Chery will be hoping to emulate the success of its highly popular Tiggo 4 Pro with the launch of the all-new Tiggo Cross at the end of October.
Although pricing has yet to be announced, the Chinese carmaker says the newcomer will be positioned between the Tiggo 4 Pro and Tiggo 7 Pro models, meaning it’s set to compete in the hotly contested sub R500,000 space in South Africa.
The Tiggo Cross is being marketed as the Tiggo 4 in many markets abroad, but the local importer decided to position it differently in South Africa in order to retain the current Tiggo 4 Pro, given that it is the country’s best-selling compact SUV.
Chery Africa’s Head of Product Neel Hariram said models such as this are created with a degree of local input.
“Chery continuously conducts customer research and product interaction. Over the past three years, Chery SA has been sending and gathering local data, and sharing this with the Chinese Research and Development team. This culminates in inputs to future model development, such as the Tiggo Cross.”
Hariram was speaking at an online preview event for the new model, where local media were also introduced to the Chery Design Centre’s Technical Director Sajdin Osmancevic.
He explained that the design of the Tiggo Cross was inspired by the Chinese concept of “Da Qi” which relates to grandeur, majestic elegance and a sense of harmony.
The SUV’s giant shield-shaped grille, which extends into the vertically positioned daytime running lights, has carefully created diamond patterns.
“With the grille, we wanted to provide additional detailing that will enrich the product and feeling,” Osmancevic said.
“Adding the grille is important to show the precision in execution. It takes a lot of effort to make things precise, so that was the main driving force behind the grille. It made sense to add sharpness to the front fascia. The grille highlights Chery’s dedication to detailing.”
Behind that big grille lies a 1.5-litre turbopetrol engine that produces 108kW and 210Nm.
The cabin, which boasts a dual-screen layout in overseas versions, will boast a wide array of technological, convenience and safety features, Chery SA promises.
That’s as much as we can tell you for now. Watch this space for more information on the Chery Tiggo Cross later in October.
IOL