The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro has become a common sight on South African roads since spearheading the Chinese brand’s return to the local market in 2021.
In fact in the first half of 2023 it was the country’s third best-selling SUV, and most popular B-Segment compact SUV, according to Naamsa figures (see the top 10 list here).
Chery has clearly hit a sweet spot at the affordable end of the market, and now the importer is sweetening the deal even further with the release of a new base model, called the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 LiT.
Announced at the Festival of Motoring at Kyalami this week, the new variant is priced at R279 900 in five-speed manual guise and R314 900 as a CVT. The manual undercuts the previously-base Urban model - which isn’t available in auto format - by R29 000.
Power comes from the same 1.5-litre normally aspirated petrol engine that does service in the Urban, producing 83kW and 138Nm, keeping in mind that the higher-spec Tiggo 4s are fitted with a turbocharged version of that engine, good for 108kW and 210Nm.
To make the new base model more affordable, Chery did have to snip a bit of interior spec and, unfortunately, safety features.
Items such as the voice command system now fall away, while the synthetic leather seats introduced to the Urban model in a 2022 spec upgrade are now downgraded to cloth. The airbag count has been reduced from six to two.
The service plan has also been downgraded to three-years or 30 000km (versus 5-years/60 000km in the other models) but the five-year or 150 000km warranty still remains as does the 10-year or 1 million kilometre engine warranty that applies to the first owner.
But what does the new LiT base model come with?
According to Chery Auto SA, standard features include a 10.25-inch (26cm) touchscreen infotainment system with CarPlay, Android Auto and reverse camera, as well as climate control with rear ventilation, push-button start, multi-function steering wheel and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Safety features, apart from the aforementioned dual front airbags, include ABS brakes, ESP stability program, Roll Stability Control (RSC), Hill Assist and Downhill Assist and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
While it’s unfortunate that the airbag count has been reduced, the new Chery Tiggo 4 Pro LiT appears to offer a very compelling package for the price, and the compact SUV model will no doubt become an even more common sight on the roads.