Incoming: Plug-in hybrids leading Chery products plans for 2025

With sister brands Omoda and Jaecoo having divulged its plans for South Africa for 2025 at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring in August, Chery has now provided a clear look of its product expansion starting in the first quarter.

Its unveilings this year having included the Tiggo 4 Pro fitted with the dual-clutch transmission, the Tiggo 7 Pro Max, the all-wheel-drive Tiggo 8 Pro Max and the Tiggo Cross, the Wuhu-based firm’s biggest roll-out will be a series of hybrid powerplants, including the long-awaited flagship Tiggo 9 Pro.

Q1

Starting the year off, the first quarter of 2025 will see the Tiggo 4 Pro receive a series of safety system upgrades on models fitted with the mentioned dual-clutch ‘box.

Known as the Tiggo 5x in China where its current frontal appearance formed part of a secondary mid-life facelift four years ago, the Tiggo 4 Pro will remain in production as a more affordable version of the Tiggo Cross that ironically, adopts the Tiggo 4 Pro name in other exports markets.

Arriving in the same quarter, the Tiggo 7 Pro receives its second and most extensive facelift to date following the application of the current facia last year.

Unveiled in China four years ago, the incoming updates will consist of restyled front and rear facias once again, and updates to the interior from a tech and build quality standpoint.

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The biggest inclusion though will be the plug-in hybrid drivetrain previewed at Chery’s international user summit last year.

Set to join the existing 1.5 T-GDI and 1.6 T-GDI engines, the hybrid combines the former with a pair of electric motors and a 19.27-kWh lithium-ion battery pack producing 265 kW. The reported all-electric range will be around 80 km and the combined over 1 000 km.

Q2

Debuting in the second quarter, the Tiggo Cross will also receive a hybrid powertrain, although, for the moment, no details about it are known.

Locally, the range makes do with the turbocharged 1.5 T-GDI pushing 108kW/230Nm to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch.

Also making its second quarter debut, the facelift Tiggo 8 Pro will introduce a new frontal design derived from the Tiggo 8 Pro Plus, as well as revisions to the interior and introduction of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

In China, this involves the 1.5 T-GDI being combined with the same dual electric motors and 19.27-kWh battery pack as the Tiggo 7 Pro, but with a reduced power output of 240 kW. The claimed all-electric range will again be around 80 km.

Q3

Showcased last year, the Tiggo 9 Pro will make its delayed introduction in the third quarter of 2025, confusingly based not on the Chinese model, but rather the Tiggo 8 L.

A model revealed in May this year as the rebadged Chery Fulwin T9, the Tiggo 9 Pro will use the same 2.0 T-GDI engine as the Tiggo 8 Pro Max, plus the plug-in hybrid hardware that produces a reported 265 kW.

New Lepas brand

Outside of the Tiggo range, the Chery will also introduce its newly created Lepas line of products of which three have so far been confirmed; L4, L6 and L8.

An apparent more affordable electric division positioned underneath the Exlantix/Sterra ETS range sold by the premium Exeed marque, no details about Lepas is currently known apart from Chery describing it as having a design language inspired by a running leopard.

“The leopard embodies not only power but also agility and flexibility. The future Lepas series vehicles will feature a stylish, dynamic, and premium design language with a solid stance, a sleek front, graceful lines, and a powerful, tension-filled shape,” a statement on Chery International’s website read.

First-time bakkie and hatch

The final pair of products will consist of a hatchback and the long rumoured bakkie first mentioned in 2021.

For the moment though, no details about the latter pair are known, especially as the former will be entirely new and not an existing model given Chery’s lack of hatchback products in China.

The same also applies to the much vaunted bakkie of which development has started, and which will seemingly offer a petrol or plug-in hybrid drivetrain as per Chery lacking a diesel engine in its entire product portfolio.

More in 2025

At it stands, no further details are known and will only be announced, along with clearer Tiggo information, in 2025.

Additional information from paultan.org and carnewschina.com.

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