Suzuki Jimny vs Chery Tiggo 4 PRO

What's the difference?

The Suzuki Jimny Lite is the most basic of the Suzuki Jimny line-up but that’s not a bad thing.

It’s ordinary on-road, it’s on the wrong side of small – especially in terms of cargo-carrying ability – and it’s still an exercise in driver-adaptability because it’s basic, bouncy and requires a lot of effort to keep it driving in a straight line.

But the Jimny is a lot of fun off road and even on sealed surfaces. It is go-kart-like in terms of everyday suitability and comfort, but its day-to-day drivability has received a healthy boost by way of those new driver-assist technologies and the updated AEB.

If you’re willing to give into the fun and cop a few compromises along the way, then you won’t be disappointed, because the Jimny is a tonne of fun.

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 Lite is, like the rest of the Jimny line-up, retro-cool and classic with a striking straight-up-and-down appearance sure to draw more admiring glances than sneering ‘WTF?!’ looks.

The three-door Suzuki Jimny is 3650mm long (with a 2250mm wheelbase), 1645mm wide, 1720mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 1100kg.

The Jimny has it over any rivals in this category when it comes to exterior design.

The Jimny’s interior is plain and practical. It has cloth seats, expanses of durable plastic and an overall utilitarian look and feel.

It is spartan inside, but this all-pervasive no-frills approach best suits the Jimny's simple spirit.

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.

Functionality is highest on the agenda with the Jimny rather than any attempt at a semblance of plushness.

Having said that, it is comfortable inside, but it is very basic, which is actually part of its charm though some people may rapidly grow weary of its bare-bones interior.

The big news in this small 4WD is the fact it now has a new 7.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That screen is too small but the hands-on controls everywhere else remain one of the refreshingly simple aspects that is easy to like about the Jimny.

There’s also now a 4.2-inch digital driver display between the analogue dials and that includes a speedo, as well as fuel-consumption and driving range details.

With the three-door Jimny's second-row seats in use, boot space is listed as 85L. With the second row stowed away, there’s a claimed 377L of cargo space.

Payload is a claimed 350kg and gross vehicle mass is 1450kg (the Jimny is 1100kg) so there’s not a lot of flexibility in terms of how much camping gear, dogs, or Abba CDs you can pack into this diminutive 4WD.

While others may offer more in terms of comfort and general amenities, the Jimny still wins out for day-to-day durability.

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.’

This entry-level Suzuki Jimny has the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the rest of the line-up, producing 75kW at 6000rpm and 130Nm at 4000rpm, and it has a five-speed manual transmission.

The Jimny is always zippy, manoeuvrable and punchy off the mark simply because it is so small and light, however, it feels underpowered on the open road and strained at highway speeds.

It has a part-time four-wheel drive system with high- and low-range, and off-road traction control.

While it’s far from offering the best power and torque outputs, even in the small 4WD realm, the Jimny is so light that there’s enough here to work with.

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 Suzuki Jimny has official fuel consumption of 6.4L/100km (on a combined cycle).

I recorded 7.2L/100km on this test but, as always, I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing.

The Jimny has a 40L fuel tank so, going by my fuel figures, a full tank should give you a driving range of about 550km.

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.

It may come as no surprise to any of you who have actually driven a Jimny but it is rather ordinary on road.

It's a small vehicle and quite light so it does get buffeted by passing traffic, thrown around by any wind stronger than a mild breeze, and this Zook’s ride and handling are barely the right side of atrocious.

But – and it’s a big BUT – the Jimny is still a lot of fun to drive, even as wild as it is on-road, and it absolutely comes alive when you hit the dirt.

Being light and nimble may detract from the Jimny's performance on sealed surfaces, but those characteristics help immensely when you go 4WDing in this little car.

It is highly manoeuvrable – it is very agile around the bush through tight tracks and up tight wheel-rutted hills – and it’s incredibly easy to find and maintain the correct driving line in the Jimny because it is so small and there's a tyre at each corner so you know where your wheels are positioned at any one time.

Low-range gearing is good and there's a nice spread of torque across a decent rev range. Traction control is reasonably well calibrated, although it is a little choppy in application now and then.

Basic but crucial physical aspects, such as the Jimny’s off-road angles, are well suited to off-roading with approach, rampover and departure angles clocking in at 37, 28 and 49 degrees respectively. Those help to make this little vehicle a champion in the dirty stuff.

Ground clearance is listed as 210mm but feels like more and while wading depth is not listed, it’s fair to say it’s about the 300mm mark.

Warning: the three-door Jimny is bouncy because it's so small, light and quite tall for its size, and has a narrow wheel-track.

It is very tippy and bouncy and you do get bumped around a lot but that's kind of the point of off-roading in the Jimny. It’s a barrel of laughs purely because it is such a dialled-in and driver-focused experience.

But those characteristics may rapidly become tiresome and tiring for some people who have grown accustomed and attached to more comfort and cushioning in modern vehicles.

This is a very capable off roader and it’s one of the few vehicles you can drive straight out of the showroom and have a tonne of fun in, in the dirt, but it is somewhat let down by its showroom-standard tyres (Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 195/80R15). Replace those with some more aggressive all-terrain rubber and Roberto’s your uncle.

As mentioned earlier, payload is 350kg, GVM is 1450kg.

Towing capacity is 350kg (unbraked) and 1300kg (braked) so you’re limited in how much you can drag with the Jimny, but that's okay because I don’t think too many people are buying a Jimny because they have to tow a caravan, horse float or boat. They’re buying it because it’s a shedload of fun off-road and the Jimny has that factor in abundance.

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.

The Suzuki Jimny has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Suzuki offers the first service at two months/2000km for free, then under the capped-price servicing program, your Jimny is scheduled for a service every 12 months/15,000km at an average cost of $453.

Those costs are okay for something in the small 4WD realm.

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.