Chery gave South Africans a sneak peek at its revised Tiggo 7 Pro Max at the Festival of Motoring held at Kyalami over the weekend.
The new ‘Max’ model receives design updates inside and out as well as a new 1.6-litre turbopetrol engine that’s good for 145kW and 290Nm.
That’s a significant increase over the 108kW and 210Nm offered by the current Chery Tiggo 7 Pro’s 1.5-litre turbo engine.
The new 1.6T engine will be paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the new version will be offered with all-wheel drive for the first time.
The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max also ushers in a subtle facelift that sees the compact SUV gain a fresh diamond-patterned grille as well as a redesigned front bumper with larger vertical side elements that have cascading bars.
The Tiggo7 Pro also receives an infotainment upgrade inside, where the current 10.25 inch (26cm) digital instrument cluster and infotainment systems get replaced by larger 12.3 inch (31.2cm) screens. Furthermore the current 15kW wireless phone charging pad has been upgraded to 50W.
The Max gains new sports seats too, and the AWD version will be equipped with an upgraded advanced driver assist package of semi-autonomous driving features, now graded as Level 2.5 versus the current model’s Level 1.5.
Other standard features include a powered tailgate, panoramic sunroof, and powered front seats with heating and ventilation.
On the safety front, the airbag count has been expanded to include crash bags between the front seats.
As with the current Tiggo 7 Pro, the 1.6T Max will be sold with a five-year or 60 000km service plan as well as a 10-year or one million kilometre engine warranty for the first owner.
The new model is expected to reach local showrooms before the end of this year, with pricing to be announced at launch.