Chery hurries 2nd-gen Tiggo 7 along due to poor sales

The second generation of the Chery Tiggo 7 crossover SUV has made its debut at the 2019 Auto Guangzhou. The car will be introduced in its final production form in January, followed by production start sometime in the first quarter of 2020.

The first generation of the SUV (see video) only saw the daylight three years ago, but was not successful on its domestic market of China, forcing the automaker to push the second generation out sooner than it otherwise would.

Indeed, the new iteration of the model looks more style-conscious than the preceding once. It also boasts a redesigned interior, complete with a new 12.3-inch digital dashboard, a 10.2-inch infotainment display, touch-based climate controls, and a gear joystick instead of the traditional stick.

The entry-level Tiggo 7 will continue to ship with the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 156 hp (116 kW) and 230 Nm (170 lb-ft). Later on, Chery will add a larger 1.6-liter engine to the lineup, boosted to deliver 197 hp (147 kW) along with 290 Nm (214 lb-ft) of torque. Manual and dual-clutch transmissions will both be available, but the drive will stay fixed on the front axle.