Chery Tiggo 9 plug-in hybrid covers distance of 1 214km in one go

The Citizen Motoring met the Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV up close at Auto China 2024 in Beijing last month. Chery International claims this South Africa-bound plug-in hybrid SUV can cover 1 400km on a full tank of fuel and fully charged battery.

This is easily done when using the industry standard WLTC driving test method to measure fuel consumption. The WLTC consists of a series of starts, accelerations, and stops in a controlled environment.

The test is carried out at an ambient temperature of 23 degrees. The 30-minute cycle is split into four phases of varying speed that eventually comes downs to an average speed of 46.5km/h. But this is not a real world test in our opinion.

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Chery Tiggo 9 put to the test

While we were in China, Chery decided to put two of its flagship models through its paces in a real everyday life, long-distance endurance test of 1 214 km to back up their claims. A Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV SUV and an Arrizo 8 PHEV Sedan embarked on a journey from Beijing through the cultural city Jinan down Wuhu in Anhui.

The pair’s 1.5-litre turbo petrol fifth-gen hybrid-specific engine with its third generation DHT hybrid transmission was more than up to the task and ensured that the demanding driving conditions were met with efficient power output and easy, comfortable and convenient switching between power sources.

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The models’ various ADAS such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking and blind spot detection took it one step further. It made sure the test’s demands were conveniently mastered with the least amount of stress on the the drivers.

The latter was further achieved by using features like the massage function of seat with its various settings. And the double-layer laminated noise-reducing glass and environmental noise cancelation.

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Electric propulsion key

It is worth noting that the advanced systems are programmed to advance the PHEV models’ efficiency. This means that they do not simply help the driver to navigate tough traffic conditions. They do do it in such a way that the vehicle remains in motion as much as possible. And the drivetrain favours electric propulsion, especially in congested and slow-moving traffic conditions.

The journey, spanning thousands of kilometres showed the boundless possibilities brought about by Chery’s technological advancement. And the exciting opportunities it opens in the new energy vehicle sector.