The Middle East fuel shock is set to make life harder for Australians, already dealing with cost-of-living pressures. But for any car manufacturers selling SUVs that are both a) cheap and b) fuel efficient, it’s a great time as many new car shoppers seek out the cheapest ways to save money on transportation.

Chery fits this bill, sales increasing by 93.8 per cent so far in 2026 thanks to its cheap hybrid SUVs. How does its cheapest hybrid model on sale in Australia fare against its competition? Let’s take a look…

How much does the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid cost to buy? 

The Chery Tiggo 4 is known as one of the best value small SUVs available, though the hybrid versions require opening the wallet a little wider. Pricing for the hybrid starts at $29,990 driveaway for the base model Urban and $34,990 driveaway for the top-spec Ultimate – Chery has the latter on special for $32,990 driveaway until June 30, however. 

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Those familiar with the Tiggo 4 will note that pricing is a $6000 rise on the petrol models, which will buy you a lot of fuel. Most hybrids on the market are priced from around $3000 more than their ICE equivalents so it’s arguable the cost difference could be lessened.

2026 Chery Tiggo 4 pricing (driveaway):

Urban petrol$23,990
Ultimate petrol$26,990
Hybrid Urban$29,990
Hybrid Ultimate$34,990

Comparatively, however, it still represents good value, as full hybrid SUVs don’t come cheaper than the Tiggo 4. That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of rivals for the Chery. The MG ZS Hybrid+ is priced similarly to the Tiggo 4, while the Toyota Yaris Cross is priced from $31,790 plus on-road costs, the Hyundai Kona Hybrid $36,950 +ORC and the Honda HR-V e:HEV from $39,900 driveaway.

As we’ve come to expect from Chery, the Tiggo 4 Hybrid Ultimate is loaded with standard features. A full list lies at the bottom of the page, but highlights include 17-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, electric driver’s seat adjustment, dual 10.25-inch displays, a wireless phone charger and safety features like autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera. 

How fuel efficient is the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid?

The Tiggo 4 Hybrid uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain that makes a healthy 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque, which are similar figures to the MG ZS Hybrid+, and almost double the power of the 85kW Toyota Yaris Cross. Both the petrol engine and electric motor can drive the front wheels through a one-speed ‘dedicated hybrid transmission’, which sounds complicated but all you really need to know is it feels mostly like a CVT in the real world. 

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Chery claims combined fuel consumption of 5.4L/100km, which is more than both the ZS Hybrid+ (4.7L/100km) and Yaris Cross (3.8L/100km), but we found that figure relatively easy to beat and scored 5.1L/100km in our week with the car in both urban and highway driving. The Tiggo 4 Hybrid uses 91RON regular unleaded fuel to fill its large 51-litre tank and emits 123g/km of CO2. 

How does the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid drive?

The petrol Tiggo 4 is pleasant enough to drive, though a sports car it is not. A Kona and Yaris Cross are both superior in the driving stakes thanks to their more fun driving experience and far more settled ride quality.

The Tiggo 4 Hybrid is comfortable enough in everyday driving, but the steering is too light and gives minimal feedback, making it difficult to place on the road, especially at highway speeds when a little change in steering can make an alarmingly big difference.

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On the plus side, the 1.5-litre hybrid drivetrain in the Tiggo 4 Hybrid is smooth, easily switching between petrol and electric propulsion, and it feels quicker than the petrol version because the torque from the electric motor is instant and it weighs under 1500kg.

Performance in the Tiggo 4 Hybrid is fine, even at highway speeds, though the engine can be loud when more performance is called for. Aside from the sensitive lane keeping assistance, the Tiggo 4 Hybrid’s active safety features are generally tuned well and are far better than they used to be, though still not quite as polished as Japanese rivals.

How practical is the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid? 

The cabin of the Chery Tiggo 4 is modern, good quality and filled with useable tech that we think will appeal to small SUV shoppers. Unlike the scratchy plastics of some rivals, the Tiggo 4’s front cabin is loaded with soft touch materials, including on the dashboard and door tops, though the liberal use of piano black trim will need effort to keep unscratched. The cloth in the lower-spec Urban feels nicer to sit on and will be cooler in hot weather. 

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A 10.25-inch touchscreen handles infotainment duties in all Tiggo 4 models with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring and DAB+ digital radio featuring, though no satellite navigation or live services. It’s an easy system to use and thankfully, Chery hasn’t tried to fit every function of the car into it, though screen quality and fastness could be improved.

The climate control is controlled with separate buttons below the screen, and there is also a line of physical buttons underneath the touchscreen to aid usability by giving shortcuts to the volume, 360-degree camera, home for the screen and so on, which many new cars frustratingly do without.

Front cabin storage is excellent in the Tiggo 4 thanks to its large door bins, huge under-console tray that can hold handbags and large box underneath the central armrest. Seat comfort is generally good as well, though under thigh-angle adjustment would be great, as would a lower set driver’s seat as you feel like you’re sitting on the seat, rather than in it.

Rear seat space in the Tiggo 4 Hybrid is great for the segment thanks to good legroom, a relatively flat floor and ample headroom from its tall body. Amenities include map pockets, door pockets, an air vent on the rear of the centre console and a singular USB-A charging port so occupants will have to fight over who uses it. ISOFIX points are located on the outboard seats, while the doors open wide too. We also quite like the warning light in the rear door, which alerts those seated in the rear to oncoming traffic. 

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Behind the rear seats lies 470 litres of space, which is curiously 90 litres larger than the petrol Tiggo 4 and 63 litres larger than a Kona Hybrid. There are further curiosities too, such as the small hump in the boot floor to cover the 12V that doesn’t fit under the bonnet. There are also no hooks, nets or tie-down points, and a noticeable jump from the boot floor to the rear seats with them folded. 

What warranty covers the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid? 

The Tiggo 4 Hybrid is covered by Chery’s seven-year/unlimited km warranty with up to seven years of roadside assistance (if serviced through a Chery dealership). A separate eight-year/unlimited km warranty covers the hybrid battery.

Five years/75,000km of servicing the Tiggo 4 Hybrid costs just $1495 ($299 per service), which is quite low in 2026.  

Should I buy a Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid?

Those seeking a cheap, efficient, well equipped and practical small SUV that costs little to run will be quite pleased by the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid. It’s well priced against its main rivals and even the entry-level model offers good equipment levels. Plus, the regular Tiggo 4’s comfortable and good quality cabin continues largely unchanged, and like the petrol models, the Hybrid is quite inexpensive to service.

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There’s no doubt that the hybrid drivetrain is much more efficient than the petrol Tiggo 4, and it’s also smoother and more refined too. But the hybrid variant doesn’t as yet improve the driving experience, which is a little soft with steering that is too light – and the $6000 premium against the petrol model is a consideration to be weighed up against the likely fuel savings.

Tiggo 4 Hybrid Specifications:

ModelChery Tiggo 4 Hybrid Ultimate
Price$34,990 driveaway ($32,990 DA until June 30)
Engine1498cc four-cylinder DOHC petrol hybrid
Peak power150kW
Peak torque310Nm
TransmissionOne-speed dedicated hybrid transmission, front-wheel drive
Claimed fuel economy5.4L/100km
Claimed CO2 emissions123g/km
Fuel type91RON regular unleaded
Fuel tank51 litres
Dimensions (l/w/h/wb)4330/1830/1655/2604mm
Boot size470 litres (rear seats up)
Kerb weight1490kg
WarrantySeven-year/unlimited km
On saleNow

Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid Ultimate standard features:

  • 17-inch alloy wheels with a space saver spare wheel
  • Dusk-sensing automatic LED exterior lighting with scrolling front indicators
  • Rain-sensing automatic wipers
  • Sunroof
  • Silver roof rails
  • Heated and auto-folding mirrors
  • Keyless entry with push button start and remote start
  • Synthetic leather upholstery (seats and steering wheel)
  • Heated front seats
  • Eight-way electric driver’s seat with lumbar adjustment
  • Dual-zone automatic climate control with a rear air vent
  • 10.25-inch digital driver’s display
  • 10.25-inch touchscreen
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
  • AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
  • Bluetooth calling and audio streaming
  • Six-speaker sound system
  • 4x USB ports
  • Wireless phone charger
  • Anti-theft alarm
  • 7x airbags
  • Autonomous emergency braking
  • Lane keeping assistance with adaptive lane guidance
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Traffic jam assist
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Rear cross-traffic alert (with braking)
  • Door open warning
  • Driver attention monitoring
  • Auto high beam
  • Front and rear parking sensors
  • 360-degree camera