A $23,990 drive away Chinese small SUV just outsold almost everything in the country. We look at price, safety, warranty fine print and resale to see if the Tiggo 4 is a bargain or a trap.
By Varun Punyamurtula ·
The petrol Tiggo 4 delivers more equipment, safety and warranty per dollar than almost any new car in Australia, and the $26,990 Ultimate is the sweet spot. Weak resale and average fuel economy are the trade offs, so it suits buyers who plan to keep it for the long haul.
From $23,990 drive away
Only five vehicles in Australia found more buyers than the Chery Tiggo 4 in September 2026. Not five small SUVs. Five vehicles, full stop. With 2,059 sales for the month, a small Chinese SUV that starts at $23,990 drive away finished sixth on the national sales chart, a spot normally reserved for HiLuxes, Rangers and RAV4s.
That is a remarkable result for a brand most Australians could not have named three years ago. And it raises the obvious question every shopper eyeing a Mazda CX-3 or Toyota Yaris Cross is now asking: is the Tiggo 4 genuinely a smart buy, or just a cheap one?
We dug through the official pricing, specs, safety data and warranty fine print to find out.
Quick answer: The petrol Tiggo 4 is one of the best value new cars in the country, with five star ANCAP safety, a seven year warranty and a long feature list for under $27,000 drive away. The catch is resale value and a thirsty turbo petrol engine. The hybrid is frugal but costs thousands more and is not ANCAP rated.
There are four versions: two petrol and two hybrid, each in Urban and Ultimate trim. Petrol pricing is national drive away for orders placed between 1 October and 31 December 2026. Hybrid pricing is postcode based on Chery's website, so we have quoted the Sydney figure with Melbourne and Brisbane for comparison.
October sweeteners stack the deck further. Petrol buyers get a $1,500 fuel card (or the equivalent off the price), while hybrid buyers can choose $2,000 cashback or 0.70% comparison rate finance. Premium paint costs extra.
Even the base Urban is well equipped for the money.
The Ultimate adds 18 inch wheels, a 360 degree camera, heated front seats, a powered sunroof, 15W wireless phone charging, power folding mirrors and selectable ambient lighting. The Hybrid Ultimate also gets synthetic leather trim, a six way power driver's seat and a temporary spare. One oddity: the Hybrid Urban has a four speaker stereo while the Ultimate gets six.
Our pick of the petrol range is the Ultimate. For an extra $3,000 the 360 degree camera, heated seats and sunroof make it feel like a car costing $10,000 more.
This is where the Tiggo 4 stops being a bargain and starts being a compromise.
Petrol: a 1.5 litre turbo with 108kW and 210Nm, driving the front wheels through a CVT automatic. Chery quotes 7.4L/100km combined on 91 octane. That is noticeably thirstier than the hybrid rivals and even a little behind the non turbo Mazda. Owners and testers commonly report adequate city punch but a CVT that drones when pushed.
Hybrid: a 1.5 litre petrol engine (71kW and 120Nm on its own) works with an electric motor through a single speed dedicated hybrid transmission, so the electric side does most of the driving. Chery quotes 5.4L/100km combined. Chery's spec table does not list a combined system output, so we can't confirm a total power figure.
Do the maths: at 15,000km a year and $2 a litre, the hybrid saves roughly $600 a year in fuel. With a gap of almost $7,000 at the counter (before offers), payback takes a long time unless you do big kilometres.
The Tiggo 4 is a proper small SUV: 4,307mm long on a 2,610mm wheelbase for the petrol, and 4,330mm for the hybrid. That is a touch longer than a CX-3 and roughly on par with the Yaris Cross.
Chery quotes up to 470 litres of boot space for the hybrid (measured on the generous VDA method, so treat that as a best case). The petrol spec sheet does not list a boot figure, so we recommend bringing your pram or golf bag to the dealer to check. Rear seat space is reported as decent for adults on short trips and good for kids, and rear air vents are a welcome touch at this price.
The petrol Tiggo 4 holds a five star ANCAP rating, which expires in December 2031. The fine print matters here.
The rating is based on testing of the related Tiggo 7 Pro, with extra AEB and lane support tests on the smaller car. It carries a 2023 datestamp. Standard kit includes a front centre airbag, AEB with junction, head on and reversing functions, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.
Two things to know. First, the hybrid is unrated by ANCAP. Second, if you are buying used, ANCAP says cars built before 1 November 2024 (sold as the Tiggo 4 Pro) only qualify for five stars once recall REC-006263 has been completed. Check the service history.
Early reviews also report that the driver assistance systems can be chatty, with frequent beeps and warnings. That is common across Chinese brands and something to try on a test drive.
Chery's warranty is one of its strongest selling points, but read the conditions.
The policy requires servicing to Chery's schedule, and defects caused by work from repairers other than authorised Chery dealers or approved repairers are excluded. In practice, servicing at a Chery dealer is the simplest way to keep both the warranty and roadside cover intact.
Capped price servicing runs for seven years or 105,000km, with intervals of 12 months or 15,000km. The petrol costs $2,167.33 in total over that period ($289 for each of the first five services). The hybrid costs $2,519.46, largely due to a $736.62 sixth service. Both are cheap by small SUV standards.
Want one? Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to find the best deal anywhere in Australia, on a new, demo, near new or used Tiggo 4. Get the best deal. Got a car to move on first? We can help you sell your car too.
Here is the honest weak spot. Chinese brands have historically lost value faster than Toyota and Mazda, and Chery has a short track record here since its return to Australia. Strong new car sales also mean plenty of used Tiggo 4s will hit the market in a few years, which can push trade in values down.
Our view: if you plan to keep the car for the full seven year warranty, resale matters less, and the low purchase price cushions the hit. If you change cars every two or three years, a Toyota will likely hold its value much better.
The Tiggo 4's closest rival. The petrol Jolion Premium is advertised at $23,990 drive away in Victoria (including a $3,000 saving until 31 October 2026), and there is a hybrid range too. Both brands offer long warranties.
Winner: Tiggo 4, narrowly, for its sharper standard tech and current fuel card offer. The Jolion is the one to cross shop.
MG's petrol ZS is priced in the low $20,000s drive away and the Hybrid+ in the low to mid $30,000s, depending on deals at the time of purchase. It's a well known budget pick, but the Tiggo 4 feels newer inside.
Winner: Tiggo 4 for petrol buyers. The ZS Hybrid+ is worth a look against the Tiggo 4 Hybrid.
Mazda currently advertises the CX-3 Pure from $30,990 drive away. It's an older design with less cabin and boot space, but it's a proven, well built product with strong resale.
Winner: Tiggo 4 for value and space. The CX-3 for resale and brand confidence.
Hybrid only, with dealer drive away quotes starting around $35,500 for the GX. It is the most fuel efficient car here and will hold its value best, but you pay a lot more for less equipment.
Winner: Yaris Cross for running costs and resale. Tiggo 4 for features per dollar.
The Tiggo 4's sales success is not a fluke. It offers five star safety, a big screen cabin, heated seats and a 360 degree camera in Ultimate trim, a seven year warranty and cheap servicing, all for less than the starting price of a CX-3.
Buy it if: you want the most car for your money, plan to keep it for five years or more, and do mostly city and suburban driving. The petrol Ultimate at $26,990 drive away is the sweet spot.
Skip it if: resale value is a priority, you do lots of highway kilometres and care about fuel bills, or you want an ANCAP rated hybrid. In that case, a Yaris Cross is the safer long term bet.
The petrol Tiggo 4 Urban is $23,990 drive away and the Ultimate is $26,990 drive away. The hybrid ranges from about $30,500 to $34,400 drive away depending on trim and state.
Chery backs it with a seven year, unlimited kilometre warranty for private buyers. The model is relatively new to Australia, so long term reliability data is still limited, but the warranty covers you for most of a typical ownership period.
Chery quotes 7.4L/100km combined for the 1.5 litre turbo petrol and 5.4L/100km for the hybrid. Both run on 91 octane unleaded.
Yes, petrol versions carry a five star ANCAP rating (2023 datestamp) that expires in December 2031. The Tiggo 4 Hybrid is currently unrated.
The warranty requires servicing to Chery's schedule, and it excludes defects caused by repairers other than authorised Chery dealers or approved repairers. Servicing at a Chery dealer is the safest way to protect your warranty and keep roadside assistance active.
Prices checked on 7 October 2026 on cherymotor.com.au and are subject to change; hybrid prices vary by postcode and offers end 31 October 2026. Sales figures are from VFACTS for September 2026. Rival prices are from manufacturer advertising or dealer quotes at the time of writing and can vary. Images: Chery Australia (manufacturer media, some overseas models shown).
Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to help you find the best deal anywhere in Australia.
List it on Drivers Insider in a few minutes and reach buyers right across Australia.
Sell your carSources
7.7/10The updated BYD Atto 3 Evo is here from $41,990. We compare the Dynamic and Premium on price, range, charging, boot space and towing, and show how it stacks up against the Geely EX5, MG S5 EV and Tesla Model Y.
BYD has sold almost twice as many cars as Tesla in Australia this year, but the Model Y is still the top selling EV. Here's the sales scoreboard, and how the Model Y and Sealion 7 compare on price, range, charging and more.
8.6/10BMW's new Neue Klasse iX3 starts at $89,900 for the rear drive iX3 40, under the Luxury Car Tax threshold. We compare the 40 and 50 xDrive on price, range, charging and equipment, and show how it stacks up against the Audi Q6 e-tron, Mercedes GLC electric and Tesla Model Y.
7.7/10The first all new CX-5 since 2017 is bigger, safer and AWD across the range, from $39,990. But there's still no hybrid. Here's the price, what each grade gets, and how it stacks up against the RAV4 and Tucson.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Sign in to comment or create a free account