A new Chinese competitor joins the Israeli seven-seater market at the Parisby showrooms. The Chery Tiggo 9 is a larger and more powerful version of the popular Tiggo 8 and will be the fourth vehicle in the Chinese manufacturer’s Israeli lineup with a plug-in hybrid system, following the Arrizo 8 sedan and the pair of crossovers, Tiggo 7 and 8. As revealed on Walla, the price is under NIS 250,000, approximately NIS 70,000 less than the comparable Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento.
With dimensions of 4.81 meters in length, 1.925 meters in width, 1.74 meters in height, and a 2.8-meter wheelbase, the Tiggo 9 is larger than the 8 in every aspect: 8.5 cm longer, 6.5 cm wider, 4 cm taller, and 9 cm longer in wheelbase.
The trunk capacity with all seats in use is modest, only 143 liters, expanding to 819 liters when the second row is folded.
The drive unit is based on a 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine with three electric motors, two at the front and one at the rear. The gasoline engine produces 143 hp, the front electric motors 222 hp, and the rear electric motor 238 hp, for a combined output of 428 hp. The 34.46 kWh battery allows a relatively long official combined electric range of 148 km and charges at a 6.6 kW single-phase rate (3.3 kW practical in Israel), which will require about 10 hours to charge a nearly empty battery in most homes. Fast charging is available at 71 kW.
Performance is very agile: 0–100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, a top speed of 180 km/h, and fuel efficiency of 59 km/l combined and 16 km/l in hybrid mode with an uncharged battery.
The safety specifications include 10 airbags, autonomous emergency braking forward and backward, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping, blind spot monitoring, door opening warning for occupied lanes, automatic high beam, and more.
Currently, the Tiggo 9 is marketed in a single trim level, Noble, which includes a 15.6-inch multimedia and control screen, a 10.25-inch digital dashboard, a head-up display, a Sony 14-speaker sound system, wireless phone charging, electric adjustment and massage for the front seats, electric adjustment for the second-row seats, leather upholstery, remote start, and a smart key. It also comes with 20-inch light alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, a powered tailgate, and surround-view cameras.
Warranty: 5 years for the vehicle, 8 years for the battery, or up to 150,000 km.
In terms of dimensions, the Tiggo 9 is similar to the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, which come with non-plug-in hybrid systems and front-wheel drive. It is also better equipped than the base seven-seater Korean models, which start at NIS 320,000.
Soon, Calmobil will launch the JAC 8 in Israel, a model equivalent to the Tiggo 9.