Growing family: Chery adds a cheaper Tiggo 9 PHEV wagon to its SUV line-up
Chery has expanded its Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid line-up in Australia with the introduction of a new front-wheel drive variant, lowering the entry price of its flagship SUV by $7000 before on-road costs.
Priced from $52,990, the new Tiggo 9 Elite FWD undercuts the existing all-wheel drive Ultimate, which is priced from $59,990 plus on-road costs.
The Elite adds to Chery’s presence in the jam-packed family SUV segment, which already includes the Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid that tops out at $49,990 drive-away.
The new variant retains the same three-row seven-seat layout and core technology as the AWD model but introduces a simplified lower output powertrain and cuts equipment levels.
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Both versions are powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with electric motors as part of Chery’s Super Hybrid system, however the front-wheel drive model uses a dual-motor set-up driving the front axle only.
This results in combined outputs of 225kW and 450Nm, compared to the all-wheel drive version’s more powerful three-motor configuration, which adds a rear motor to deliver 315kW and 580Nm.
The FWD model also features a smaller 19kWh lithium-ion battery, compared to the AWD’s larger 34kWh pack, which impacts electric-only driving range. Chery claims up to 90km of EV range for the front-drive version, versus up to 170km for the all-wheel drive model (NEDC).
The Tiggo 9 Elite FWD retains a long claimed combined driving range of up to 1250km, along with highly theoretical fuel consumption figures of around 1.3L/100km on the NEDC cycle.
While the Tiggo 9 Elite FWD retains a strong level of standard equipment, it misses out on a number of higher-end features offered on the Ultimate AWD. These include a head-up display, ventilated and massaging front seats, heated second-row seats and a heated steering wheel.
The Elite also swaps leather upholstery for synthetic trim and uses an eight-speaker Sony sound system instead of the Ultimate’s 12-speaker set-up.Other omissions include automatic parking assist, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and rear side parking sensors, while the Elite rides on smaller 19-inch alloy wheels compared to the Ultimate’s 20-inch items.
Retained standard features include a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 360-degree camera, panoramic sunroof and heated front seats.
The Tiggo 9 Elite FWD is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms from May 2026.
