LDV G10 vs Chery Tiggo 4 PRO

What's the difference?

The LDV G10 is a solid option for those buyers who just want a van that gets the job done. It was decent with weight on board, but is probably better suited to parcel carriers rather than pallet shifters.

Safety levels are the biggest concern, as it is falling behind in the class when it comes to active safety tech, and its weak crash test score could be enough to rule it out for some customers. 

Is the Tiggo 4 Pro the best light SUV on the market? No, it falls short in some key areas, but there’s also a lot to like about it.

The driving dynamics needs more tuning to put it on par with its class rivals. I believe the Chinese brand that invests in a local ride and handling program in the same way Hyundai and Kia have done in the past decade will have a big advantage with customers. The Tiggo 4 feels too vague and unresolved at times, especially in the wet, and that could be rectified with some minor tweaks.

The safety systems also need some major work to make them smoother and less intrusive so you don’t go searching for the button to switch them off - which defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

But if you can look past (or accept) the driving and active safety issues, there are some big plus points for Chery’s latest model. It looks great inside and out, offers up plenty of value and is as practical as a compact SUV can be.

Chery has come a long way in a short space of time and with some more improvements it’s easy to see it continuing its sales growth with models like the Tiggo 4 Pro.

The more you see LDV G10 vans, the more regular they look. Familiarity breeds ignorance, I guess, but I still think the G10 looks smart. 

It isn’t quite as boxy as some, with its sleeker front-end styling and almost sedan-like tail-lights helping it stand out from the ‘box-on-wheels’ stigma. It gets 16-inch alloy wheels as standard, and has halogen headlights and misses out on daytime running lights.

But it still is a box on wheels, measuring 5168mm long (on a 3198mm wheelbase), 1980mm wide and 1928mm tall. That makes it a darn sight smaller than the new HiAce, which stepped up significantly in size, and about on par with a Renault Trafic SWB or Ford Transit Custom 300S SWB. 

The perceived build quality is mostly okay, though our test car had a few loose plastics on the outside and a seemingly mis-fit windshield rubber.

This is the area where Chery has made immense progress in such a short period of time, which underlines the rapid rate of change the Chinese car industry has been able to manage.

Whereas the J11 I drove all those years ago was a mess, seemingly designed by a team of people not allowed to talk to each other, the Tiggo 4 Pro looks smart and stylish on the outside and in the cabin.

While there are some elements of rival models to the look, there’s also a clear family design to all the Chery Tiggo models that helps create a cohesive look across the range.

It took the South Korean brands nearly two decades to achieve this level of design evolution, so it’s impressive (and worrying for rivals) that the Chinese brands have managed to do it so much quicker.

Inside, the cabin design is not only a major step forward and looks very nice for an SUV at this price point in terms of the presentation and technology.

The dual 10.2-inch screens look more premium than the car's price suggests, as does the lower digital screen for the climate control settings as well as the soft-touch finishes and gloss black trim.

Those dimensions translate to a cargo space of 5.2 cubic metres, with a load space spanning 2500mm long, 1590mm wide (1270mm between the arches) and 1270mm tall. That mightn’t be big enough for you, and that’s too bad - there is no high roof version, nor a long-wheelbase model; but you could get an LDV V80 if you really need to step up in size… but we wouldn’t suggest you do that.

The payload for this model is 1010kg, which is decent but not benchmark-setting. It has a gross vehicle mass of 3000kg, meaning a kerb weight of 1990kg. The gross combination mass depends on the model: the GCM for diesel models is 5000kg for a braked trailer, while petrol models have a GCM of 4750kg for a braked trailer (auto) and 4500kg (manual). All models have a GCM of 3750kg for unbraked trailers.

The petrol versions have 1093kg of payload, if you prefer that fuel type. Interestingly, the manual versions have leaf spring rear suspension, while the auto models have coil springs as part of a five-link suspension architecture.

The load area has a six floor-mounted and four wall-mounted tie-down hooks, and the floor is lined with a vinyl covering while up to half-height the inner walls are lined, too. There are four lights mounted on the walls, which is handy for after-hours work.

And every LDV G10 comes with dual sliding side doors (some brands charge thousands more for this convenience), while the back door is a tailgate as standard, with the option of barn doors for diesel models.

For those who need to fork loads in, the barn doors are a no brainer, because the side door apertures (at 820mm wide) aren’t broad enough to load in using a lift. The tailgate also makes it very difficult to load weight in, as we found on test, as our mates at Crown Lifts had to use long tines to fork in our 750kg ballast.

When it comes to creature comforts up front, there is a pair of low-mounted pop-out cupholders, and an open storage area between the seats. There isn’t much covered storage, so if you often carry valuables, you may need to keep that in mind. 

The seats are comfortable and offer good adjustment, and they’ve been changed since the diesel auto model launched. They’re no longer a cheap-feeling fabric, but rather a faux-leather accented, mesh-lined set of seats, and both have armrests. Nice.

The presentation is okay, but the ergonomics could be better. The touchscreen is mounted down lower than most, and means you may need to take your eyes away from the road because the controls are down even lower. And the USB? Near the floor.

That screen is still a 7.0-inch display, but now has the same software system as the newer models in the LDV range. That means a nice crisp colourful display with the added advantage of Apple CarPlay… if you can get it to work. We had a few issues when reconnecting a phone without re-starting the car. 

Starting with the question of space, the Tiggo 4 Pro actually offers up good room, for what is ultimately a compact SUV. No, it’s not ideal for a family of five, but for anyone looking for an urban-friendly runabout for singles or couples, it plays that role nicely.

The fronts seats are quite nice, comfortable and offer good support. There’s adequate space in the back to take children, or even adults, with some compromise to the front seat position, but that’s in line with expectations for any model this size externally.

The boot holds a claimed 380 litres, which is quite generous when you compare it to the likes of the CX-3 (264L) and Venue (355L), but can’t match the likes of the Yaris Cross (397L) and Nissan Juke (422L).

The technology in the car is impressive for an SUV this size, especially given the price. The dual 10.2-inch displays look slick, as does the lower screen for climate control, which gives a hint of Audi or Range Rover vibe to the cabin.

The multimedia system is straightforward to use, thanks in large part to the wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but I did find the ‘Hello Chery’ voice command system hit and miss - although, to be fair to Chery, I find all these voice command systems hit and miss.

One minor amusement is the ‘welcome theme’ that plays when you get in the car. Many brands do this trick, a short musical jingle when you open the door to welcome you inside. The team at Chery went a little overboard, though, and wrote a whopping 15-second theme (yes, I timed it with a stopwatch), which feels like major overkill. Thankfully it can be turned off in the set-up menu.

Chery was not backwards in coming forward with the launch of the Tiggo 4 Pro, with Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris claiming it is “Australia’s best value SUV.” It’s a huge call to make, but there’s no doubt the Tiggo 4 Pro offers a lot for a competitive price.

There are two model grades to choose from, the Urban, which is priced from $23,990, and the Ultimate, which is $26,990 - and crucially both those prices are drive-away.

That gives Chery a clear financial advantage on its rivals. That’s because the most affordable rival is the Hyundai Venue at $22,500 (plus on-road costs), while the cheapest Mazda CX-3 is $26,950 (plus on-roads) and Toyota’s entry-level model in the hybrid-only Yaris Cross is $30,900 (plus on-roads).

Both the Urban and Ultimate feature the same powertrain, so the difference is in their specification.

The entry-level grade comes equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, a synthetic leather-trimmed steering wheel, dual 10.2-inch screen display (one for the instrument panel and one for the multimedia), digital radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (wired & wireless), ‘Hello Chery’ voice command and all LED exterior lights.

Stepping up to the Ultimate adds 18-inch alloys, heated front seats, a six-speaker sound system, 360-degree surround camera view, a power sunroof and power-folding exterior mirrors.

All told, the Tiggo 4 Pro is a very good value SUV - even if I wouldn’t go as far as calling it the ‘best value SUV in Australia.’

Under the bonnet of the diesel G10 is a 1.9-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 106kW of power and 350Nm of torque. There’s the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, and the G10 is rear-wheel drive. It has a diesel particulate filter, but not stop-start or AdBlue.

Prefer petrol? There’s a 2.4-litre five-speed manual model (105kW/200Nm) or a 2.0-litre turbocharged six-speed auto (165kW/330Nm). Those models are cheaper - $25,990 for the manual for ABN holders, while the turbo-petrol auto is $30,990 d/a. 

As mentioned earlier, both Tiggo 4 variants are motivated by the same powertrain. Specifically, it’s a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels.

It makes 108kW/210Nm, which is quite competitive against its rivals, which adds another layer of appeal. The CVT does a decent job and the engine pulls strongly and smoothly in most situations. It’s one of the more impressive elements of the dynamic package.

The combined cycle fuel use claim for the LDV G10 diesel auto is 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres. The manual version uses 8.3L/100km according to the brand.

On test we saw a fuel use return of 9.7L/100km at the pump, across a mix of urban, highway and freeway driving, with and without a load. 

Petrol models use a claimed 11.5L (manual) and 11.7L (auto) per hundred.

The official fuel economy figure for the combined cycle is 7.3L/100km, which is well off class-leading for a compact SUV.

The Kia Stonic has claimed ratings between 5.4-6.7L/100km (depending on the model) and the Mazda CX-3 has a 6.3L/100km claim, but Hyundai’s Venue manages 7.0-7.2L/100km to make Chery’s figure stand out less.

We saw a 9.2L/100km on the trip computer on test, but that was almost exclusively urban driving. The claimed urban cycle figure is 8.9L/100km, so the real-world economy isn’t too far off Chery's claim.

However, it’s clear that the punchy engine performance comes at a cost of efficiency, so that should be factored into your consideration of the Tiggo 4.

It does have a fairly large 51-litre fuel tank, which means it has a theoretical driving range of nearly 700km.

You probably wouldn’t choose an LDV G10 as a daily driver if you didn’t intend to use the cargo zone at least 80 per cent of the time.

But if - for whatever reason - you really want to use a van like this on a day-to-day basis, you won’t hate it. 

The G10 drives pretty nicely for this type of vehicle. It isn’t as bouncy when unladen as some of the other vans out there, with the suspension proving very quick to settle and mostly very compliant across mixed surfaces. 

The steering wheel can jostle a bit over sharp edges, but it steers well, with decent (not too heavy) weighting and predictable response at all speeds. 

Without weight on board the engine feels reasonably urgent in its response, which is a bit of a surprise because it’s not a powerhouse based on its outputs. It revs smoothly and pulls with good strength, with little turbo lag to contend with. While it is a bit of a grumbly engine at times, the response is better than adequate.

Plus the transmission is well sorted, with smooth shifts that are predictable.

The braking response is definitely better without weight on board, with a decent progression to the pedal and decent bite when you press hard on the anchors.

The Tiggo 4 Pro Ultimate made a strong first impression… until the moment I started driving it. As impressive as the brand’s design evolution has been, there is still work to be done on the dynamic side. 

While the engine performance is good, the ride needs some fine-tuning as it’s quite soft, which is good for soaking up bumps but also means less chassis control.

The bigger issues are the steering and the brakes, both of which are below the level of Chery’s rivals in this segment.

The steering is too light, which normally wouldn’t be a deal-breaker as it makes parking and navigating traffic easy, but combined with it being unevenly weighted it becomes problematic.

It leads to a disconnected feeling between the driver and the road, and while I understand that a compact SUV doesn’t have to have sports car-like ‘steering feel’, it feels disconnected and that leads to it feeling vague to drive at times.

It doesn’t help that the Giti tyres fitted to our test car don’t provide very good grip, especially in the wet. During a summer rain shower the front end of the Tiggo 4 felt like it was going to understeer at times, with very little grip when turning, even at low speeds.

This problem is compounded by a long brake pedal, with very little initial bite when you press it. Instead, you need to bury your foot in order to get the Chery to slow with any sense of urgency and that led to some uneasy moments during our test drive.

Then there’s the adaptive cruise control, which I’ll dive into later in ‘Safety’, but has a major impact on the driving experience. Put simply, it has very poorly calibrated lane keeping assistance when the cruise control is activated, which seemingly cannot be turned off, despite turning off lane keeping assistance separately.

This leads to the car drifting in the lane until it finds the lane marking and then rather aggressively tugging the steering wheel to push you into the centre - and then begin the process again. This leads to near-constant tugging of the wheel in your hand which is as unnerving as it is annoying.

The Tiggo 4 Pro hasn’t been crash tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP yet, so there is no third-party safety rating. However, it does come with a comprehensive list of active driver assist systems (ADAS), notably across both the Urban and Ultimate variants.

The list of fitted equipment includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), emergency lane keeping, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, adaptive cruise control, integrated cruise assist, lane change assist, rear collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, door opening warning and a driver monitoring system.

That’s a lengthy array of features, which should score the Tiggo 4 well, however, as we mentioned above, it’s hard to give a good review when some of these systems are so poorly calibrated for real-world conditions that we turned them off (or attempted to).

While some, such as the driver attention system and door opening warning do their job well, others are too intrusive or aggressive when activated and spoil the driving experience.

The key villain is the lane keeping when the adaptive cruise control is activated, with the previously mentioned tugging at the wheel.

This repeated wandering in the lane followed by a firm tug at the wheel is simply not good enough and needs to be recalibrated by Chery as soon as possible.

What makes it so maddening is that other systems seem well-calibrated. For example, the driver attention warning is very good for a modern car, not overly sensitive and emitting a subtle chime when it notices your eyes wandering off the road. So Chery needs to take the same care and precision with its other systems.

LDV isn’t close to the leaders in the segment for ownership, with a behind-the-times three-year/100,000km warranty (admittedly with the same cover for roadside assist), and no capped price servicing plan. 

Service intervals are every 12 months/10,000km, which is short, and you need to get an initial service done at 5000km, too. 

If you’re worried about long-term longevity, you can check out our LDV G10 problems page.

As a still new-to-Australia brand, Chery has made the smart move and is offering a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plus capped-price servicing and roadside assistance for the same period on all models. This gives buyers taking a chance on an unfamiliar brand some peace-of-mind should anything go wrong.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) and servicing is only $280 for the first five workshop visits, rising to $375.64 for the sixth service and $295.54 for the final one covered by the initial plan.

That means a total of just over $2071 to maintain your Tiggo 4 Pro for the first seven years of ownership.

There are still long-term questions about reliability and residual values Chery needs to answer, but only time can tell what those answers will be. Given that, the seven years of ownership coverage is a strong offer.