Isuzu D-Max vs Chery Tiggo 9

What's the difference?

The new engine makes the D-Max a much more likeable ute than it already was, which is high praise.

It’s smoother and quieter and makes for a more pleasant drive. The added efficiency is a bonus both for your wallet and Isuzu’s emissions credits.

The 3.0-litre engine will probably remain the favourite, but anyone who test drives a 2.2L might even be tempted to opt for the smaller unit. Isuzu sure hopes so.

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

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 look of the D-Max depends on the grade you end up with, but the 2.2-litre SX and X-Rider variants down the lower end of the model-run are still pretty standard-looking utes. Inside and out.

You get fairly rugged styling that fits in for both work and play, and the interior is functional, if getting a little outdated. 

The black trim (and extra features) that comes with the LSM X-Rider as opposed to the SX is worth it if you’re keen to get a 2.2-litre-powered D-Max for the family rather than one for a fleet as it just elevates things slightly.

Inside, it also means nicer cloth, and not having the vinyl flooring looks a little less ‘farm ute’.

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 D-Max remains straight-forward inside, given nothing has changed with the update aside from the 2.2-litre engine and the addition of stop-start - there’s a button for that now.

The interior and usability of the D-Max, especially in the lower-end variants where the 2.2L engine is available, is focused on the basics.

Tech remains at a relative entry point, where the 8.0-inch screen and its software feel outdated but do everything you need. Plus of course there’s the phone mirroring workaround.

The D-Max is comfortable and spacious enough, there’s also physical buttons for everything including media and climate settings, and adjustability in terms of the seating position means not needing to reach.

In dual-cab versions, there’s enough space for an adult to sit in the second row behind another adult, so the D-Max also holds its own as a family hauler. Tick.

Importantly, Isuzu is now able to claim a 3500kg braked towing capacity across the full D-Max range thanks to the new 2.2-litre engine.

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.  

There is only one grade in the Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid line-up - the Ultimate - and it lists for $59,990. It’s remarkably affordable compared to many rivals and the value is outstanding.

As you might imagine the Ultimate is fully loaded with features.

There are leather seats - powered adjustable, massaging, heated and ventilated in the front, while the second row outboard seats are heated and ventilated, too.

There are big screens - a 15.6-inch media display and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster as well as a head-up display. There’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, a 12-speaker Sony sound system and digital radio.

There are LED headlights and tail-lights, 20-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof, privacy glass and a power tailgate. 

The new 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder comes with 120kW and 400Nm, that’s 10kW and 50Nm more than before. Isuzu also says there’s 60 per cent more torque ready from near-idle at 1000rpm.

An eight-speed auto replaces the six-speed, but the brand has also culled the manual options that remained in the line-up.

As ever, that sends power and torque to a part-time 4WD system capable of 2H, 4H and 4L with a rear diff-lock.

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 biggest advantage for the new drivetrain from Isuzu’s perspective is that it’s more fuel efficient.

The old engine’s 6.9 litres per 100km become 6.6L/100km in the new engine, in part thanks to a new stop-start system. That system is also now on the 3.0-litre engine, where 8.0L per 100km drops to 7.1L.

With its 76L diesel tank capacity, the D-Max should theoretically be able to travel more than 1000km on a single fill, although that comes down to a lot of variables - that 6.6L figure was achieved in almost lab-like conditions.

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.   

Let’s start with the most important part of the updated D-Max. The new 2.2L is smooth. 

It feels so much more refined physically, but it's also quieter. Paired with the new eight speed, it makes the D-Max a much more likeable ute than it was with the rattly 1.9L.

At the launch, Isuzu had a bunch of MU-Xs to drive (keep an eye on a review coming soon), and the new drivetrain actually suits that big family SUV down to a tee.

The power and efficiency changes are second to how much it changes the characteristics of the thing.

If anything, the D-Max sits in a slightly higher gear than necessary, probably to try and eke as much out of the diesel dual-cab as possible in terms of fuel efficiency, but put your foot down and a more appropriate gear is close-by, and without much fuss.

There's also a relatively good stop-start system. It's not seamless but it's better than some. You take your foot off the brake and the engine rattles back to life, rather than waiting for you to put your foot back down.

The rest of the D-Max’s behaviour is pretty standard ute stuff, as it was before.

The steering is on the light side, but accurate enough even though it has a slightly doughy spot dead-straight. It’s not anything you wouldn’t expect from a ute.

Similarly, the brakes are a bit spongy but predictable, and once you’re used to where the ‘bite’ point is it’s easy to live with.

The suspension is a bit busy, but easy to keep on top of and doesn’t jostle you around. 

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 Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP yet, but the safety tech is in abundance with everything from AEB, front and rear cross-traffic alerts with braking, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot warning.

For child seats there are three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX points in the second row only.

There are also 10 airbags onboard.

I’ve mentioned the intrusive safety alerts in the driving section, and while they can be turned off, they can also be life saving.

Isuzu’s six-year/150,000km warranty covers the D-Max, which could do without the limited distance, especially for a workhorse.

There’s also five years of flat-rate servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, costing $469 each time.

That’s gone up about $20 per visit since the update, with total cost over the five years at $2345.

There are 164 Isuzu dealers across the country, so finding somewhere to service shouldn’t be a challenge.

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.