And that is because the 2025 Chery Tiggo 4 Reborn Is something quite different when it comes to cars in Australia. This compact SUV is more than another addition to an ever-swelling market segment, it’s a serious statement of Chery’s refreshed intentions for the Australian market.
The latter is a direct product of the Chinese automaker’s successful relaunch in Australia, with the Tiggo 4 Reborn designed specifically for Australian driving environments and consumer tastes.
As Chery prepares for an Australian re-entry, we look back at the brand’s original Australian debut
Chery has been persistent and evolved a lot in the Australian market. The Chinese manufacturer first entered the market on a smaller scale in the early 2010s, but withdrawn with modest success to reassess its tactics.
Australia is emerging from a winter of discontent, a period of reflection that has led to what market experts describe as a masterclass in market reentry strategy. The return of the 2025 Tiggo 4 Reborn is the archetype of this highly engineered revival.
“We didn’t want to just bring another SUV to Australia,” says Chery Australia Director of Product Development, Sarah Thompson. “We wanted to do something the drivers here nationally really connected to, something they felt belonged on Australian roads.”
This ideal has informed every detail of the Tiggo 4 Reborn’s engineering, from its solid chassis engineering to the well-thought interiors made more for long-distance comfort, and for good reason as intercity travel in the Philippines usually means hours on the road.
Australian Design Influence, Not Just Skin Deep
Although many international manufacturers say that they adapt their vehicles for the specific markets they sell into, Chery is taking this to new extremes with the Tiggo 4 Reborn.
The company opened a design studio in Melbourne three years ago, uniting Australian automotive designers and engineers with their Chinese counterparts.
The consequence is obvious in the vehicle’s external aesthetic. The front fascia is a mix of currently favoured bold, angled design language with a distinctly Australian take on rugged durability — so it wears well the ugliness that is doing the rounds lately.
There’s the extra height—20mm more than the equivalent models sold in other markets—tailored to suit Australian driving conditions whether crawling over urban speed bumps or hitting the occasional gravel road.
The “Aussie Edition” badging isn’t just a gimmick for the marketing department; it signifies structural amendments and suspension tuning performed by the team at the company’s test site in Victoria’s You Yangs region.
This forced the prototype to endure thousands of kilometers over big varieties of surface types found all through the continent.
Performance Oriented for Australian Conditions
Powertrains That Make Sense
Two key powertrain configurations of the 2025 Tiggo 4 Reborn have been announced, targeting different segments of the local market.
That has until now been the only engine offered, but now the brand has also added a new 115kW/230Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged four, which should place this entry level model neatly against the likes of the Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona.
However, the most significant addition to the line-up here is a hybrid variant, which will be Chery’s first electrified vehicle in the Australian market.
It relies on a more efficient 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine combined with an electric motor, delivering a combined output of 130kW and a claimed fuel consumption figure of 4.8L/100km.
That is a definite advantage in a market where fuel prices still matter when buyers need to consider how much they pay overall.
Both powertrains feature a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission developed with German engineering firm Getrag. This five-speed auto is the answer to one of the most common criticisms leveled at past Chinese offerings in Australia—drivetrain refinement.
Media test drives throughout many varied landscapes in Victoria were overwhelmingly positive, with diverse journalists noting the smooth, predictable characteristics of the gearbox, particularly at low speed when navigating stop-start traffic in the city.
Suspension and Handling — The Australian Factor
Arguably one of the most crucial aspects of Australian influence makes its way to the Tiggo 4 Reborn in the suspension department. Realizing that the roads in Australia pose some unique challenges; from the rural highways’ corrugated surfaces to the pothole-riddled streets in metropolitan areas, Chery’s engineers came up with a custom-developed suspension tuning.
The front MacPherson strut and rear multi-link configuration have custom spring rates and damper tuning that hit a remarkable balance between compliance and control.
During testing at the difficult Great Alpine Road, the vehicle displayed excellent composure over mid-corner bumps that could throw competitors with harder European-style suspension tuning off line.
We’ve tried to make the suspension initial hit soft, but the car settles quickly after,” says David Richards, Chassis Development Engineer at Chery Australia.
“It’s that secondary damping control that can make all the difference in terms of driver confidence — when you’re driving over surfaces that can be a little unpredictable.”
Interior: The practical side of tech
Room and Comfort for Australian Lives
The interior to the Tiggo 4 Reborn has been tailored for Australian ergonomics. The ride height is somewhat higher than many competitors, which affords the commanding view that still lures buyers to the SUV segment.
The seat cushioning strikes a careful balance between initial plushness and matching firmness that’s necessary on long drives.
Rear seat space — a noted area of shortfall for compact SUVs — has received extra attention, with the Tiggo 4 Reborn delivering 38mm more legroom than the segment average.
This emphasis on the comfort of the rear passengers reflects the likely role of the vehicle in many Australian families — where the compact SUV can be both daily commuter and weekend adventure wheeler.
With the rear seats in place, the 2024 Optima has a solid 515 liters of cargo capacity, which expands to a whopping 1,410 liters when folded.
Some clever touches include a dual-level floor system enabling owners to create a flat load space, or to maximize overall volume as needed.
Technology Integration: Connectedness and protection
The dashboard is dominated by a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Chery’s latest UX interface. More importantly for the Australian market, the system offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as native apps for popular streaming services.
The voice command functionality is also a local provision, driven by Australian-based natural language processing experts Appen and specifically trained to recognise a range of Australian accents and colloquialisms — a small but telling detail that highlights Chery’s focus on localization.
This includes comprehensive treatment of safety technology, with the Tiggo 4 Reborn equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as:
Automated emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection
Haptic steering wheel feedback with lane-keeping assistance
Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go functionality
Driver attention monitoring system
This thorough safety package has seen the vehicle score a five-star ANCAP safety rating against the rigorous 2025 testing protocol, alleviating another historical criticism levelled at Chinese models sold on the Australian market.
Position the Product and How It Is Going to Add Value
Competitive Pricing Strategy
By pricing the Tiggo 4 Reborn aggressively, Chery made it a value alternative to its competitors, without falling into the “cheap” trap that stymied some Chinese brands.
Pricing for the range starts from $29,990 drive-away for the Urban base model and tops out at $36,990 for the range-topping Hybrid Luxe variant.
This system makes the Tiggo 4 Reborn around 10-15% more affordable than similar Japanese and Korean rivals with similar or higher specs.
Warranty and Ownership Experience
Recognising that Australian buyers wary of warranty issues are most likely to dismiss a Chinese vehicle from their purchase list, Chery has introduced what it refers to as its “Confidence Package”: a seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty with seven years of roadside assistance.
Capped-price servicing for the first five years of ownership applies, with service intervals of 12 months/15,000 kilometers.
As additional proof Chery is serious about rebuilding consumer confidence, the company has set up 45 dedicated service centres across Australia in response to consumers’ concerns about parts availability and service support, which have often been a hindrance for Chinese brands in the market.
Sustainability and Environmental Considerations
In an era where the market is seeking more eco venialities, Chery has tried its best to place the Tiggo 4 Reborn as a relatively clean choice in its segment.
Aside from the clear efficiency gains offered by the hybrid powertrain, the company has put in place an assortment of manufacturing and material decisions targeted at lowering your carbon footprint.
Its efforts include a water-based paint that’s used during the entire production process, interior fabrics made with recycled materials, and structural components made from high- tensile steel that offers rigidity without unnecessary weight.
The company has also teamed with Carbon Neutral Australia to offset the carbon emissions of each vehicle for the first year of its service—a program that also includes funding reforestation projects in Victoria and New South Wales.
A New Challenger is Here
The 2025 Chery Tiggo 4 Reborn is more than just another in an increasingly crowded compact SUV segment in Australia — it’s a sign of auto engineering and design refinement coming out of China directed mainly at Australian tastes and driving conditions.
With local engineering and design capabilities, acceptance of Australian input throughout the development process and a focused effort to combat past concerns around quality, safety and after-sales service, Chery has brought the Tiggo 4 Reborn to market as a pertinent alternative to established players.
Whether this holistic approach will pay off in terms of sales remains to be seen, but one thing seems clear: The days of waving off a Chinese vehicle as a glorified knockoff or budget brand are clearly in the rearview mirror.
It’s abundantly clear that the Tiggo 4 Reborn is not only the result of some profound study of the Australian market by Chery, but an even more profound commitment to its production for our unique conditions on the ground.
FAQ
Q: Is the Tiggo 4 Reborn eligible for government incentives?
A: The hybrid version may be eligible for some state-based incentives, but not for federal EV subsidies, as it isn’t fully electric.
Q: How is the servicing network compared to established brands?
A: Chery is building a dedicated service network in Australia, with 45 service centers already in place and set to grow to 60 by the end of 2025.
Q: Does the Tiggo 4 Reborn ride on a new platform?
A: Yes, the new vehicle is built on Chery’s new T1X platform, designed for global markets.