Updated Chery Tiggo 4 gets turbo hybrid power and a sportier tune
Words: Richard Edwards
Chery’s facelifted Tiggo 4 hybrid is quicker, and the company plans to retune its suspension and driver-assist systems for drivers in New Zealand and Australia.
The Tiggo 4 was named Value Car of the Year in the 2025 NZ Autocar Car of the Year awards, powered by Auto Trader. It is Chery’s best-seller here, with 1,038 registered so far this year, and hybrids have outsold the petrol version every month since May.
The updated hybrid shares its powertrain with its platform sibling, the Jaecoo J5. The 1.5-litre engine is now turbocharged, and combined output is up to 165kW. Chery claims 0-100km/h in just under eight seconds and says fuel use is unchanged at 5.4L/100km. Drive stays front-wheel only.
The current hybrid pairs a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engine with an electric motor for 150kW and 310Nm combined. The petrol Tiggo 4 uses a 1.5-litre turbo making 108kW and 210Nm.
On the outside, the main change is a new front grille. It’s the Tiggo 4’s second styling update, after an earlier refresh added a full-width LED light bar across the tailgate. Inside there are minor changes, mostly to the dashboard.
Speaking to journalists before we drove the car in Wuhu, China, a Chery spokesperson said a tune for Australia will follow later in 2027, with local test driving and suspension development.
The spokesperson says Chinese buyers prefer a comfortable ride, while drivers in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe want something sportier. Australia is leading the work.
Chery is also refining the driver-assist systems, and the spokesperson admits the current calibration is too aggressive.
Our review of the current Tiggo 4 Hybrid Ultimate found it brisk around town and frugal, averaging in the mid-fives. It’s softly sprung, giving an acceptable urban ride, but the steering is overly light and there’s plenty of body roll in corners. The lane keeping also intervened too much at motorway speeds, and we preferred the regular adaptive cruise to the lane-centring mode.
We found the updated Tiggo 4 quick on the drive, although the course was wet and wasn’t designed to test handling.
Pricing and New Zealand timing for the facelift haven’t been confirmed. The current Tiggo 4 Urban starts at $24,990 plus on-road costs, and the Hybrid Ultimate lists at $37,990. Rivals include the GWM Haval Jolion and MG ZS hybrids. The Tiggo 4 comes with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
