Chery Tiggo 9 launched in China as flagship SUV, price equals to RM 99k

Chery is churning out SUV after SUV. After introducing the updated Tiggo 3X in China, the company just launched the Chery Tiggo 9.

Positioned as a mid-sized SUV in China, Chery will be offering both 5- and 7-seater versions of the Tiggo 9. Prices in China start from CNY 152,900 (~RM 99k) and tops out at CNY 203,900 (~RM 132k). The top-spec Tiggo 9 is also Chery’s most expensive SUV at the time of writing.

In China, the Chery Tiggo 8 competes against similar-sized, domestic SUVs like the GAC GS8, Changan Uni-K, and Haval Big Dog. Chery’s more upmarket Exeed marque is aimed at foreign brands like Toyota and Volkswagen.

Also Read: 11 photos why Chery should introduce the Exeed Yaoguang in Malaysia

Powering all variants of the Chery Tiggo 9 is a turbocharged 2.0-litre TGDI 4-cylinder petrol engine with 261 PS and 400 Nm, mated either to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic or an 8-speed torque converter automatic. Electrified versions are expected to be introduced in the near future.

Design-wise, the Chery Tiggo 9 embodies Chery’s current design language without looking as garish as the Omoda 5. Instead, there’s a simple massive front grille with two slim LED headlights on each side. There’s also L-shaped surrounds on the bottom that breaks the monotony.

The elegance of the Tiggo 9 carries over to the rear as well – there’s no fancy curves or fancy design elements here, only clean and simple lines. The full-width LED tail lights get vertical lighting elements, and there’s also a brushed aluminium trim beneath the CHERY wording.

If we were to nitpick, it would be the faux exhaust tips; the real exhaust exits are actually underneath the bumper. Wheel sizes for the Chery Tiggo 9 range from 19- to 20-inches.

The upmarket positioning of the Chery Tiggo 9 is also reflected in the cabin. There’s wood-like textured panels and soft touch materials on the dashboard, as well as brushed aluminium finishing on the air-cond vents.

As with most modern-day Chinese vehicle, the Chery Tiggo 9 gets dual 12.3-inch screens up front, one for the digital instrument cluster and the other for infotainment duties. Both screens are driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 system-on-chip (SoC) and audio is routed through a Sony 14-speaker sound system.

Closer to home, Chery Malaysia is set to launch the Chery Omoda 5 and Tiggo 8 Pro in the near future. Whether or not Chery Malaysia decides to introduce the Tiggo 9 here is up in the air, but do you think that the Tiggo 9 could be a worthy alternative to other 7-seater SUVs sold here?

Also Read: Priced from RM 123.8k, 2023 Proton X90 launched in Malaysia - Proton's first MHEV 3-row SUV