Experiencing the new era of green mobility: Driving the Chery Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid

When Chery Auto Philippines launched the refreshed Chery Tiggo 5X , now known as the Tiggo 5X Pro, and the Tiggo 7 Pro, both with “Hybrid” badges too, I was far from uninterested in taking them out for a drive. 

It did not take long for that chance to arrive as Chery Auto Philippines invited us to go on a 1-day drive with their new electrified variants, from Metro Manila to Pampanga and back, allowing us to fully experience them in multiple road conditions in just a day.

We started our drive with a meet-up at the Chery Auto Commonwealth dealership in Quezon City where we were greeted by a fleet of the new “hybrid” crossovers, parked on the dealer parking lot. So new in fact that their seats were all still wrapped in plastic when we arrived. We’ll definitely be talking about that badge later.

Design Impressions

The Chery Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid certainly does make a good impression. While it still does look similar to the Tiggo 5X which we first saw here in the Philippines in late 2019 when Chery first relaunched, the updates give it more presence and keep it in line with the rest of the brand’s lineup of “Pro” Tiggo crossovers.

In front is Chery’s signature Diamond Galaxy front grille which is one highlight of the Pro lineup. The headlights have also been upgraded to LEDs from halogen projectors and the new 18-inch alloy wheels give off a more premium look. Its interior is also completely new but familiar, getting a very identical design from the Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T.

Same goes for the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro which hasn’t seen much update but I still consider it as one of the better looking models in the compact crossover segment. The rather simple new 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels surely match the looks of the model, much more than what it had before. The interior also remains the same.

And with that out of the way, and after a nice light breakfast, it was time to make our way to our first destination, My Lola Nor’s 301 in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. About 80 kilometers north from where we are.

First Drive

Assigned to us for today’s drive was Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid no. 5, painted in a white exterior color. For this first part of the drive, I volunteered to start off as the driver in order to test out how it drives through the city in different traffic conditions, as well as out on the expressway. 

First, let’s talk about that “Hybrid” powertrain. With the vehicle badged as such, and with no offense to my dear friends at Chery Auto Philippines, the “Hybrid” naming convention is more of a marketing term rather than an actual technical thing for these new variants. Thankfully, they’re not keeping this a secret and are very transparent about it unlike a certain Japanese car brand.

Powering both the Chery Tiggo 5X Pro and Tiggo 7 Pro Hybrid is a 1.5-liter turbocharged Inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine, paired to a 48-volt integrated starter generator (ISG), effectively making them mild-hybrid powertrains and not a full hybrids as their names suggest. The powertrain combo produces 156 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque, mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

And driving the Chery Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid, you can immediately feel how much better it is compared to the regular Tiggo 5X from before. Power delivery is much better than before though it does take a few seconds for it to kick in, it’s still impressively better. Another good thing is how linear acceleration is with the CVT not holding the revs high thus removing any rubber band effect from other CVTs.

Overtaking power is also quite good despite the minor delay. Something I do find interesting is the engine note which sounds very throaty, something I did not expect. Steering feel on the other hand is a bit on the vague side though I do know for a fact that it was tuned for comfort rather than sporty driving which is okay.

Anyway, we soon arrived at our first stop, My Lola Nor’s 301, for some very homey Kapampangan cuisine.

Ride Comfort

After a hearty meal, mainly made special by pork sisig, REAL Kapampangan Sisig, we then started to make our way to our next destination, AA Leisure Farm in Bamban, Tarlac, and this time I got the chance to experience it as a passenger and like how it drove, it didn’t disappoint as well.

First, the seats are actually quite comfortable thanks to their aggressive side bolstering which does help improve support for your body. I do think the seats are on the firmer side so there was a bit of back ache making itself known to me. 

Ride quality on the other hand is also on the firmer side though the way that the suspension absorbs road imperfections is actually surprisingly excellent, better than a bouncy or wallowy ride. NVH insulation on the other hand is decent considering the price (see below) which is on the affordable side.

And upon arrival at the farm, it was time for a nice relaxing afternoon away from civilization. The place had no cellular reception and no WiFi available which helped us all appreciate the fleet of Chery Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid we parked scattered around the property, as well as talk about the latest news in the industry.

The Drive Home

A few hours later, as the sun started to set, it was time to drive back to Metro Manila. I took over driving duties once again for the whole drive and with a loose convoy, I was able to get an even better feel of the Chery Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid and it definitely gives a good balance of sporty and comfortable driving.

Also, in case you’re wondering about fuel economy, we weren’t able to fully measure it. Based on the instantaneous fuel economy meter though, we would probably have been averaging around 14 km/l in mixed driving which wouldn’t be bad at all. Once we do get the chance to take it out once again for a full review, then we’ll surely get the exact figure.

There is More

Chery Auto Philippines says, according to their new tagline, “There is more to our cars.” And I believe that is true, with what we experienced in their newest product, there really is more to the Chery Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid. It may not be the first choice in the segment, but it doesn’t fail to surprise and I must say that at its price, plus Chery’s segment-leading warranty package, this crossover has the fighting chance to catapult the brand into new heights.

Summary