Chery 1 Tank Challenge 

Chery 1 Tank Challenge 

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Chery on top!

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Lerato's Fuel Economy Log

Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV

Tank size: 60 litres

Chery's claimed distance: 1,350 kilometres

Distance covered: 1,374 kilometres

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Challenges are welcomed with the utmost zeal here at TopGear SA, so when Chery SA rang and said it wanted us to take its yet-to-be-launched Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 9 PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) models and travel 1,400km on a single tank of fuel, we jumped at the opportunity. Of course, with such an undertaking, we were rather sceptical about how we would approach this and make it as authentic as possible without digressing from the task at hand. 

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Let's paint the picture 

So here’s the scene. We find ourselves in Midrand, Johannesburg, and the keys to the soon-to-be-launched Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV SUV are firmly in hand. The task is to fill the 70-litre tank with fuel, seal the fuel tank cover, and drive to the southernmost point of Africa, Cape Agulhas, on a single tank of fuel. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? However, there were a few metaphoric bumps on the road awaiting us. The first, as we set out, was the traffic congestion we encountered due to a vehicle accident, which forced us to take back routes to circumvent the gridlock. 

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What motivates the Tiggo 9? 

Under the bonnet sits a 1.5-litre turbo, 4-cylinder petrol engine that pushes out 115kW and is augmented by a 34.6kWh battery pack, which brings the total system power to 450kW and 920Nm. However, it must be noted that these figures do not entirely translate to the road. The vehicle is brisk, but not quite in the neck-jolting nature we have come to expect of vehicles with such colossal power on tap. And that is not to take anything away from the big Chery, as it still manages to blast past slower traffic with great fervour and zeal, thanks to that fat seam of torque on offer. 

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Getting on with the task at hand 

Of course, the challenge here is that we lost precious time, but moreover, our fuel range was compromised somewhat. That said, we nosed the Tiggo 9 towards the N1 Bloemfontein direction, where we would collect the Tiggo 7 and continue our trek towards Cape Agulhas. The Tiggo 9 is a large SUV with exemplary comfort levels that left us mightily impressed, while the NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) levels remain lofty enough to be considered premium, which speaks volumes of the Chery brand’s evolution. 

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As we set off from Johannesburg, our range was around 1,014km on the petrol engine side and around 154km on the battery end, so we had a total range of 1,168km, which is far off the 1,350km claimed figure, and Cape Agulhas is around 1,400km. So, at this stage, we are definitely on the back foot. Nonetheless, our sojourn along the N1 towards Bloemfontein is relatively flat, which means our range is compromised as we have to be on the throttle to maintain momentum. Of course, by the time we reach Kroonstad, our range has gone south since there was no opportunity for energy regeneration on the battery side, and we have all but depleted the battery. 

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Our initial plan was to overnight in Bloemfontein after collecting the Tiggo 7 PHEV, but we thought we could easily do 600km on the first day and overnight in Gariep, about 200km beyond Bloemfontein. A great idea during planning, but we quickly realised that this was futile as we arrived in Bloem, properly spent, and after spending 8 hours on the road at fairly pedestrian speeds, an overnight in the City of Roses would have been the ideal plan. We had underestimated the task ahead. No matter, we continued to soldier on towards Gariep after tucking into a late dinner, and it was that 215km stretch where I truly started to struggle. Driver fatigue was setting in, and I had to take measures such as opening windows and splashing some water on my face to remain awake. It partially worked, but by the time we got to Gariep, all we needed was a bed and a good night’s rest. 

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The following morning, we set sail early to continue our record expedition. We had covered 620km since we left Gauteng, but my range was around 630km, and we had 780km to travel to our final destination, so things were not looking good at this stage. Oh dear! Nonetheless, I had conceded that covering 1,400km on a single tank was a pipe dream, so the next best thing to aim for is to breach the 1,350km claimed range. The game was firmly on! 

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The kilos tick over

We headed towards Graaff-Reinet, which was another 245km from Gariep, but thankfully, the route had a great deal of downhills, which boded well for our energy regeneration for the electric batteries. As such, we managed to recoup some energy along the way, and we arrived in Graaff-Reinet with 340km left in our driving range. Our next overnight stop would be Oudtshoorn, which is an additional 317km from Graaff-Reinet, so things were starting to get rather hairy for me. Of course, I was determined to break Chery’s claimed figure, so that is what I had in my crosshairs. I managed to nurse the vehicle to Oudtshoorn, which meant I had covered 1,246km since I left Gauteng. No mean feat. I had 95 kilometres of driving range left, so I knew I would run out of fuel the next day without a doubt. 

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So as morning arrived, I packed the vehicle again, got some padkos, and nosed the vehicle towards Cape Agulhas, which was another 330-kilometre stint. At this stage, only Ntsako still had skin in the game to reach our final destination, while my goal for the day was to exceed the 1,350-kilometre mark. I coasted as much as I could through some mountain passes, but I quickly ran out of fuel, and the vehicle switched to the battery, which only had 19km of range. I have driven many an economy run in my career and have done well, winning in my class, so I’m well-versed in extracting the best fuel range out of cars. 

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At this point, the vehicle is showing I have 5km of range before it loses power with the throttle response now null and void, eventually rolling to a complete stop. As I glance at the odometer, the total distance travelled is 1,374km since I left Jozi, and I have broken the Chery claimed figure by 24km. I will take that as a victory! 

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Looking back at this challenge, it is quite incredible to see how far hybrid technology has come with PHEVs in this instance, even proving more economical than diesels, which is incredible. This was a good test bed to see how PHEVs can fit into the Mzansi context, where we tend to travel vast distances, and EV charging infrastructure remains a contentious and challenging topic surrounding EV ownership. 

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With me out of the challenge but content with my results, it was time to hand over the baton to Ntsako, who still had skin in the game…

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Meanwhile, in the Tiggo 7 PHEV corner…

Ntsako's Fuel Economy Log

Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

Tank size: 60 litres

Chery's claimed distance: 1,200 kilometres

Distance covered: 1,290 kilometres

Truth be told, you get to learn a lot about a car when the mission is as simple as driving from point A to point B on just one tank of fuel. This isn’t my first time with the Tiggo 7, but it's my first with the plug-in hybrid variant, and while that may sound like a walk in the park, it’s anything but. From Bloemfontein to Cape Agulhas is no joke. I am talking about more than 1,000km of winding roads, navigating challenging mountain passes, dodging potholes, and surviving trucks that seem to think you don’t belong on the same road. No cheating. No shortcuts.

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It’s not my first attempt at such a challenge either, so I knew exactly what to expect. It’s a daunting task, no doubt about that. No aircon, no open windows, lighter luggage (yes, I travelled light), and absolutely no speeding. When your top speed is 80km/h, even a 50km trip can feel like a lifetime—so imagine 1,000km. Patience. That’s the real fuel here.

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While Lerato took on the challenge in the larger, more luxurious Tiggo 9 PHEV from Jozi, my task in the Tiggo 7 Pro PHEV was slightly different – make it to the same destination but starting in Bloem, using only a full battery, a brimmed 60-litre tank, and as much eco-discipline as I could muster. Not your typical leisure drive but a taste of range, refinement, and real-world PHEV potential. 

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Meeting the Tiggo 7 PHEV

I arrived in Bloem on a chilly winter evening. The Tiggo 7 PHEV was already plugged in at a charging port, dressed in a grey metallic paint job that looked properly premium under the city lights. Full battery? Check. Full tank? Check. Destination? Gariep Dam, 200km away, normally a two-hour trip, but when you’re hypermiling, you’re turning that into something much more prolonged. Especially at night. Especially with trucks bullying you off the road, but we made it to Gariep Dam just after midnight, safe and sound.

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Now, about the car: this is Chery’s first-ever plug-in hybrid, and it pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with an electric motor, delivering a combined 265kW and 530Nm, figures that you appreciate, even if you’re not allowed to enjoy them fully on a challenge like this. The instrument display indicated that I'm sitting at an impressive 960km, but with that full battery, I was sitting just under 1,000km of potential. Then there’s the interior, which is solid and impressive. Chery has made big strides in interior design, and the seats offered good support even after hours on the road, the infotainment worked without fuss (thanks to wireless Apple CarPlay), and the panoramic sunroof added a nice touch of openness. For a hybrid on a budget, this felt far removed from any shoestring budgets.

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Making peace with the slow lane

The second day was the one to look forward to. After a drive around the Gariep Dam just to savour the scene and get documented footage, it was back on the road. While the thought of using cruise control would make the journey more comfortable, I steered clear of it. It works against you on this type of run. Especially downhill, where it insists on maintaining its speed instead of letting the car coast and save energy. It was just me, the throttle, and a whole lot of discipline. My playlist was sorted, and I toggled between EV and Eco modes the whole way. Regen braking was my best friend on the downhills. On flat roads, I made peace with the slow lane. 

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After a long, focused day behind the wheel, I rolled into Oudtshoorn 841km later, the longest single stretch I’ve done in one go from Bloem. Amazingly, I still had around 350km of range left, with just 329km to go before hitting Cape Agulhas. 

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Almost the final stretch 

The next morning, I laced up for a short run to shake off the road fatigue, then jumped back into the car, fully focused on nursing it to the finish line. The average fuel consumption settled at 4.1l/100km and sometimes dipped even lower. Compared to Chery’s ICE models, this hybrid system works some serious magic here. Then came the call on the walkie-talkie: Lerato’s Tiggo 9 PHEV had tapped out about 210km from our final stop. Just like that, it was all on me now. There was no one to quip with or follow. It was just me. I had already cracked the 1,000km mark, nearly what Chery claims the Tiggo 7 PHEV can do and still had 222km of range in the bank.

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The final stretch to Cape Agulhas was beautiful, filled with rolling hills and gentle descents, perfect for energy recuperation. I even cranked up the regen braking to its most aggressive setting to harvest every last bit of energy. And just as I was rolling into the final few kilometres of our destination, the reserve fuel light came on at exactly 97km. But I wasn’t done.

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The end of the road

The next morning, I decided to do the unthinkable: head back north and see just how far the remaining range could take me. My goal? To hit 1,250km. If I could do that, it would be something truly remarkable. Kilometre by kilometre, I watched the range tick down. At just over 1,200km, the fuel range disappeared completely. A few km later, I got a message: ‘Running on hybrid battery alone,’ followed by dead silence because the engine had tapped out. The EV system was now doing all the heavy lifting, and I pressed on gently because every electron now mattered more than ever. And then, at exactly 1,290km, the Tiggo 7 PHEV came to a silent stop. No fuel. No engine. Just the end of the road. What a run. I said to myself, following a few choice words unsuited for publishing.

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To squeeze out nearly 1,300km on a single tank and charge, in real-world conditions, without any gimmicks or tricks, is nothing short of impressive. This wasn’t just us trying to see how far the SUVs can go; it was a test of how well hybrids can work, especially in SA, where the transition to full EVs is happening at a rather slow pace. Impressed as we were, the Tiggo 7 Pro PHEV, priced at R679,900, represents a complete package that makes a serious case for plug-in tech, especially for drivers not quite ready to leap into full EVs. In a world still debating the future of powertrains, Chery’s PHEV duo proves there’s something to be said for the middle ground.

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Words: Lerato Matebese & Ntsako Mthethwa

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