Chery Australia has just launched Super Hybrid plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants of its previously petrol-only Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 SUVs, and now the next model in the lineup is set to go without petrol options altogether.
The Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid is due in Australia in the third quarter (July to September) of 2025, and it has now been confirmed that it will only be available in this PHEV guise – a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol powertrain, available overseas, won’t be offered here at launch.
Speaking at the local launch for the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 Super Hybrids, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris confirmed to CarExpert that the brand will “only introduce the Super Hybrid variant of Tiggo 9” and outlined several reasons why.
“Frankly, I think it’s a better car. We, as a global business, are much more focused on moving towards new energy, which is obviously Super Hybrid and BEV (battery-electric vehicle),” he said.
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“The Super Hybrid Tiggo 9 performance is exceptional, I think we’ll be able to price it – like our other products – very competitively, and to be able to deliver great value.
“I’m just not sure that in our lineup, if you look at all the way from Tiggo 4 right through to Tiggo 9, it doesn’t make sense in that lineup to introduce an [internal combustion] Tiggo 9.”
Chery Australia hasn’t confirmed performance, range or economy figures, but has confirmed the local Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid will use a turbo 1.5-litre engine mated with a three-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission, like the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8.
For context, the petrol powertrain available overseas features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, paired with an eight-speed Aisin automatic transmission, with drive sent to all four wheels.
“If we were to introduce [the petrol] hypothetically, it probably would end up being priced very similarly to a Tiggo 8 plug-in hybrid, for example,” Mr Harris told CarExpert.
“In which case, it doesn’t make much sense, and the driving experience in those Super Hybrids is just so much better than any ICE vehicle. I just don’t think it would add any depth to the product range by offering too many models.”
Pricing for the Tiggo 9 has yet to be confirmed, though the smaller Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is priced from $45,990 to $49,990 drive-away.
The Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid is therefore expected to be more expensive, likely around $55,000, although it could still significantly undercut rivals such as the Mazda CX-80 P50e (priced from $76,245 before on-roads) and the Kia Sorento PHEV (from $84,660 before on-roads).
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