“The rental industry is very quick to react and we expect our competitors to try and match our offer, but we are pleased that we have been able to lead the way in lowering rental costs and provide best in the market prices once again,” explained Martin Lydall, the Chief Commercial Officer.

This is the first time that Tempest has bought Cherys. The 200 cars have been introduced into the fleet and are located nationally at all the main airports to meet the peak summer demand.

The Chery QQ3s which have joined the Tempest fleet are the entry level model with the 800cc engine which adds to the customer savings with low fuel consumption as an added benefit.

Lydall said that the Chery QQ3 was fully evaluated by the Tempest technical team before the purchase decision was made and it complied fully with the company’s set of stringent pre-purchase criteria.

“The major driving factors in choosing the QQ3 were that the cars themselves are well-priced, have good specifications in terms of comfort, air-conditioning, CD player, and the replacement parts are reasonable to. This allows Tempest to pass on savings to the customers,” added Lydall. “Early customer feedback is positive.”

The next phase in the introduction of the Chery QQ3s to the Tempest rental fleet will be a lucky draw competition in which one a renter of a Chery QQ3 will win one of these cars. This competition will run over three months, from September to November.

Tempest Car Hire was established in 1986 as an independent car rental organisation to take on the major players at the time. It performed well in a tough market and in 1991 was acquired by the Imperial Group which permitted an expansion of infrastructure and the opportunity of purchasing from a far wider range of vehicles.

The size of the Tempest fleet varies seasonally but peaks at over 4 000 vehicles, all of which are offered at competitive rates in line with the company objective of providing value-for-money offerings backed by friendly and efficient service.

Mike Scarth, the brand Manager for Chery SA, said the sale of Chery QQ3s into the Tempest Car Hire fleet was important as it showed the acceptability of these cars in this important market where quality and reliability are major factors.

The sub-compact QQ3 was launched in SA, together with the Chery brand in 2008 and has consistently been the most popular model in the Chery range. A number of improvements have been made to the Chery QQ3 over the years which have further improved its value-for-money offering.

The model chosen by Tempest is powered by a very economical 0.8-litre three-cylinder engine which produces 38kW of power and 70N.m of torque. It drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. Claimed fuel consumption in a combined cycle is 5.7l/100km with an emission rating of 133gm/km.

Among the projects undertaken by Chery SA since its arrival in South Africa has been the setting of SA speed and endurance records at the Gerotek test track west of Pretoria by entry-level Chery QQ3 cars, with 800cc and 1 100cc engines. The five cars used for the attempt and driven by 20 professional drivers and journalists covered a total of 33 351 trouble free kilometres.

The post TEMPEST NOW RENTS CHERY QQ3 FROM ONLY R145 A DAY appeared first on Chery.

Seven of the passes were tarmac-surfaced and five were gravel, with the main traffic on the latter roads being huge logging trucks and trailers. The distance over the passes was fairly evenly split at 67.3km of surfaced roads and 65.7km of gravel roads, making a combined distance of 133 km for the 12 passes.

The route of more than 350km included many mountain passes that were sweeping tarmac roads, but then there were gravel sections  that were not for sissies; surfaces were often rocky and in several places the roads  were pockmarked like a moonscape. Severe damage to the roads during the rainy season caused by logging trucks also resulted in many kilometres of the route being deeply rutted with washaways, while several of the gravel roads had many cross bumps to assist with rainwater runoff, all of which put heavy loads on the Tiggo suspension systems.

These conditions made big demands on the fleet of two-wheel drive Tiggos, which handled the challenges of continually changing road surfaces with aplomb. The cars proved sure-footed while the supple suspension soaked up the uneven surfaces and the driven front wheels maintained traction even on loose surfaces. The steering had plenty of feel without giving kick back through the steering wheel when the road surface got really rough.

Meanwhile the easy-revving 1.6-litre engine matched to a slick-changing five-speed gearbox handled the climbs without fuss.

The cabin remained dust-free despite several kilometres of driving in thick clouds of dust from the extra-long logging trucks.

“Chery may be a comparative newcomer to the South African passenger car market, having arrived here in 2008, but it has already made an indelible mark locally in several aspects of vehicle performance, including fuel economy, ruggedness and reliability as well as being a responsible corporate citizen,” said Pedro Pereira, the Managing Director of Chery SA. “Now we can add the Tiggo’s achievement of 8 cars completing 12 passes in one day without any problems.”

Since its arrival here seven years ago Chery South Africa has made a meaningful local test programme obligatory before the launch of any new or revised model.

This was also the case with the Tiggo SUV when it was introduced to the local market in 2011. The company even went the extra mile with this model due to its market positioning as an SUV and the two-wheel drive Chery Tiggo conquered the icy Sani Pass, the rugged mountain pass that is the only link between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho to showcase its off-road capability.

This is usually an environment for four-wheel drive vehicles so one can imagine how surprised the locals were to see a convoy of three Tiggo SUVs arrive in winter at the summit, just before the Lesotho border post and 2 874 metres above sea level. The trio of vehicles were all powered by 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions.

Other challenges that Chery has taken up in South Africa include setting 48-hour speed and endurance records at Gerotek with five QQ models and competing in the Total Economy Run, while Chery showed support for the community when it provided two J2 hatchback cars to the team at Gerotek vehicle test track for their advanced driver training programme among the company’s other road safety initiatives.

The Tiggo compact SUVs used for the 12 passes in one day challenge were the latest models which were  significantly refreshed in appearance recently and fitted with a new, more powerful 1.6-litre double variable valve timing (DVVT) petrol engine and given a much-improved standard specification level all at a very competitive price of R229 900.

The front and rear appearance is much more rounded and sleeker with a hint of aggression. The Chery design team, which now includes several renowned stylists from Europe, calls the new, flowing look Hydrodynamic Surfacing.  The fact that all parts of the vehicle are colour-coded to the body provides an upmarket feel to the overall design.

The exterior appearance benefits from the fitment of 17-inch alloy wheels, compared to the 16-inch wheels fitted previously. Distinctive daytime running lights are another new feature, while there are light emitting diode (LED) stop- and tail-lights, with front and rear fog lamps standard.

The latest version of the 1.6-litre ACTECO engine has dual variable valve timing and now develops 93kW of power at 6 150r/min and 160N.m of torque at 3 900r/min.  The new engine upgrade increases the power output by 15% over the previous version. The engine, which is also very economical, drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.

The Chery Tiggo remains a fully specified vehicle with all the extras included as standard.  An important change to the interior is the fitment of grey, leather-trimmed seats, while convenience features include Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and rear park distance control. Hill start assist is another useful feature which is standard.

Air conditioning, power windows, power steering, electrically-operated exterior mirrors, 60/40 split rear seat backrest for load versatility, an audio system with CD player and MP3/USB jack are all standard fitment as is central locking with remote keyless entry.

Safety is very high on the list of Chery’s priorities with the new Tiggo and standard equipment includes an electronic stability control programme (ESP), dual airbags and ABS with electronic brake distribution (EBD) as well as ISOFIX fittings for child seats.

Besides a big improvement in the level of standard equipment there is now added peace of mind for Tiggo owners with a 3-year/75 000km service plan, factory-backed 5-year/120 000km warranty and roadside assistance. Chery has a substantial footprint in the major centres of South Africa with 31 dealers ensuring efficient and convenient after-sales back-up.

• The passes traversed by the Chery Tiggos in Mpumalanga were: Gravel – Mount Carmel (13.5km), Wonderkloof (7.7km), Makobulaan (19km), Bakenkop (5.5km) and Klipkraal (20km); Tarmac – Sudwala (9km), Montrose (3.8km), Masjien Nek (11km), Long Tom (22.5km), Koffiehoogte (6km), Kiepersol (5.5km) and Bergvlei (9.5km).

The post CHERY TIGGO SUCCESSFULLY TACKLES 12 PASSES IN EIGHT HOURS appeared first on Chery.

The front and rear appearance is much more rounded and sleeker with a hint of aggression. The Chery design team, which now includes several renowned stylists from Europe, calls the new, flowing look Hydrodynamic Surfacing.  The fact that all parts of the vehicle are colour-coded to the body provides an upmarket feel to the overall design.

The exterior appearance benefits from the fitment of 17-inch alloy wheels, compared to the 16-inch wheels fitted previously. Distinctive daytime running lights are another new feature, while there are light emitting diode (LED) stop- and tail-lights, with front and rear fog lamps standard.

The latest version of the 1.6-litre ACTECO engine has dual variable valve timing and now develops 93kW of power at 6 150r/min and 160N.m of torque at 3 900r/min.  The new engine upgrade increases the power output by 15% over the previous version. The engine, which is also very economical, drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.

The Chery Tiggo remains a fully specified vehicle with all the extras included as standard.  An important change to the interior is the fitment of grey, leather-trimmed seats, while convenience features include Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and rear park distance control. Hill start assist is another useful feature which is standard.

Air conditioning, power windows, power steering, electrically-operated exterior mirrors, 60/40 split rear seat backrest for load versatility, an audio system with CD player and MP3/USB jack are all standard fitment as is central locking with remote keyless entry.

Safety is very high on the list of Chery’s priorities with the new Tiggo and standard equipment includes an electronic stability control programme (ESP), dual airbags and ABS with electronic brake distribution (EBD) as well as ISOFIX fittings for child seats.

Besides a big improvement in the level of standard equipment there is now added peace of mind for Tiggo owners with a 3-year/75 000km service plan, factory-backed 5-year/120 000km warranty and roadside assistance. Chery has a substantial footprint in the major centres of South Africa with 31 dealers ensuring efficient and convenient after-sales back-up.

Chery South Africa has made a significant local test programme obligatory before the launch of any new or revised model and this is the case with the latest version of the popular Tiggo medium category SUV which was launched at the Beijing Motor Show last year.

Knowledgeable motor enthusiasts will have seen the latest Tiggo driving on a variety of road surfaces all over the country as part of an extensive local evaluation programme.

The Tiggo is particularly popular in countries with rough road conditions. It is the top-selling SUV in Egypt, with a 40% share of this segment and is also popular in South America.

Testing of the current, two-wheel drive Chery Tiggo here in South Africa previously included conquering the icy Sani Pass in winter. This rugged mountain pass, which  is the only link between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho, is usually the environment for four-wheel drive vehicles so one can imagine how surprised the locals were to see a convoy of three Tiggo SUVs arrive at the summit, just before the Lesotho border post and 2 874 metres above sea level.

Chery SA sees the positioning of the latest Tiggo as being a well-built and value-for-money offering which is larger than many of the similarly-priced but smaller SUVs on the local market. The marketing team sees its appeal as being 50/50 male and female and with particular appeal for those who enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle.

This is certainly a model in the Chery stable that ticks all the right boxes and should find a ready market in South Africa with the strong swing towards SUVs for personal transport.

The post CHERY LAUNCHES MUCH-IMPROVED AND STILL AFFORDABLE NEW TIGGO appeared first on Chery.

Competing in Class A (petrol-engined cars with engine capacities between 750 and 1 150cm3) the Cherys averaged 6.26l /100km and 6.48l /100km respectively.
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Two Chery QQ3 hatchbacks – a 0.8-litre model and a 1.1-litre version – impressed with very economic fuel consumption figures, cementing its reputation as an affordable and reliable vehicle brand.

Competing in Class A (petrol-engined cars with engine capacities between 750 and 1 150cm3) the Cherys averaged 6.26l /100km and 6.48l /100km respectively.

This year’s Total Economy Run was run over three days over some challenging routes, with the start and finish being at the Loskop Dam resort, near Groblersdal.

The event attracted a strong field of 43 vehicles – 29 petrol and 14 diesels – representing 16 different brands, and competition in the various classes was very keen, with many of the crews having competed in numerous Total Economy Runs. The route took competitors over a variety of roads in Mpumalanga, with a 50km route on the first day and 500km loops on Day 2 and 3. This made up a total of 1 050km which had to be traversed at realistic speeds – no time for dawdling – and an observer in each car to see that traffic regulations were obeyed and there was no cheating such as freewheeling.

“As a debutant in this challenging event, we are very satisfied with the way the two Cherys performed,” said Brett Soso, managing director of Chery SA.

“We are delighted with the excellent consumption achieved by our two Chery QQ3s in the Total Economy Run, as this event is widely acknowledged as an outstanding way of comparing the potential fuel economy of various makes and models under identical conditions.

The post Economic Chery Leads The Way appeared first on Chery.

“In a time when consumers are faced with numerous economic challenges and pressures on their disposable income, affordable motoring and parts have become a priority for many,” said Brett Soso, managing director of Chery SA. “McCarthy Motor Holdings has long been advocating the availability of more affordable vehicles, and since its arrival in South Africa earlier this year, the Chery has certainly made its mark at the budget end of the market.”
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This year’s authoritative Kinsey Report has rated the Chery QQ3 0.8 TX as one of the most affordable vehicles to own. The indomitable Chery QQ3 came in second position in the cost of its parts basket in the entry level category, behind the much older VW City Golf, and ahead of the Opel Corsa Lite.

“In a time when consumers are faced with numerous economic challenges and pressures on their disposable income, affordable motoring and parts have become a priority for many,” said Brett Soso, managing director of Chery SA. “McCarthy Motor Holdings has long been advocating the availability of more affordable vehicles, and since its arrival in South Africa earlier this year, the Chery has certainly made its mark at the budget end of the market.”

Chery’s service parts are some of the most affordable on the market today, beating all competitors when it comes to the parts basket used for regular maintenance. This includes manufacturer components like air filters (R59.29), fuel filter (R43.34) and front brake pads, at R194.52 almost R120.00 cheaper than the closest rival.

When it comes to the parts basket for components not regularly replaced like water pumps, radiators and clutch plates, the Chery QQ3 0.8 TE beats the VW Citi Golf Sport 1.4i, its closest rival, by R148.23, and the Opel Corsa Light by R544.56.

McCarthy has a well-established dealer network in place, including four McCarthy-owned and managed stand-alone Chery dealerships, 13 McCarthy-owned and managed multi-franchise dealers, ten independent dealers, and a chain of 20 McCarthy Value Serve specialist service and repair workshops around the country.

Parts support is also driven from Chery in China by a dedicated division, where the company has a complete electronic parts catalogue, as well as modern ordering systems to handle parts support to over 60 countries around the world.

The Kinsey Report have been around since 1990, reporting on parts price comparisons, using popular vehicles and the most common parts that require replacement. The Report tracks the prices of a range of parts for a number of popular car models, to give the public some insight into the comparative costs that can be expected. It has become the yardstick for pricing comparison for both the general public and the fleet operator and has become a regulator within the motor industry itself.

Chery South Africa offers a range of vehicles to suit the individual tastes of the country’s motorists, and every Chery car presents a combination of unbeatable value and quality. All Chery cars are backed nationwide by McCarthy and come standard with the Chery 3 year/100 000 km warranty.

The post Chery QQ3’s Performance In Parts Survey Confirms Affordability appeared first on Chery.

On January 16 2010 the Dakar Rally drew to an end in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina after 15 arduous stages. This Dakar Rally started on Jan. 1, 2010 and lasted for 16 days, with total length covering 9030km.

During this rally, Chinese teams participated with their strongest lineup ever and achieved outstanding results. The Chery Rely drivers Lu Ningjun and Jiang Yaohuan Fleet finished the rally with 78h16m47s and 78h59m13m respectively and ranked 28th and 29th, the best of all the Chinese teams.

The racing vehicle of Chery Rely Fleet, Rely X5 also gave an outstanding performance. Its excellent quality and stability helped the team conquer many dangerous legs, including desert, stony and gobi roads.

As a top-class race in the world, Dakar does not only challenge the comprehensive abilities of drivers and performances of the vehicle, it also challenges the cooperation and perseverance of the whole team. While proving the technical strength of independent Chinese brands to the world, Chery Rely fleet also perfectly interpreted Chery’s brand spirit of “surmounting itself and challenging the extremity”. Chery kept advancing despite the adverse conditions and finished the rally in the manner of a pioneer and with a solely “made-in-China” racing vehicle, thus reflecting the strength and reliability of Chinese brands.

The post Chery Conquers Dakar appeared first on Chery.

As part of this first-of-its-kind record-setting run, which kicked off at 12 noon of 2 September, three Chery QQ3 1100cc TXE and two QQ3 800cc TX models, powered by Shell Helix lubricants, have completed more than 6 300km and 2423 laps on the 3km high-speed oval track at Gerotek Test Facility.
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Gerotek Test Facility, 4 September. Chery South Africa, a division of McCarthy Limited, has set the South African and African 48-hour endurance records for 800cc and 1100cc vehicles.

As part of this first-of-its-kind record-setting run, which kicked off at 12 noon of 2 September, three Chery QQ3 1100cc TXE and two QQ3 800cc TX models, powered by Shell Helix lubricants, have completed more than 6 300km and 2423 laps on the 3km high-speed oval track at Gerotek Test Facility.

The vehicles experienced no technical or mechanical problems and they only came into the pit area for scheduled refueling, driver change, periodical tyre changes and the cleaning of windows.

The event was sanctioned and overseen by Motorsport South Africa and saw the QQ3 1100cc and the 800cc reach top speeds of 159km/h and 139km/h respectively.

To bear testament to the fuel efficiency of these vehicles, the records were set at a low of 7.4 litres/100km for the 1100cc and 8.6 litres/100km for the 800cc. At this point, it is important to note that the vehicles were running flat out at their maximum speeds. The number one car, a QQ3 1100cc, managed an average speed of 151.2 km/h, while the best performing 800cc model averaged 132.7 km/h over the 48-hour period.

After 48 hours on the track, the record was set at 7 262km and 6 369km for the Chery QQ3 1100cc and 800cc respectively. All the participating vehicles covered a total of more than 33 351km – a distance that could take you almost all the way to China and back, and that at top speed!

The earlier records, leading up to the 48-hour mark were as follows:

Time Records – 1100cc:

1 hour – A distance of 150km was completed and an average speed of 150km/h was reached.
3 hours – A distance of 453km was completed and an average speed of 151km/h was reached.
6 hours – A distance of 908km was completed and an average of 151 km/h was reached.
12 hours – A distance of 1813km was completed and an average speed of 151km/h was reached.
24 hours – A distance of 3623km was completed and an average speed of 151km/h was reached.

Time Records – 800cc:

1 hour – A distance of 132km was completed and an average speed of 132km/h was reached.
3 hours – A distance of 408km was completed and an average speed of 136km/h was reached.
6 hours – A distance of 806km was completed and an average speed of 134km/h was reached.
12 hours – A distance of 1606km was completed and an average speed of 134km/h was reached.
24 hours – A distance of 3195km was completed and an average speed of 133km/h was reached.

Distance Records – 1100cc

50km – At this point 17 laps had been completed within 00:20:26:788
100km – At this point 34 laps had been completed within 00:40:33:666
200km – At this point 67 laps had been completed within 01:19:35:339
500km – At this point 167 laps had been completed within 03:19:35:817
1000km – At this point 334 laps had been completed within 06:36:54:943
2000km – At this point 668 laps had been completed within 13:15:22:964
5000km – At this point 1669 laps had been completed within 33:02:51:143

Distance Records – 800cc

50km – At this point 17 laps had been completed within 00:23:08:609
100km – At this point 34 laps had been completed within 00:45:48:409
200km – At this point 67 laps had been completed within 01:29:36:389
500km – At this point 167 laps had been completed within 03:45:10:492
1000km – At this point 334 laps had been completed within 07:29:08:143
2000km – At this point 668 laps had been completed within 15:00:36:761
5000km – At this point 1669 laps had been completed within 37:33:51:525

“To our knowledge, it is the first time that a Chinese vehicle manufacturer has managed to set a 48-hour record and it is definitely a first here in South Africa and Africa in general,” said Brett Soso, managing director of Chery SA. The international standard for endurance records is usually 24 hours.

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“Chery may be one of the largest automakers in China, but they also strive to produce vehicles to the highest quality standards. That’s exactly why we chose Chery as the Chinese brand to sell to our customers,” said Mr. Brett Soso, managing director of Amalgamated Automobile Distributors, importers of the Chery range of vehicles into South Africa. “Since our inception, we’ve attempted a number of ambitious projects with the aim of showcasing our quality range of products to the South African market. Our 48-hour endurance record is probably the best-known example.” added Soso.

The event he referred to was the famous record run of September 2008, when a string of entry-level Chery QQ3 vehicles set numerous speed and endurance records at the infamous high-speed oval of the Gerotek test facility, just west of Pretoria. “During the record run, a number of 800cc and 1-litre QQ3’s were driven absolutely flat-out for no less than 48 hours. In the process, we proved the endurance and reliability of vehicles within the Chery range, but for 2011, we felt we needed a new challenge. We also wanted to showcase the capabilities and versatility of our vehicles, especially the Tiggo SUV, and Sani Pass presented the perfect opportunity for us to do exactly that.”

The Sani Pass is drenched in history. It originated as a route for people and mules to carry supplies to and from the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, before it was finally conquered by a motor vehicle in 1948. Since then, the pass has claimed many victims and can tell many frightening stories of failed attempts to ascend the tricky road. What makes it so challenging is the fact that the pass is incredibly steep. The distance between the South African and Lesotho border posts is only 9 kilometers, but travellers will climb from a height of 1968 meters above sea level to a whopping 2874 meters, representing a vertical rise of nearly 1 kilometer. Weather also plays a vital role. It is said that you can have four seasons in less than a day, and since bad weather makes the pass impassable, border authorities often close the pass during periods of high winds, torrential rain and even snow.

“It therefore presented more than just a tough challenge for our Tiggo SUV,” continued Soso. “We were fully aware that the pass is strictly for 4×4 vehicles only and therefore we understood the risks involved, but in the same breath we were confident in the Tiggo’s abilities and convinced that they could go all the way, even if drive is only supplied to the front wheels.” The Tiggo is a real success story for the Amalgamated Automobile Distributors group and has been a steady performer on the sales charts since its local introduction. Its success can mostly be attributed to the excellent value for money it represents. On paper, the Tiggo competes heads-on with most of its medium sized SUV competitors.

The vehicle of choice for the Sani Pass adventure was the two-litre petrol version in both 5-speed manual and 4 speed automatic derivatives. This engine develops a generous 95kW at 5 500rpm, with an equally usable 178Nm on tap. With a host of creature comforts that include everything from central locking to electrically operated windows, sound system with a 6 disc CD-player, air conditioning, electric sunroof as well as a number of storage areas and pockets cleverly distributed throughout the cabin, the Tiggo is the ideal family companion. On the safety side, the Tiggo is equipped with dual airbags, ABS as well as EBD. But its real competitive advantage lies in its price. At R194 900 for the manual and R199 900 for the automatic version, the Tiggo provides all the features that one would expect from an SUV in a much higher price bracket. Backing from both Bidvest and the Imperial Group means that Chery can offer total peace of mind by means of a 3-year/100 000km warranty, a 3-year/75 000km service plan, as well as roadside assistance for 3 years.

So the stage was set for an epic battle between the front wheel drive Tiggos and the notorious Sani Pass, and to add to the challenge, the winter’s first real cold front dumped a fair amount of snow on the Drakensberg that especially covered the last and most difficult part of the pass. Although the pass is a proper dirt road in most places, and not a real 4×4 trail, the first 6 kilometers contain all the elements of an off-road route such as water crossings, steep inclines and loose stones and rocks just waiting to interrupt the traction between the front wheels and the slippery surface. But the Tiggos gracefully made their way up the Drakensberg past landmarks such as Haemorrhoid Hill, Twin Streams and Whisky Spring until they reached Suicide Bend. At 2462 meters above sea level, Suicide Bend is literally the point of no return. From here to the summit is less than 3 kilometers in distance, but the Tiggos would have to climb another 400 meters before reaching the top. It’s also here in Sani’s famous hairpins where the Tiggos encountered the snow that could be seen from the bottom, and as most of the pass is covered in the shade from the adjacent cliffs, the snow has turned into solid ice.

These were far from ideal conditions for the front wheel driven Tiggos. As with any other vehicle attempting a steep incline, all the weight wants to shift to the back, making the front wheels light and therefore even more difficult to fight for traction. One strategy would have been to use speed as an ally, but since the hairpin section of the pass is so tight and twisty, it simply didn’t allow the Tiggos to gather any momentum. Large rocks in the middle of the driving surface also waited to have a go at the Tiggo’s belly, but the ground clearance proved more than enough to sail over them without a scratch.

So slowly but surely, using the torque from the 2-litre powerplants in first gear and feathering the throttle to avoid too much wheelspin while searching for drier pieces of road with a touch more traction, the convoy of front wheel drive Chery Tiggos reached the summit of the feared Sani Pass, much to the amazement of the Lesotho border control officials. “We are quite literally on top of the world,” said an elated Soso after reaching the summit. “We knew that the Tiggo is not a 4×4 and it doesn’t pretend to be one either, but we were still confident that we can prove its capabilities and versatility, which this adventure surely did, snow and all!”

The post Front Wheel Drive Chery Tiggo Conquers Icy Sani Pass appeared first on Chery.

This year the theme of “Ride for a Purpose” gave cyclists the opportunity to support and raise funds for a wide selection of charity groups. I chose to ride for the PinkDrive charity which raises awareness for Breast Cancer, as unfortunately several family members and friends had been diagnosed with this terrible illness during the past few years.

The Tiggo and wife duly delivered me and my bike to the permanent race start at Waterfall Country Estate. The big advantage of this vehicle is that the rear seats are completely removable, allowing you to load all your cycling gear with minimal disassembly and there is still space for the supporting crew to come along for the ride.

The vibe at this event is really awesome, especially in the charity groups where the focus is on having a fun filled day in the sun. Resplendant in a pink top and matching socks, we set off to join the other 13 000 cyclists already on the road in front of us.

As if 94.7km was not enough, a fierce wind and baking hot sun added to the challenge. I survived the infamous Krugersdorp highway and Heartbreak Hill just before the end before creeping across the finish in 3h30mins. It is called “a finish” with a good reason, because I was finished. I was very grateful to blob out in the Tiggo, suitably armed with a bottled reward as my wife and mini support crew chauffeured me home to recover.

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A lot has been said about Chinese made vehicles in the motoring press, some good, but mostly not too complimentary. After driving this vehicle a couple of months, I’ve got to wonder if most motoring journo’s don’t just suffer from “Chinalitis”, which is ironical since most of them will be typing their reviews up on laptops and Mac Books made, guess where? China.

The Tiggo is a good looking vehicle and even some of my diehard braai-buddies who are Japan fans, begrudgingly acknowledge that. So it looks good. How does it drive? Actually very well. I was dubious of a 1.6 litre engine pulling this vehicle around, but was pleasantly surprised by its torquey performance. The Tiggo cruises comfortably at the national speed limit and also is kind enough at the fuel pumps, averaging 8.5 L/100km so far.

The overwhelming characteristic of this vehicle that really stands out when driving, is that it is very well balanced. We drive on dirt roads on a regular basis and this SUV is very stable and sits tight on the gravel. It has great ground clearance which gives a good field of view in normal town traffic and allows you to negotiate bumpy terrain if required. I’ve seen some recent ads on the Blobbox showing macho 4×4 bakkie types roaring to the top of Sani Pass. The Chery team took three of their standard 2WD Tiggo’s to the top of this very pass, as part of a launch promotion. So no, it is not a 4×4, but it is still a very capable SUV on dirt roads.

The comfort model we are driving has a very good list of standard amenities such as dual airbags, side impact bars, ABS & EBD brakes, 16” alloy wheels, full electric windows, airconditioning, electric mirrors, CD/MP3 Stereo player with 4 speakers and electronically controllable headlights.

The fantastic thing, especially with an active family is the versatile interior space. The rear seats can be folded down easily or can be removed completely to allow loading of large items or sporting gear. There is standard baggage rails on the roof which allows for transport of bikes, canoes and extra baggage pods if the whole family are already loaded in the car.

The most pleasant surprise has to be the price. It costs the same as the small German hatchback in my garage, comes with a 3 year/75 000km service plan and 3 year/100 000km warranty.

If you are looking for a vehicle that can tow your caravan at 140 km/h down the highway, then this is not your car. If however you are an average family man looking for the best bang for buck, then the Tiggo fits that bill. Less Money, More Sense…says it all.

The post First Impressions appeared first on Chery.