Chery Tiggo Cross Sport Edition launched – front/rear bodykit on the 1.5L Turbo variant, RM83,800

The Chery Tiggo Cross Sport Edition, which first image we saw last week, is now officially launched in Malaysia.

The Sport Edition (SE) is based on the Turbo version of the Tiggo Cross (there’s a Hybrid too), which is CKD locally assembled at Inokom in Kulim, Kedah. The SE is priced at RM91,800 on-the-road without insurance, which is RM3,000 higher than the Turbo – however, a ‘running promo’ puts the RRP at RM83,800, which is RM5,000 lower than the standard car.

The SE’s main exterior feature is its bodykit, which consists of a front lip with two centre ‘holes’ that extend from the original bumper’s lower intakes. There are also side ‘winglets’ for the lip, but the gloss black bodykit does not include side skirts or a more elaborate rear wing – this isn’t a five-piece kit.

If you thought the front lip is prominent, wait till you see the rear extension. The diffuser-style piece not only has vertical lines but horizontal ones as well, giving it a grille look. The regular Tiggo Cross doesn’t come with visible tail pipes, so they added two rectangular ones in silver here, but they’re not functional.

Again, there’s no SE spoiler, but the stock one looks pretty good – it protrudes a fair bit and there’s a central cutout. Likewise, the Turbo’s 18-inch wheels have been carried over. By the way, the wheels here – wrapped with 215/55 Giti tyres – are an inch larger than the rims on the Hybrid and looks appropriate. Finally, there are ‘Sport’ badges on both the grille and tailgate. No changes to the interior.

The Tiggo Cross Turbo is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-four making 147 PS and 210 Nm of torque. Drive goes to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission for a 0-100 km/h time of 10.3 seconds in Sport mode. Chery claims fuel consumption of 6.3L per 100 km (15.9 km/l) from a 51-litre tank.

The Tiggo Cross is viewed by many as a Perodua Ativa/Honda WR-V sort of car, but its dimensions isn’t far off from the Proton X50, which is considered as a true B-segment SUV.

At 4,318 mm long and 1,830 mm wide, the Cross is 62 mm shorter than the X50 but 35 mm wider. The Chery’s 2,610 mm wheelbase is 10 mm longer too, and even the reduced boot space of the Hybrid (350L, Turbo is 380L) is larger than the X50. So this is a proper B-segment SUV.

Bodykit aside, equipment is as per the Turbo, which includes LED headlamps, vertical LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, red brake calipers, functional roof rails, faux leather upholstery, ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control with rear vent (there’s only one), 15W wireless charging pad, keyless entry/push start and a powered driver’s seat.

Those two screens are each 10.25-inch wide, and there’s also wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a ‘540-degree’ camera and six speakers. Safety wise, you get six airbags plus an ADAS suite that includes lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, auto high beam, lane departure prevention, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking.

The SE is available in three colours – Carbon Black, Khaki White and Phantom Grey as seen here. This excludes Blood Stone Red, a hue that is exclusive to the Turbo (not offered on the Hybrid). There’s also a dressed-up unit in matte black with orange stripes – you can see this show car at Chery’s roadshow at IOI City Mall till October 11.

The Tiggo Cross comes with a seven-year 150,000-km factory warranty, and Chery is throwing in free labour for six scheduled services.

All the differences between the Turbo and Hybrid variants are detailed here. Also check out our full review of the Tiggo Cross. Price wise, the Tiggo Cross Turbo was already on par with the base Proton X50 Executive, but this SE promo makes it cheaper. Better equipped and full ADAS as standard too. What do you think of the SE’s bodykit and price?

GALLERY: Chery Tiggo Cross Sport Edition