Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery is officially back in South Africa.

The local arm of the group this week launched the Tiggo 4 Pro, with a choice of four derivatives, two petrol engines and three transmissions. 

“There has been a lot of anticipation for the official entry of Chery Automotive to South Africa,” says Chery South Africa (SA) executive deputy GM Tony Liu.

“We believe that the Tiggo 4 Pro is the perfect foil with which to enter this market, thanks to its highly competitive price positioning, it‘s high specification level and its head-turning design.”

Ground clearance on the vehicle varies between 170 mm and 180 mm, depending on the choice of wheel and tyre.

The Urban and Comfort specification grades offer the normally aspirated 1.5-l engine, with 83 kW of power at 6 150 rpm, and 138 Nm of torque at 4 000 rpm.

In the case of the Urban grade, power is delivered to the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. 

The Comfort model is fitted with Chery’s continuously variable transmission (CVT), with paddle shifts for manual override mode.

Customers who opt to step up to the Elite and Elite SE grades have the choice of either a manual transmission with six speeds, or the CVT. 

In these models the normally aspirated four-cylinder engine is also replaced with a 1.5-l turbo petrol engine.

The Chery 1.5T delivers 108 kW of power at 5 500 rpm, and maximum torque of 210 Nm in a wide band between 1 750 rpm and 4 000 rpm.

CVT models fitted with the turbo engine also have a driving mode selection between standard, economical and sport, and accompanying steering adjustment modes between eco and sport.

Safety features include antilock braking and electronic brake force distribution, equipped disk brakes all round with an electronic parking brake, electronic stability programme, traction control, roll stability control, hill descent control and hill assist.

All these features are standard across the range, says Chery SA.

All Tiggo 4 Pro models also have a digital instrument cluster. 

Inside the vehicle there is also a touch enabled 10.25-inch central infotainment system. 

This system is equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two USB ports in the front and one in the rear, a DVD player and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity. 

This system also displays the image from the reverse camera on all but the entry-level Urban model.

Elite versions have intelligent voice control built in, with a semantic processing system that understands many different accents and pronunciations, promises Chery SA.

The Urban and Comfort models are fitted with air conditioning, while the Elite models have a dual-zone climate control system and standard sunroof. 

All models have rear air-conditioning ducts.

The Elite models have leather upholstery with an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

All models also offer keyless access.

The Tiggo 4 Pro will lock and unlock automatically as the driver approaches or leaves the vehicle, and the doors will lock automatically as you drive away.

All models also have a child lock system, a vehicle immobiliser and alarm system, and at least two airbags. 

Elite models are equipped with additional front side and curtain airbags, for a total of six airbags.

In an effort to add peace of mind to customers shopping for a new brand, Chery has announced a ten-year/one-million-kilometre engine warranty.

All Chery Tiggo 4 Pro models are also sold with a five-year/60 000 km service plan as standard.

The vehicle range is priced between R269 900 and R359 900. 

That Warranty
Chery SA’s ten-year or one-million-kilometre engine warranty has two elements, explains the manufacturer.

A standard five-year/150 000 km factory warranty applies to all new Tiggo 4 Pro models sold. This warranty remains with the vehicle. 

The second, a free extension for another five years and 850 000 km, is focussed on the engine, and is added automatically at the end of the first warranty, provided that the vehicle is still the property of the original owner. 

The warranty requires the service and repair of the vehicle by Chery dealerships, using original Chery parts and components.

Added to this warranty, Chery has also announced a deal with the Automobile Association of South Africa to provide roadside assistance and support for five years, unlimited kilometres. 

Dealership Expansion
Chery SA has appointed 30 new vehicle dealers across South Africa. 

The new Chery dealers offer a range of sales and support services, including vehicle finance from Chery Financial Services, in a new finance alliance with WesBank.

The network reaches as far north as Louis Trichardt and cover towns and cities like Bloemfontein, Welkom, Klerksdorp, Middelburg, East London and Gqeberha.

Major cities like Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town have several new Chery dealers, with other towns and cities like Polokwane and Mbombela to “follow soon”.

“While we are starting with 30 operational Chery dealers. We will expand quickly to make sure that no South African motorist is far away from a local and trusted Chery dealer,” says Liu.