First Drive: Chery’s Tiggo 4 is here to conquer the compact crossover segment

What is it?

Chery’s popularity in the UK has been steadily increasing, despite the brand’s recent arrival in the UK just over six months ago. Since that point, its sales have been rising and in March, it tripled the number of cars it shifted, with demand for its Tiggo SUVs pushing this. Already, this Chinese brand is making its mark on the UK market, and its latest model – the Tiggo 4 – is here to supercharge its success.

Why? Well, the Tiggo 4 enters one of the most popular vehicle segments in the UK – compact crossovers. It’s where big-hitters such as the Ford Puma call home. To come out on top, the Tiggo 4 has to do something special. We’ve been trying it out.

What’s new?

The Tiggo 4 uses Chery’s current recipe for success. You take a standard platform, bring all of the technology that buyers could want and offer it at a price that undercuts pretty much everything else. It’s worked so far, of course, and other brands within the Chery stable, such as Jaecoo and Omoda, have seen this method bring them best-selling status.

It’s why the Tiggo 4 gets a pair of high-definition screens and loads of more upmarket features, while doing so with a starting price of £19,995.

What’s under the bonnet?

For now, the Tiggo 4 is available with a single powertrain. It’s a standard hybrid setup based around a 1.5-litre petrol engine. With just over 200bhp and 310Nm of torque, it’s not the most powerful, which is reflected in the car’s 8.6-second 0-60mph time and 93mph top speed. No, what this engine is focused on is usability, which is why all versions get an automatic gearbox as standard as well.

Being a ‘regular’ hybrid, the Tiggo 4’s powertrain can’t run on electric-only power at any meaningful speed or for any real distance, but instead works to assist the petrol engine and make it more efficient. Chery claims a combined fuel economy of 53.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 120g/km, which are bang-on for the segment.

What’s it like to drive?

Many of Chery’s models haven’t offered what you’d call sparkling dynamics, but instead an easy-to-get-to-grips-with feel that’ll make most drivers feel at home. It’s a similar story in the Tiggo 4; the acceleration on offer is decent enough and though there’s a fair bit of road noise, we’d attribute this to the budget, off-brand tyres that are equipped on all models. Get some more premium rubber on and we’d imagine refinement would take a big boost. The automatic gearbox shifts smoothly, too, and the power delivery itself is easy to manage.

Unfortunately, the steering is pretty unpleasant, with a heavy, indirect feeling that leaves you questioning in which direction the wheels are heading. In this area, the Puma is leagues ahead. That said, you do get a slightly raised seating position, which elevates you over the road ahead, and the car’s boxy shape means that your parking should be a breeze.

How does it look?

The Tiggo 4 follows a similar design theme to the rest of the SUVs in the Chery range. You get a huge front grille with an intricate pattern, while at the rear, there’s a full-width lightbar. It’s all quite boxy and off-road inspired, and it’s a look that we’d imagine will appeal to most buyers.

Colour-wise, there’s not much choice with a selection of greys and blacks making up the available palette. That said, a bright red colour provides a helpful dash of colour for those who want it.

What’s it like inside?

Space and practicality are good inside the Tiggo 4. The car’s boxy shape means that headroom is decent throughout the cabin and even with taller people sitting up front, there’s enough room for occupants to get comfy in the back. Material quality is good, too, with plenty of soft-touch materials used in key areas such as the dashboard and armrests. There are harsher plastics lower down, but this car does cost just under £20,000, after all.

Boot-wise, you’re looking at 430 litres or 1,155 litres with the rear seats. It’s boxy and easy to access thanks to zero loading lip. That said, there’s an odd bulge at the rear of the boot section, and this is due to the intruding battery underneath, which seems like really strange packaging. Surely mounting the battery a few inches lower would’ve made a complete flat boot floor?

What’s the spec like?

Here’s where the Tiggo 4 really hits home. At £19,995, it’s competitively priced. In fact, it massively undercuts the Ford Puma – which starts at £27,145 – while even the Citroen C3 Aircross comes in at £21,445. Entry-level Aspire cars get a large central infotainment system, a rear-view parking camera and dual-zone air conditioning. It feels as though Chery has listened to feedback, though, as there are far more physical buttons than there have been on previous models. You’ve got quick-touch controls for lots of features and this makes the whole cabin a lot more intuitive.

Move up to Summit, priced from £21,995, and you get a 360-degree parking camera, an upgraded six-speaker sound system and privacy glass. However, you’ve got to argue that since the base model comes with so much equipment, there’s very little need to opt for the higher-spec car.

Verdict

As has happened with many Chinese-made cars, the Tiggo 4 doesn’t offer an all-that-convincing dynamic experience. The steering is well beneath what we’d expect from the segment, and the whole car doesn’t feel that dynamic.

But at such an attractive price, you have to start wondering where the line is drawn. It’s got all of the tech that drivers will want and comes with a seven-year warranty. For many, the value that the Tiggo 4 offers will trump its on-road shortcomings.