fact, images of the car in Hyundai’s wind tunnel show it performing more like a perfectly shaped wing than a four door sedan.

With a drag co-efficient (Cd) of 0.21 it’s slicker than the ultra low-drag Tesla Model 3 and Porsche Taycan. And while not conventionally pretty it’s certainly a striking and unusual design.

Flush door handles? Of course. Carefully sculpted spoilers front and rear? Yep. Active air flaps? Check. The RWD Dynamiq’s 18-inch alloy rims are shaped for aero efficiency, while the top-spec Epiq grade even swaps out conventional side mirrors for super-cool digital cameras and interior OLED screens.

And the sleek looks continue inside with a two-section dash divided horizontally by a swoopy winged insert and topped with a pair of 12.3-inch screens covering multimedia and instrumentation.

The look and feel is minimalist. A lot of the controls are on screen or digital, but a physical dial for audio volume gets a big safety and convenience tick. 

No gearshift in the bridge-like centre console. A rotary stalk is located behind the steering wheel on the right-hand side.

There’s configurable ambient mood lighting with six pre-selected themes and the materials used inside are suitably eco-friendly.

Cloth seat trim is recycled PET plastic, as is the headliner, the dashboard skin is manufactured using bio-ethanol, the carpet is made from recycled fishing nets (!), and bio paint (partially derived from vegetable oils) is used on the doors. 

Yes, there’s leather, but its dyeing process uses biodegradable flaxseed oil rather than conventional pigments, which is a good thing in terms of fewer harmful microorganisms in waste water, and is claimed to reduce CO2 emissions by 3.8kg per car. 

On the outside, recycled pigment paint made using ‘end-of-life’ tyres is applied to the body cladding, and bamboo charcoal pigment paint is used in the ‘Digital Green’ pearl colour option.

Speaking of which, there are seven other colours available; three more pearl shades - ‘Abyss Black’, ‘Ultimate Red’ and ‘Biophilic Ink’, as well a single metallic ‘Nocturn Gray’ and a solid ‘Byte Blue’. ‘Gravity Gold’ matt finish is the only extra-cost choice at $1000. 

The Tiggo 7 hybrid sticks to the combustion car’s relatively tame styling. Chery hasn’t followed rivals like BYD, MG, and Kia down the track of having more extreme designs, instead choosing something that will appeal to many people. It still has a glitzy grille, big wheels, and a contemporary light bar across the tailgate, but maintains a pretty standard boxy visage.

It’s even difficult to tell the plug-in hybrid apart from the combustion car, with the main differences being the more aerodynamic wheel designs, and a different and more sleek light-bar piece across the rear.

The inside is much the same story, looking nearly identical to the combustion version. 

If you look closely, you’ll see the lack of an ignition button, because you just put your foot on the brake to start the car, but other than that it’s a familiar and contemporary synthetic-leather-clad space.

If anything there’s an element of Mercedes worship, with the door trims, switchgear, and even dual-panel screen layout looking like an homage to something like an A-Class.

Again, it shoots for mass appeal rather than choosing to make a statement on design direction, and for many will be nice enough.

The Ioniq 6 is just under 4.9m long and the wheelbase is close to three metres, so no surprise there’s an impressive amount of space inside the car.

A flat floor enhances the roomy feel, plus controls for windows and mirrors are located in the centre console or on the dash rather than the front doors, which has allowed the armrests to be trimmed down for some extra breathing space.

As mentioned earlier, there’s no gearshift in the centre console, either. It takes the form of a rotary stalk on the right hand side of the steering column. It doesn’t take long to get used to and I found it pretty handy to use.

There are large bins in the doors with space for bottles, two cupholders in the console and a medium-sized lidded storage box (which doubles as a centre armrest) between the seats.

A lengthy tray underneath the main console keeps additional loose items under control and a generous glove box slides out from the dash rather than flipping open. So, there’s plenty of storage on offer.  

Move to the rear and it feels like you’ve teleported into the back of a stretch limo. With the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position there is huge legroom.

Hyundai says thanks to the use of high strength steel the backs of the front ‘relaxation’ seats fitted to the AWD models are appreciably thinner than normal, also increasing rear space.

Rear headroom is fine sitting in a normal, relaxed position, although sitting bolt upright my bonse grazes the headliner. 

Three abreast for adults will be okay for short runs, but not a goer for lengthy road trips. Three up to teenage kids will be fine, though.

Speaking of kids, parents will appreciate ‘Quiet Mode’ which limits audio to ‘25’ in front and mutes the rear. Perfect for uninterrupted sleep back there, or keeping the noise to a minimum for those furiously focused on their favourite game or a movie.

Backseaters are provided with bins in the doors, although the section scooped out for bottles is small, there are two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, netted map pockets on the front seat backs and a small slot for keys or a phone under the adjustable air vents at the rear of the front console.

Connectivity and power options run to three USB sockets in the front (one Type-A for media and charging, plus two Type-C for power only), a 12-volt socket under the front console, and two Type-C ports in the back. That’s plenty. 

Boot space is 410 litres (VDA), and the rear backrest split-folds 60/40 to liberate more room. Worth noting there are no tie-down anchors in the boot, but there is an underfloor storage compartment, plus a 45L ‘frunk’ under the bonnet of the RWD and a 14.5L storage space in the front of AWD models.

The boot lid is powered but there’s no spare, just a mobility kit. Grrrr!

If you want to hook up the tinny or camper trailer, towing capacity is 1500kg for a braked trailer and 750kg unbraked.

A bi-directional ‘Integrated Charging Control Unit’ (ICCU) allows for ‘Vehicle to Load’ (V2L) functionality on the inside and the outside of the car. There’s a house power-style three-pin outlet at the base of the rear seats or a simple adapter plugs into the charging outlet. Super-handy for camping, picnics, you name it.

There are a few quirks that mean the Tiggo 7 isn't the most practical option in the space, but it hits on some key things regardless.

For a start, the seating position is a little odd. It’s a bit too high which is good for visibility, but not so great if you don’t want to feel like you’re being tossed side-to-side in corners.

And while the seat and wheel have a reasonable range of motion for adjustability, the fixed nature of the dual screens and how close the wheel sits to them will make taller drivers feel like they're peering down on the screens, or that they’re blocked by part of the steering wheel.

At least visibility is excellent out of the cabin and the plush seat trim makes for a comfortable drive.

Also a little strange is the shifter. You need to properly depress the brake pedal to get it to shift into drive or reverse. Simply holding the brake pedal enough for the car to be stopped isn’t good enough, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to do a quick three point turn.

Weird ergonomics aside, there’s enough cabin storage. This consists of a large bottle holder in each door, a further two with spring-loaded edges in the centre console, and there’s a bay for your phone which is also the wireless charger on higher grades. Covering the bottle holder and phone area is a somewhat old-school rolling shutter. Good for cable management, I suppose.

Underneath the bridge-style console is another textured storage area, which is good for loose objects or small bags, and the armrest box is nice and deep too.

This brings us to the screens and lack of dials. On the plus side, there is a dedicated touch panel with shortcuts for most of the core climate functions. This is never as good as having actual tactile buttons and dials, but it’s better than full touchscreen controls.

The screens, meanwhile, are fast and sharp, but the software is downright ordinary, and not good enough if you’re going to make screens such a focal point of the car.

The sheer number of different menus and confusingly labelled tabs within them makes adjusting things on the fly pretty frustrating and there’s something of a learning curve to try and figure all the bits out. The worst part is it’s not even consistent in terms of menu layouts and locations between the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8.

The Tiggo 7's digital dash is fine. It’s a dual-dial layout with a few screens on the right side to toggle through. Weirdly the trip computer seems to only record the last 50km in this panel. I wish it was more customisable and presented data in a more attractive way.

At least the wireless Apple CarPlay was seamless and worked well in my time with the cars.

The back seat is a highlight of the Tiggo 7. The abundance of synthetic leather trims continue into the rear doors, as do the soft seat bases. Behind my own driving position (I’m 182cm tall) I had leagues of legroom and headroom was great too. Amenities are okay, with a pocket on the back of each seat, a single USB port, adjustable air vents, and two storage trays. There’s a large bottle holder in each door and in the drop-down armrest, too.

At the time of writing, Chery was yet to provide official figures for the boot space, which is thought to be slightly different from the combustion car. For reference, the combustion car’s boot measures in at 356 litres to the top of the seat backs, which is far from the largest in the category. and frustratingly there’s only a tyre repair kit under the floor as well as the 12-volt battery and high-voltage inverter for the charging system.

It’s important to also call out that the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid doesn’t get a household power outlet anywhere in the cabin or boot, which feels like a missed opportunity to make the most of its battery.

Yep, you’ll pay $39,990 drive-away for an entry-level Tiggo 7 Urban in plug-in hybrid guise, and while some brands might offer you a pretty barren spec for this sort of price, it’s absolutely not the case here.

Even this entry-level version is stacked with kit, including LED headlights, 18-inch alloys with aerodynamic design, synthetic leather interior trim with power adjust for the driver, dual 12.3-inch screens for the multimedia suite and digital instruments, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dual-zone climate control, acoustic glass for the windscreen, tyre pressure monitoring, keyless entry and auto-start, a six-speaker sound system and a decent reversing camera.

Not shabby at all. The top spec in the hybrid’s two-variant range is the Ultimate, wearing a price tag of $43,990 drive-away. It adds some arguably unnecessary touches like a panoramic sunroof, colour-selectable ambient interior lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, memory functions for the driver’s seat, an eight-speaker Sony-branded sound system, a wireless phone charger, puddle lamps, privacy glass, and a 360-degree parking camera.

The best value in the range? It’s hard to go past the base car, but if I were to choose, I’d pick the larger and more luxurious Tiggo 8 plug-in hybrid seven-seater instead, which starts from $49,990, still excellent value.

The entry-grade Ioniq 6 is the rear-wheel drive Dynamiq, featuring a 168kW/350Nm permanent magnet synchronous electric motor on the rear axle powered by a liquid cooled lithium-ion battery.

The all-wheel drive Techniq and Epiq models feature an additional permanent magnet motor at the front for a combined output of 239kW and 605Nm.

Drive is fed to the wheels via a single-speed reduction gear auto transmission on the rear or both axles.

Underneath a plastic cover there’s a mass of nearly unrecognisable stuff, but under the bright orange cablework and an enormous black plastic air box, there’s a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (105kW/215Nm) mated up to what Chery calls a one-speed ‘dedicated hybrid transmission’.

I think Chery is underselling it by calling a quite clever hybrid transaxle a ‘one-speed’ transmission, because it’s far more complicated than that and makes this car more than a one-trick pony.

You see, with clutch packs and software and an electric motor that can put out even more power than the engine (150kW/310Nm), this hybrid system makes this version of the Tiggo 7 the best one to drive, and makes it remarkably efficient, even when the battery is drained, and not all plug-ins can claim the same.

All versions of the Ioniq 6 carry the same 77.4kWh lithium-ion Polymer battery and the car’s 800V architecture allows it to use 350kW DC fast charging for a 10-80 per cent fill in 18 min.

The number of genuinely fast chargers available is increasing rapidly and that fill time is impressive.

Drop to 400V (50kW charging) and that time increases to 73 min, while 7.0kW AC charging from 10 to 100 per cent will take close to 12 hours.

The ports behind the not-fuel flap are a Type 2 for AC and CCS Combo2 for higher powered DC charging.

And if all else fails, you’re also equipped with a portable charger/cable so you can access house power for a full charge in, wait for it… 34 hours 20 min.

Quoted WLTP range for the RWD Dynamiq is 614km, that number dropping to 519km for the more powerful, dual-motor Techniq and Epiq models.

The WLTP combined cycle energy consumption figure for the Dynamiq is 14.3kWh/100km, with the Techniq and Epiq models at 16.9kWh/100km.

A ‘Disconnector Actuator System’ (DAS) on the front axle of the AWD grades is able to automatically engage and disengage drive to the front wheels as required, to reduce mechanical drag, lower energy consumption and increase driving range.

On test, in the Dynamiq, over a mix of suburban, b-road and freeway running we saw an average of 16.1kWh/100km which is a pretty good result.

Officially, the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid can travel up to 93km in purely electric mode thanks to its big 18.3kWh battery, although this is on the more lenient NEDC standard. 

We’ll need to get the car back for a longer test to see how far it can travel in EV mode in real-world conditions as results tend to vary greatly between PHEVs, especially on a launch drive.

Regardless, the clever hybrid system I was talking about before is important because unlike some of its rivals, this Chery is still pretty efficient even if you forget to charge up.

The battery maintains a reasonably high level of reserve charge, which allows the car to draw from a deeper reservoir for electric acceleration, which it can then replenish with regenerative braking or when using the engine idle time as a generator.

Chery says it will consume less than 6.0L/100km even with a depleted battery and that’s about what we saw on all of our test cars, which hovered between 4.1 and 5.8L/100km, despite being driven hard on country roads.

The pitch is it’s as efficient as any plugless hybrid anyway, regardless of whether you charge it. An interesting shift in mindset.

Officially, the Chery Tiggo 7 consumes just 1.4L/100km (although this accounts for the battery being charged), and it can drink entry-level 91 RON fuel, too.

Charging is also a good story, with the Tiggo 7 able to top up on both a slow AC charger, and a fast DC charger, slashing charging times when you’re on the go. On a fast charger, it can charge at a maximum speed of 40kW, allowing a quoted 30 to 80 per cent charge time of just 20 minutes.

Hyundai claims the RWD Ioniq 6 Dynamiq will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds, which is not hanging around, and it feels every bit that quick. 

In fact, it has more than enough performance for sharp response in the city and easy cruising on the highway.

Step up to the AWD Techniq or Epiq and you’re hitting 100km/h in just 5.1 seconds, which is properly rapid. 

A single-speed ‘shift-by-wire’ reduction gear auto transmission sits on the rear or both axles and you have the choice of ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Custom’ drive modes, which fine-tune power output, accelerator response, steering weight as well as power distribution between the axles on AWD models.

Hyundai’s ‘E-Active Sound Design’ (e-ASD) changes the ‘sound texture’ as you drive with a noise roughly approximating Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder coming through the speakers.

It’s fun for a while, but I found myself turning it down, then off, for the majority of the launch drive. And in that silent mode you can feel and hear (or not?) the impact of the car’s super-slippery shape. No wind noise and only modest tyre rumble at 110km/h on the freeway. 

The Ioniq 6 sits on Hyundai’s ‘Electric Global Modular Platform’ (E-GMP) which features the flat battery pack mounted low down, skateboard-style, between the axles. 

Suspension is strut front, five-link rear, and although the set-up hasn’t been tuned locally, Hyundai Australia says it’s been involved in the development. 

The front seat remained comfy after hours behind the wheel, but it must be said bumps and thumps from typical highway surfaces made their presence felt on a regular basis.

That’s not unusual for a full electric vehicle, but with the RWD Dynamiq riding on relatively cushy Hankook 225/55 ventus S1 evo3 rubber, it’s surprising.  

In corners you can feel the effect of the car’s low centre of gravity with the battery and motor(s) mounted low in the chassis. It hunkers down and remains beautifully balanced and secure through sweeping bends.

But even though the car points nicely, a meaningful connection between the front tyres and your hands on the steering wheel is MIA. 

The physical brakes are vented discs at the front and solid rotors at the rear, adjustable through ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ settings, and they’re nice and progressive.

However, there’s more fun to be had with the regenerative braking, adjustable through three levels (‘Strong’, ‘Medium’, ‘Soft’) via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Move to the highest setting and you’re in ‘i-Pedal’ mode which means for the majority of the time easing off the accelerator is all that’s required to wash off speed before coming to a reasonably prompt halt.

In terms of ergonomics, the simple dash layout works well thanks to a sensible mix of digital and physical controls, the head-up display is crystal clear, and the big screens for media and instrumentation are hard to fault.

A word of warning, though. An over-speed chime fires four times when you even marginally exceed the detected limit. It quickly becomes intensely annoying, the saviour being an off button in the vehicle settings menu. Downside is it defaults to ‘on’ every time you stop and re-start the car. Ugh!

This plug-in version of the Tiggo 7 is the best to drive, although it’s not free from quirks and is still far from the front of the pack when it comes to driving dynamics.

As previously mentioned, the high and upright driving position hardly sets the scene for a sporty drive, with even rivals like the Mitsubishi Outlander nailing this key ergonomic factor.

On the flipside, visibility out of the cabin is excellent, as you can peer down on things and easily manoeuvre in tight spaces.

The steering is also too artificial, communicating very little feel from the front wheels to the driver, and this conspires with an overly-soft suspension tune for a floaty, disconcerting feeling in corners.

A driver’s car this is not, but the trade-off for the lack of dynamism is a car that's pretty comfortable over adverse road conditions. The Tiggo 7’s spongy ride has it simply floating over rough bits of road, and compressing relatively nicely on larger bumps and undulations.

Certainly a choice has been made to make this car better for urban commuters than trying to strike a balance for country roads and cornering and risk making the ride unpleasant on daily bumps. Still, there are rivals that strike a better balance out in the market.

Perhaps the most interesting element of driving this car though is its electrified engine and transmission. Effectively this system behaves like a continuously variable transmission (CVT), but it feels as though it uses its big electric motor far more than it uses the engine.

Chery says they’ve used software to tune the car in such a way that it makes better use of the electric components. The car can draw more deeply from a bigger battery reserve compared to a plugless hybrid for stronger acceleration, and it can also store far more energy from regenerative braking or engine idle time.

The other side effect is a high level of cabin refinement. The Tiggo 7 is a surprisingly quiet place to be, to the point that it’s hard to tell when the engine is even running, it’s so quiet.

It’s also quick in a straight line, primarily using electric drive for the take off, with the engine coming to life only when it really has to for support. Even under extremely heavy acceleration the engine doesn't scream to life in an unpleasant way, instead whirring along in the background.

It’s not insanely fast, nor would you want it to be with its slightly unsettling suspension and steering, but it has enough power in Sport mode to easily overwhelm the halfway decent Maxxis tyre it scores from the factory.

Road noise is more of a problem than the engine, noticeably picking up at speeds above 80km/h.

In conclusion, this car is comfortable but dynamically uninspiring, with a clever and quiet hybrid system. It will suit family buyers looking for a comfortable, quiet, and efficient car, but keen drivers might want to look elsewhere if budget allows.

The Tiggo 7 CSH is equipped with the usual laundry list of active safety gear, including auto emergency braking, lane keep aids, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (with auto braking), and many of the more recent systems like door open warning, traffic jam assist, driver monitoring, and speed limit information.

It also scores adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera on the base Urban, with a 360-degree suite appearing on the top-spec Ultimate.

Of course, what you really want to know is whether these systems are well calibrated. Chery, after all, made headlines when it launched in Australia with some wily safety kit on its Omoda 5.

But the brand has clearly listened, because the usual offenders, like lane keep assist and driver monitoring were relatively tame in our time with the car. The interrupted occasionally, but in much more reasonable intervals. It’s vastly improved, if a little inconsistent at times. 

One thing I don't like is how much the system tries to centre the car in the lane when in adaptive cruise mode. The steering would fight you with some strength if you disagreed with its interpretation of the lane. It’s not as deal breaking as some systems I’ve used, but could definitely use a bit of leeway regardless.

The Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid comes equipped with eight airbags (the standard front, side, and curtain, plus a knee and centre airbag).

This new plug-in hybrid Tiggo 7 is yet to be rated by ANCAP at the time we put this review together, but the combustion Tiggo 7 Pro holds a current maximum five-star rating to the now-outdated 2023 standards.

Hyundai covers the Ioniq with a five-year, unlimited km warranty, with eight-year, 160,000km protection for the high-voltage battery. Both are industry standard these days.

There’s a lifetime servicing plan with maintenance intervals set at an impressive two years/30,000km. 

At this stage cost is $560 a throw, which is pretty handy when you consider the lengthy service intervals. 

A ‘Premium Roadside Support Plan’ is complimentary for the first 12 months and renewed annually while the vehicle is serviced by Hyundai.

Also complimentary is a ‘Sat Nav Update Plan’ which includes nine updates to be used within 10 years.

Chery continues to use favourable ownership terms to help establish itself in the market. The Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid is covered by seven years and unlimited kilometres of warranty, seven years of roadside assist, and seven years of capped-price servicing.

The servicing program varies year-on-year, with a surprisingly expensive service of nearly $1300 due at the 90,000km mark. All said and done it works out to be $453.45 per year to service over the seven year duration, which isn’t super affordable, but it’s also not overly expensive.