Here it is, finally – the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, locally assembled and ready to take on its chief rival, the Proton X70. With a price of RM123,800 for a single high-spec variant, the Chinese automaker once again shocks with the sheer density of on-paper flex it packs for that Ringgit value.

However, Chery are also offering the Tiggo 7 Pro with a special introductory price of RM119,800 for the first 2,000 customers, making it just about RM1,000 more expensive than the than high-spec Omoda 5 for those lucky buyers. 

Remember, Chery Malaysia has introduced three new vehicles in this past 12 months alone, marking the Tiggo 7 Pro as its fourth. Positioned between the aforementioned Omoda 5 (+E5?) and the Tiggo 8 Pro, the obviousness of its rivalry with the Proton X70 cannot be overstated, specifically the X70 1.8 TGDI Premium. Beyond their similar footprints, they even share a passing resemblance.

The SUV features an upright body, an upswept window line, and blacked-out D-pillars that create a “floating roof” effect. However, Chery has given the Tiggo 7 Pro a more aggressive front end, boasting a large hexagonal grille with a diamond pattern, surrounded by a prominent U-shaped air intake design while 17-inch wheels are found at the corners, shod in Atlas A51 tyres.

The vehicle’s front end is equipped with slim LED headlights featuring sequential indicators, while the daytime running lights are positioned below the blue accents on the air inlets. The SUV makes attempts at projecting a muscular profile, leading to rear end with full-width LED taillights, cementing its familial tie to its larger sibling the Tiggo 8 Pro. 

Under its bonnet and the blanket of hard black plastic covering, the Tiggo 7 Pro is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 197 PS and 290 Nm of torque, making it one of the gutsiest contenders in its class, and is paired to a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission sourced from Getrag, driving the front wheels.

As far as we can tell, this is essentially the same powertrain that is used in the soon-to-launch Jaecoo J7, though this endowed with premium appointments and with all-wheel drive.

Back to the Tiggo 7 Pro, its turbo-petrol engine also gives the SUV a century sprint time of 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 205 km/h, while fuel consumption is rated at a pretty impressive 7.0-litres/100 km, beating the the 1.5-litre unit in the X70’s 7.6-litre/100km estimate despite its slightly larger displacement, extra cylinder, and more power.

The Tiggo 7 Pro measures 4,513mm in length, 1,862mm in width, and 1,696mm in height, making it slightly shorter (by 6mm), wider (by 31mm), and taller (by 2mm) compared to the Proton X70, though interestingly both share an identical wheelbase of 2,670 mm.

Boot capacity, meanwhile is a decent but unremarkable 475-litres, expandable to 1,672 litres with the rear seats folded. For comparison, the X70 offers about 510-litres in its boot with the seats up, and don’t get us started on the Honda CR-V.

Inside is perhaps where the Tiggo 7 Pro can truly edge out the X70. It features a clean, minimalist dashboard reminiscent of the Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda E5, with bits of trim and switchgear clearly taken from the same parts bin.

A widescreen display panel dominates the interior, comprising two 12.3-inch screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment system. As standard, and unlike the Proton (as the time of writing), the Chery is equipped with Apple CarPlay (wired) and Android Auto (wireless/wired) connectivity, along with an eight-speaker Sony sound system.

Additional equipment include full leatherette upholstery, panoramic glass roof, dual-zone climate control, a 50-watt Qi wireless charger, and multi-coloured ambient lighting with audio sync. The Tiggo 7 Pro also includes keyless entry with walk-away auto lock, push-button start, power-adjustable seats with ventilation (six-way for the driver and four-way for the passenger), a 360-degree camera system, and a powered tailgate.

In terms of safety, the Tiggo 7 Pro is well-equipped with seven airbags, stability control, and a suite of driver assistance systems. These include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, lane centring assist, rear collision alert, blind spot monitoring with collision prevention, rear cross traffic alert with automatic braking, and auto high beam.

Chery is offering the Tiggo 7 Pro with their 7-year (or up to 150,000km) warranty, 7-year (or up to 150,000) 24/7 unlimited towing, as well as 5-years free servicing.