Chery Tiggo 7 Ultimate Stacks the Deck in the Buyer’s Favour

The Tiggo 7 PHEV Ultimate is a $39k assassin putting nails in the coffins of complacent legacy carmakers. It is a slow and painful death, but mark my words, death will come to those who don’t meet the market. Remember when Holden had half the Aussie market? They dismissed Toyota. The collective Japanese makers dismissed the Koreans, and the Koreans dismissed the Chinese. In short, the old mastheads are slowly killing the golden egg-laying goose. They’ve taken an each-way bet that buyers won’t take that unknown name. The reality is that the established brands are the slowly boiling lobsters that will eventually become a tasty snack.

Many a brand has come and gone for not reading the room. Here is why the Tiggo 7 Ultimate PHEV is the silent “Assassin.”

The exterior is, nice. It is classy, and considering the dross available in other showrooms for under $40k, quite remarkable. Crossing the threshold of the 2026 Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid Ultimate feels like a leap into a posher future. While others are hiking prices for aging tech, Chery is among the aggressively priced Chinese carmakers delivering a high-tech “Assassin” lobbing bombs into the Australian market left and right. It is, dare I say it, plush. Although there is not a skerrick of real leather to be sniffed, the heated and cooled seats feel far more upmarket than the sticker price would have you believe.

ABOVE: Tiggo 7 PHEV

The scintillating performance of the “Super Hybrid” system is a delightful revelation. With 240kW and 510Nm, it delivers double the torque of its closest “big-brand” rivals, making highway merging silent and urgent without being manic and uncontrolled. The transition between the 150kW electric motor and the 1.5L turbo engine is seamless. There is no gearbox or transmission in the traditional sense, so the EV-like sense of power is even more noticeable. With a real-world EV range of 80km-ish, you can handle the daily commute without burning a drop of fuel but must make plugging in a daily event.

I’ve heard people say, “Oh, but I don’t want to plug in.” Then don’t. It makes absolutely no difference to my life, but I’ll be the one visiting a smelly old petrol station less than twice a year. My PHEV will be trussed up in the garage like a Christmas turkey, sucking down those gorgeous little bits of sun and wind to be stashed down below for later.

Treat it like an EV and you can’t go wrong. The difference comes after around 80km where it reverts to a regular hybrid mode. The dullards who bang on about range, range, range, go mighty quiet when you then tell them you can fill up in 2 minutes like any other car. We have had PHEV economy as low as 0.4L/100km.

A Five-Star Cabin? Yup. The interior is a delicious concoction that eschews the manic need of some brands to over-complicate. You’re greeted by dual 12.3-inch curved screens and premium materials that punch way above the price tag. The Ultimate trim adds luxuries like ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a crisp 8-speaker Sony system. Even the “Hello Chery” voice control is genuinely useful for hands-free climate and roof adjustments.

The Final Verdict: At $38,990 drive-away, the Tiggo 7 Ultimate PHEV is the best value proposition in the country. It offers more power, a sophisticated 18.3kWh battery, and superior tech for $13,000 less than the legacy competition. The “Value King” crown has officially been taken—and this car is the final nail in the coffin for the old guard.

The Pros (The “Impressed” Bits)

• The Powertrain is a Peach: It’s arguably better than the petrol version. The way it swaps between the electric motor and the 1.5L turbo is basically invisible. It’s quiet, smooth, and feels way more expensive than it is.
• Insane Range: You can actually get close to 80km on pure electric around town. If you charge it at home, you’ll basically never visit a petrol station for the school run.
• “Mercedes” Interior: The dual 12.3-inch curved screens are a CinemaScopic masterpiece. They’re bright, sharp, and make the cabin feel high-end. Plus, having cooled seats in an Aussie summer for under $40k is a total win.
• DC Fast Charging: Unlike many cheap PHEVs that take 5 hours to charge, this can take a 40kW DC fast charge. You can go from 30% to 80% in about 20 minutes while you get coffee’n’cake.
• V2L (Vehicle to Load): You can plug a toaster or a laptop into the car. Think it’s a gimmick? Wait until you’re camping or the power goes out at home—then it’s a lifesaver.

The Cons (The “Nails in the Coffin”)

The “Pitter-Patter” Ride: On smooth highways, it’s chicly limouesque. On shitty Aussie B-roads, the suspension comes over all nervous. It’s trying to manage all that extra battery weight while trying not to tip over or throw humans about the cabin like cabbages.

The “Nanny” Safety Tech: Chery’s driver monitoring system never shuts up. It’ll beep at you for looking at the mirrors too long or just “existing” near a lane line. It’s better than it used to be, but still a pain. Despite the Euro-NCAP crowd insisting our hands be held, many OEMs are delousing their interfering electronic overlords. It is only a matter of time before someone experts in distractions…

No Start Button: It’s like a Tesla. You just get in and put your foot on the brake to start and off you go. It sounds cool, but it’s actually annoying when you just want to sit in the car with the AC on without the whole system “engaging.” There is a button to keep the AC running after shutoff, but it is a faff.

Tiny Boot: Because they had to shove an 18.3kWh battery under the floor, the boot is pretty shallow. It’s fine for groceries and knick-knacks, but a big pram or a couple of hard suitcases will struggle.

Vague Steering: It feels like a video game. There’s almost zero feedback from the front wheels, so you’re constantly making tiny corrections on a winding road. I’ve given up on the pretence that road feel is anything other than a dream and it no longer worries me. I know it will go where it is pointed.

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Written by Alan Zurvas

Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.