Big, bold and plugged in

CHERY: TIGGO 9 REWRITES RULES OF FAMILY LUXURY

- Jacques van der Westhuyzen

It's not the sexiest car on the road. But it’s big, bold and turns heads. Some might even say it’s a bit of a bully.

I'm referring to Chery’s new flagship eight-seater SUV, the powerful plugin hybrid (PHEV) Tiggo 9. And there’s a lot to like about it, from its power and torque, which is pretty scary to be honest, to its luxurious interior features. Then there is the price, and this, too, is impressive.

But more on this a little later. Let me tell you about my week spent with this attention-grabber.

The first thing my teenage son said to me once I'd pulled up to the garage after taking “ownership” of the car was that “the mothership is here”. And that’s a pretty good assessment of this Tiggo 9 beast.

The PHEV is so quiet you don’t even know the car is switched on. It’s the same when you're actually driving 120km/h on the highway, whether with the battery or petrol. You just don’t hear it.

I was lucky enough to have the Tiggo 9 for a trip to the Kruger National Park last month and thankfully so because we were a group of five adults heading to the “bush”.

And with a third row of seats there was more than enough space to get everyone in, including all the luggage. With the seats down there’s plenty packing space, a total of 2 065 litres at its maximum.