By Otsile Kadiege

Late last year, Chery South Africa launched the facelifted Tiggo 7 Pro Max range, introducing subtle exterior updates, a completely new interior with new technologies, improved advanced driver assistance systems and a welcomed AWD system for the top-spec derivative. We recently got acquainted with the mid-spec Executive in two-wheel drive guise.

Premium design and styling

Chery’s Tiggo 7 Pro Max has always been a good-looking mid-size cross-over SUV and the recently introduced updates makes it look a touch more charming and elegant thanks to a diamond-patterned grille, which we’ve already seen on the Tiggo 8 Pro Max range. Additionally, it features a redesigned lower bumper with vertical blue stripes (no, it’s not a hybrid) and newly designed 18-inch alloy wheel designs.

Luxurious interior amenities

Moving inside, we were greeted by a modern and premium interior. The main attraction is a dominant 24.6-inch curved display nestled atop the redesigned dashboard with touch sensitive buttons for your climate control. The new display integrates both the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment touchscreen. This setup makes use of a new infotainment system that features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

The new operating system has quite a steep learning curve due to a plethora of menus and sub-menus with jargon some might find difficult to understand. On the positive side, it has impressive graphics and it’s quite easy to operate on the move thanks to large screen buttons. 

Other noteworthy interior features include redesigned door panels with soft touch materials and a centre console with a new gear lever and shortcut buttons. Also new to the updated model are front-row bucket seats which look sporty and are both comfortable and supportive. The Executive derivative also features a large panoramic sunroof which makes the cabin feel roomy. Speaking of roomy, the second row seats have ample leg, knee and headroom as well as a commendable luggage capacity. Adding to the list of impressions is a decent sounding sound system. 

Performance and driving impressions

At the heart of the updated Tiggo 7 Pro Max 290T is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine making 145kW and 290Nm. It’s paired with a 7-speed DCT gearbox and it sends its power to the front wheels. Living with the Tiggo 7 Pro Max has been quite a breeze. The mid-size cross-over impressed us with its on-road comfort and a well-insulated cabin. Its many advanced driver assistance features are welcomed, especially adaptive cruise control which reduces the strain of driving long distances. That said, lane keep assist  can get overbearing as it constantly tried making steering corrections for us. Thankfully that feature can be turned off.

The powerplant works in perfect unison with the gearbox and it’s also quite potent although one should expect wheel spin when driving off in a hasty manner. Throttle calibration raises its ugly head at low speeds and bumper-to-bumper traffic congestion. Other gremlins worth mentioning are the fuel range you get on its 51-litre tank and high fuel-consumption (we averaged between 8 and 9l/100km).

Verdict

The updated Tiggo 7 Pro Max has definitely upped its game with the latest refresh, making the mid-size crossover SUV a more compelling buy. While it looks great, feels premium, roomy and has all the tech you’ll ever need, there are however a few creases that need ironing out before it becomes a serious threat to some of its rivals. That said, apart from those gremlins, the Tiggo 7 Pro Max Executive 2WD, priced at R559,900, is a worthy contender in a highly competitive segment.