Know what would be a great way to start this review? By introducing the $24,990 Chery Tiggo 4 Urban as New Zealand’s cheapest brand-new SUV. It isn’t quite… but it sort of is.
The minuscule Suzuki Ignis (which is indeed classified as an SUV in new-vehicle sales stats, even if it doesn’t seem like one) is just $22,200 as a manual-transmission model, or the same $24,990 as the Chery in GLX automatic form.
The Chery is a much larger, much more comprehensively equipped model and given automatic is the norm for cars like these in NZ, let’s call it a moral victory for the Tiggo 4.
It’s a lot of car for the money. The 108kW/210Nm 1.5-litre turbo engine is energetic and the continuously variable transmissions is pretty responsive – maybe a little too lively on takeoff, chirping the front wheels when you’re not expecting it.
It’s absolutely a city car. The steering is feather-light and while there’s nothing wrong with the body control, directional stability is questionable on 100km/h backroads.
Know what would be a great quote from this review? To say the $24,990 Chery Tiggo 4 Urban is New Zealand’s cheapest brand-new SUV. It isn’t quite… but it sort of is.
We’ve driven a couple of Tiggo 4s, this Urban on 17-inch wheels and the Ultimate on 18s. They both have the same slightly odd, pattery ride quality: okay at higher speeds and on the big bumps, but with tiny vibrations over smaller imperfections. Almost like the tyres are over-inflated (they weren’t).
Not deal-breaking by any measure, just an unusual character that you notice more around town than on the open road. Which is a shame, because town is the natural environment for the Tiggo 4.
The instrument/infotainment layout is tasteful, although the main display does suffer the same malady as so many new-gen Chinese cars: too much information presented in one place.
It’s a very modern-feeling car inside; built down to a price obviously, but with plenty of interesting textures and neat styling that stops it feeling cheap.
The dual-screen digital instrument/infotainment layout is pretty tasteful, although the driver’s main display does suffer the same malady as so many new-gen Chinese cars: too much information presented in one place, with graphics that are too small… at least for eyes over a certain age.
We prefer the Urban’s fabric seats to the Ultimate’s fake leather, and the cheaper car rides better on its smaller wheels.
The infotainment screen is nicely configured to let phone projection take over the widescreen display fully. There’s no laptop-style virtual “dock” to give you access to the car’s native functions, but there’s a neat swipe-down feature that shortcuts to the home screen and, more importantly, you can simply swipe back to return to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
You can do the same for climate control, but there are also physical switches for that that are also linked to the screen (and a massive standalone temperature display with touch-controls for recirculation and the like); in short, the stuff you use the most is easy to get to. It’s a well-thought-out blend of virtual and physical.
Another thing that seems unique to Chinese cars: the radio is treated like any other form of media rather than something that’s always live, so if you want it you have to press Play even when you’ve selected the radio function. In some cars, that’s annoying – a trip through several menu layers in the main screen.
In the Tiggo 4 Urban, there’s a physical shortcut button to the car’s media menu, which means you can get to the radio with one hit. That’s unique to the Tiggo 4 Urban, because that button is replaced by the shortcut to the 360-degree camera in the flagship Ultimate (Urban only has a reversing camera, albeit a really good one).
Opting for the entry Urban model, which is sort-of NZ’s cheapest SUV and absolutely the least expensive Tiggo 4, doesn’t mean you’re missing out on a lot compared to the $5k-more-expensive Ultimate. Safety equipment is identical and many of the extras (power driver’s seat, configurable ambient lighting) are in the nice-but-not-really-needed category.
The Ultimate’s 360-degree camera is fantastic and the wireless phone charger is handy (because Tiggo 4 has wireless phone projection), but we prefer the Urban’s fabric seats to the Ultimate’s fake leather and the cheaper car rides better on its smaller wheels. You can choose the Urban with confidence.
How much is the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban?
The Urban is the entry-level Tiggo 4 at $24,990, making it one of the cheapest new vehicles on sale and arguably the cheapest SUV on the market.
What are the key statistics for the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban?
The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine makes 108kW/210Nm and drives through a continuously variable transmission.
Is the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban efficient?
In context of rival small cars with hybrid technology, no. The official figure of 9.0l/100km is pretty high for a compact SUV, and that's about what you can expect in real-world use. If economy is a priority, there's a hybrid model on the way - although it's $8k more expensive.
Is the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban good to drive?
It's a mixed bag. The powertrain is lively, including the continuously variable transmission that's surprisingly responsive. The cheapest Urban, on its smaller wheels, rides better than the more expensive Ultimate. But it doesn't like open-road driving much: the steering is feather-light and directional stability is not great.
Is the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban practical?
There's a spacious feel to the cabin and decent 380-litre boot. It's worth noting that the squared-off styling does make the Tiggo 4 look smaller than it really is. It's actually 4.3m long, which is still compact... but larger than many of its city-SUV rivals. Which is a good or bad thing, depending on your expectations.
What do we like about the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban?
It looks quite perky and has a perky powertrain. It's really well-equipped for a budget car, including all the safety stuff, and the cabin has a good blend of digital and physical controls.
What don’t we like about the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban?
It feels out of its depth on the open road, the ride quality isn't great at low speed on urban roads, and the graphics on the main instrument panel are tiny.
What kind of person would the Chery Tiggo 4 Urban suit?
Somebody who embraces new brands, knows they're sticking to city driving and isn't status-conscious about having the top model (because this one is actually better).