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Chery is on a roll right now, targeting the heartland of Australian suburbs with its range of value-packed, family-friendly SUVs.
The newest model to arrive is this, the Tiggo 9 CSH Elite – an even more affordable, front-wheel drive version of its flagship seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV that it says will broaden its appeal without compromising on refinement, features or driving range.
Here are seven things we like about the new 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 CSH Elite.
Priced right
The 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 CSH Elite is priced at $52,990 plus on-roads costs, which is $7000 less than the flagship Ultimate variant with all-wheel drive.
More importantly, it is the second most affordable seven-seat plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) within the large SUV segment, behind only Chery’s own Tiggo 8 PHEV which starts from $45,990 drive-away.
It not only undercuts the BYD Sealion 8 (from $56,990 plus ORCs), the GWM Tank 300 PHEV (from $55,990 drive-away), Mazda CX-80 PHEV (from $68,100 plus ORCs) and the closely related Omoda 9 (from $61,990 plus ORCs), but it’s also cheaper than entry-level variants of the popular Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger.
Packed with features
Chery didn’t cut much from the list of standard equipment for the new entry-level Elite version compared to the range-topping Ultimate.
Instead, most of the savings are derived from its mechanical makeup, which we will get to in a minute.
Yes, it loses out on a few things like a head-up display, heated second-row seats, ventilated front seats, and a massage function for the front passenger, and it only has an eight-speaker (rather than 12-speaker) Sony audio system, but it is still packed with more than you’ll ever need.
That includes synthetic leather seat trim, dual-zone climate control with vents for both second- and third-row occupants, power-adjustable and heated front seats with massage for the driver, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity, embedded sat-nav, wireless smartphone mirroring, DAB+ digital radio, and voice control.
It rides on smaller 19-inch alloy wheels too, but that’s the only indicator from the outside.
Big on space
The Chery Tiggo 9 CSH Elite is a good-looking rig on the outside, especially in the Star Wars Imperial Battleship-inspired colour the company calls Technical Grey, which provides a nice contrast for the cascading waterfall grille up front and the slim light bar across the tailgate.
But it is even more impressive on the inside, with a classy cabin that is big on space and filled with family-friendly conveniences.
For starters, those in the front are treated to a pair of comfortable and supportive seats that offer plenty of adjustment from the Mercedes-Benz style toggles on each door card, and great vision through the expansive windscreen.
The T-shaped dashboard is nice and clean, with a mixture of materials and surface treatments that look and feel good, although the piano-black highlights on the centre console and door armrests attract fingerprints faster than a New York cop shop.
That aside, there are two large cupholders, two felt-lined phone mats (with a wireless charger on the driver’s side), a deep cubby under the armrest between the seats, and extra storage space big enough for a small handbag under the console.
The small digital instrument cluster in front of the driver is easy to read and not hindered by the rim of the three-spoke steering wheel like larger screens, and the oversized infotainment touchscreen is crisp and clear.
But – and it’s not Robinson Crusoe here – the menu system can be a bit fiddly to adjust simple things like the air-conditioning, or to find certain functions such as the brake regeneration settings, or to de-activate beeps and bongs from the safety systems.
The 60:40-split/folding middle-row seatbacks offer decent but not class-leading legroom for a couple of adults – or three young kids – to travel comfortably, with adjustable air vents in the back of the centre console and on the B-pillars, plus extra ventilation for their feet under the front seats.
Access to the third row is via a simple lever on the side of the second-row seats that only flips down the backrest, so you’ll need to climb over. And, like most of its rivals, the two seats back there are really only suited for small kids or short trips. But they do have air vents in the roof and cupholders.
When all seven seats are occupied, the Tiggo 9 CSH Elite’s power tailgate reveals a limited amount of cargo space – probably enough for the groceries or a couple of small sports bags – but that expands to a cavernous 819 litres of capacity in five-seat configuration, and 2021L behind the front seats.
Under the bonnet
Okay, so here’s where most of the difference is between the Elite and Ultimate variants of the 2026 Chery Tiggo 9 CSH.
While both utilise the same 105kW/215Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine and have two electric motors (90kW and 75kW) driving the front wheels through a dedicated hybrid transmission, the Ultimate adds an additional electric motor on the rear axle that delivers added performance and the benefit of all-wheel drive traction.
It also has a larger 34kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the rear of the car that delivers long-range EV driving of up to 170km.
Still, the front-drive Tiggo 9 CSH Elite is far from underwhelming in terms of specs and performance.
It produces combined maximum outputs of 225kW and 450Nm, can drive for up to 90km in EV mode from its 19kWh battery pack, and has a claimed average fuel consumption of just 1.5L/100km.
Driving
In the real world, the Elite doesn’t feel all that different to the Ultimate in normal driving conditions.
Sure, it doesn’t have the same surprising level of head-whacking acceleration under full throttle, or the added security of all-wheel on slippery surfaces, but for the most part it has much the same driving character.
With a full battery, the Tiggo 9 is predominantly an electric car, which means it delivers seamless and silent motivation away from a standstill, and effortless cruising abilities even at highway speeds.
And, if you’re only tootling around the suburbs or commuting to work and back each day, and recharging the battery regularly, then this is how you will experience the Tiggo 9 for the majority of time.
However, the convenience of a plug-in hybrid is the backup from its petrol engine, which is largely inaudible when it chimes in but does deliver more than adequate performance when you need everything it has.
Plus, with a 70-litre fuel tank, Chery claims the Tiggo 9 has more than 1200km of driving range between refills and recharges.
As for the rest of the package, the Elite rides more comfortably on its 19-inch wheels and, despite its configuration, the front axle never feels overwhelmed by the instant torque output from the electric motors under heavy acceleration.
The Tiggo 9 is a big car, and it can feel a little ponderous through the corners, which isn’t helped by the overly assisted power steering that lacks a bit of feel and feedback, and doesn’t re-centre naturally. On the flipside, that does make it easy to swing around in tight carparks.
Safety
One element that hasn’t been altered between the Elite and Ultimate variants of the Chery Tiggo 9 is the level of standard safety equipment.
Both share a comprehensive suite of advanced semi-autonomous driver aids and crash-avoidance features, including autonomous emergency braking, front and rear collision warnings, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic braking, driver attention monitoring, automated parking assistance, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree parking display.
We have been critical of Chery’s calibration of its safety systems in the past, particularly the overzealous lane-keeping assistance that constantly bounces the car between the lines to the point where it is annoying and, on long drives, can be fatiguing.
But it seems like it’s improving at a rapid rate because the Tiggo 9 CSH Elite we drove, which features the latest in both hardware and software, was by far the best we’ve experienced in this regard.
Sure, the adaptive cruise control doesn’t like going around even the gentlest of bends and will slow the car down unnecessarily, we did experience a few lane-keeping jolts through the steering wheel, and we had to dig deep into the menu to shut down some of the warning chimes before going stir crazy.
But, for the most part, our Tiggo 9 Elite test car was much more liveable than we’ve experienced from any other Chery so far.
Ownership
Lastly, the Tiggo 9 Elite isn’t just affordable to buy, but also to own. Chery’s aftersales package provides customers with a sense of security matched – or bettered – by only a few brands.
Like all of its models, the Tiggo 9 CSH Elite is covered by Chery Australia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery pack is guaranteed for eight years.
There’s also seven years of free roadside assistance if the vehicle is maintained according to its prescribed servicing schedule through the Chery dealer network.
The Tiggo 9 CSH requires maintenance every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first), and comes with a seven-year capped-price service scheme that costs $3174.15 over that timeframe at an average of $453.45 per year.