Chery has doubled down on its popular Tiggo 7 SUV, unveiling a new-generation model with a significantly upgraded interior alongside a more rugged sibling designed to appeal to buyers who want to ditch the bitumen and hit the dirt on occasion.

Both vehicles have just made their debut at the Chinese manufacturer’s Global Summit in Wuhu, China, with the standard Tiggo 7 focusing on comfort and tech while the new X7 (pictured below) gets a tougher appearance and promises of greater off-road chops.

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From the outside, the latest Tiggo 7 could easily be mistaken for its predecessor. Chery has resisted making sweeping styling changes, instead fitting a slightly larger grille, redesigned bumpers and side skirts, fresh alloy wheels and sharper LED headlights.

A roof-mounted housing fits equipment for 20 autonomous driving systems, but the most noticeable changes are inside the cabin. The dashboard has been completely redesigned around a large landscape-oriented touchscreen, complemented by a separate digital instrument display and a row of physical toggle switches.

Chery has also added quilted leatherette upholstery, massaging front seats with heating, ventilation and deployable footrests, and customisable ambient lighting stretching right across the dashboard.

The existing Tiggo 7’s petrol plug-in hybrid technology will continue, with the updated Super Hybrid gaining a scheduled charging function that allows owners to take advantage of cheaper off-peak electricity. Conventional petrol and self-charging hybrid powertrains are also expected to be offered, although Chery has yet to confirm the complete engine line-up.

Meanwhile, the Tiggo X7 takes the familiar SUV in a considerably more adventurous direction. The first model in a new family of Tiggo X vehicles, it features a boxier body, chunky wheelarch cladding, a distinctive grille with a body-coloured insert and aggressive-looking headlights.

Recovery hook-inspired styling details reinforce the off-road theme, while the rear features C-shaped LED tail-lights instead of the conventional Tiggo 7’s full-width lighting arrangement. 

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The X7 also gets increased ground clearance and chunky all-terrain tyres, along with six off-road-focused driving modes. Chery says these include settings for snow, mud, sand, rocks and water wading, although it has not released detailed figures for the vehicle’s off-road capabilities.

Despite its tougher appearance, the X7 remains a five-seater, sitting below the larger seven-seat Tiggo 8 in Chery’s SUV range. Chery has confirmed a maximum towing capacity of 1500kg for the X7, which is 200kg less than the newly revealed Omoda X.

Inside, it shares the standard Tiggo 7’s large touchscreen and digital instruments, but features door-mounted electric seat controls and distinctive rectangular ambient lighting elements.

Powertrain details remain under wraps, although petrol and plug-in hybrid options similar to those in the standard Tiggo 7 are possibilities. Neither model’s Australian launch timing or pricing has been confirmed.