Chery South Africa threw down the gauntlet: drive from Midrand to Cape Agulhas—the southernmost tip of Africa—on one single tank of fuel. Enter the new Chery Tiggo 9 PRO PHEV, a plug-in hybrid SUV claiming up to 1,400km of range. Could we actually do it? Lerato had to try.
In this video, we document every twist, turn, and tollgate of the epic 1-Tank Challenge, battling real-world traffic, unpredictable turns, and the pressure of making every drop count. But just when we thought the challenge was clear, Chery added a curveball: the Chery Tiggo 7 PRO PHEV would be joining us for the ride. Ntsako, the reigning fuel efficiency King was called in to bat.
The results? Genuinely surprising.
The Tiggo 9 PRO PHEV managed a real-world range of 1,374.1km on a single tank and charge, despite spending over 90 minutes in bumper-to-bumper traffic leaving Joburg.
The Tiggo 7 PRO PHEV, with its smaller petrol tank and possibly more strategic driving, reached an impressive 1,290.5km.
Both cars use hybrid petrol powertrains—but their performance on this long-distance mission might just change how you think about fuel economy and hybrid tech.
Watch the full film to see how it all played out, who came out on top, and what this means for Chery’s future in South Africa.
