Omoda C7 vs Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Omoda C7

Luxury Petrol / Plug-In Hybrid Automatic

ZAR 539,900 ex-showroom

⚡ 145 kW 🔧 290 Nm ⛽ 13.3 km/l

Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

PHEV Ultra Plug-In Hybrid Automatic

ZAR 679,900 ex-showroom

⚡ 265 kW 🔧 530 Nm ⛽ 20.4 km/l

＋ Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

⚡ Performance Tiggo 7 PHEV

⛽ Fuel Economy Tiggo 7 PHEV

🛡 Safety Tie

📦 Practicality Tiggo 7 PHEV

🔑 Ownership Tiggo 7 PHEV

C7 starts ZAR 599900 cheaper C7 from ZAR 539,900 · Tiggo 7 PHEV from ZAR 599,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Engine Power	145 kW	265 kW
Torque	290 Nm	530 Nm
Engine Size	1.6 cc	1.5 cc
Claimed Mileage	13.3 km/l	20.4 km/l
Ground Clearance	176 mm	162 mm
Boot / Load Bay	614 l	626 l
Airbags	Multiple airbags	Multiple airbags
Kerb Weight	1578 kg	1870 kg
Seating Capacity	5	5
Warranty	5 Years / 150 000 km	7 Year / 200 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Tiggo 7 PHEV holds a noticeable edge over C7, especially in key ownership areas.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tiggo 7 PHEV +32 pts

Efficiency Tiggo 7 PHEV +28 pts

Safety Equal

Practicality Tiggo 7 PHEV +7 pts

Ownership Tiggo 7 PHEV +14 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

C7

Strengths

Nothing stands out clearly here.

Weak Spots

Less powerful engine setup
Lower fuel efficiency
Less practical in daily usage
Shorter warranty coverage

Best suited to: General Use

🏆 Overall Winner

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Strengths

More powerful engine output
Better fuel efficiency
More practical for daily use
Better long-term ownership value

Weak Spots

No obvious weak spots to flag.

Best suited to: Highway Driving Fuel Efficiency Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

C7

Buyers looking for a balanced all-round vehicle

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
Large families needing more practicality and usability
Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Model Introduced Year	2026	2026
Generation	Current South Africa C7 range	Current South Africa Tiggo 7 PHEV range
Facelift History	Current South Africa version listed by official source	Current South Africa version listed by official source
Facelift Launched Since	2026	2026
Facelift Version Ending	Current	Current
Body Style	SUV	SUV
Model Year	2026	2026
Production Status	active	active
Segment	SUV	SUV
Vehicle Type	SUV	SUV

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Ground Clearance	176 mm	162 mm
Wheelbase	2720 mm	2670 mm
Length	4660 mm	4553 mm
Width	1875 mm	1862 mm
Height	1670 mm	1686 mm
Kerb Weight	1578 kg	1870 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight	2090 kg	2310 kg
Seating Capacity	5	5
Boot Space	614 l	626 l
Towing Capacity	1250 kg	-
Front Track Width	-	1570 mm
Rear Track Width	-	1570 mm
Turning Radius	-	-
Load Bed Length	614 l	626 l
Load Bed Width	-	-
Front Legroom	-	-
Rear Legroom	-	-
Front Headroom	-	-
Rear Headroom	-	-
Front Shoulder Room	-	-
Rear Shoulder Room	-	-
Boot Space Seats Folded	1371 l	1672 l
Number of Doors	5	5
Max Payload	-	-
Boot Volume	614 l	626 l
Doors	5	5
Seats	5	5
Fuel Tank Capacity	51 l	60 l
Gross Vehicle Mass Kg	2090 kg	2310 kg
Ground Clearance Max	176 mm	162 mm
Ground Clearance Min	176 mm	162 mm
Ground Clearance Mm	176 mm	162 mm
Height Mm	1670 mm	1686 mm
Length Mm	4660 mm	4553 mm
Loadbox Length Mm	614 l	626 l
Loadbox Width Mm	-	-
Payload Kg	-	-
Cargo Volume	614 l	626 l
Tare Mass Kg	1578 kg	1870 kg
Turning Circle	-	-
Turning Circle M	-	-
Width Mm	1875 mm	1862 mm

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Engine	1.6 TGDI petrol	1.5T plug-in hybrid
Engine Type	1.6 TGDI petrol	1.5T plug-in hybrid
Displacement	1.6 cc	1.5 cc
Cylinders	4	4
Valves per Cylinder	16	16
Power	145 kW	265 kW
Power @ RPM	5500	5500
Torque	290 Nm	530 Nm
Torque @ RPM	1750-4000	1750-4000
Fuel System	Petrol injection	Petrol injection
Turbocharger	Standard	Standard
Top Speed	-	-
0-100 km/h	-	-
Compression Ratio	-	-
Cylinder Bore	-	-
Piston Stroke	-	-
Engine Code	-	-
Power	194.4 bhp	355.4 bhp
Fuel Grade Required	Petrol	Petrol
Cylinder Layout	Inline	Inline
Engine Aspiration	Turbocharged	Turbocharged
Engine Type Config	1.6 TGDI petrol	1.5T plug-in hybrid
0–100 km/h	-	-
Engine Displacement	1.6 cc	1.5 cc
Engine Displacement Litres	1.6 cc	1.5 cc
Acceleration 0 100	-	-
Engine Config	1.6 TGDI petrol	1.5T plug-in hybrid
Engine Cylinders	4	4
Engine Displacement Cc	1.6 cc	1.5 cc
Engine Power kW	145 kW	265 kW
Engine Torque Nm	290 Nm	530 Nm
Engine Valves	16	16
Induction	Turbocharged	Turbocharged
Max Power kW	145 kW	265 kW
Max Torque Nm	290 Nm	530 Nm
Maximum Power	145 kW	265 kW
Maximum Torque	290 Nm	530 Nm
Power kW Rpm	5500	5500
Torque Nm Rpm	1750-4000	1750-4000
Turbo Type	Single turbo	Single turbo

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Transmission	Automatic	Automatic
Drive Type	FWD	FWD
Drivetrain Layout	FWD	FWD
LSD Available	-	-
Transfer Case	-	-
Differential Lock	-	-
Paddle Shifters	Standard	Standard
Final Drive Ratio	-	-
Number of Gears	7 km/h	Hybrid DHT
Transmission Type	Automatic	Automatic
Clutch Type	Automatic clutch	Automatic clutch
Drivetrain	FWD	FWD
Transmission	Automatic	Automatic
4WD Engagement	-	-
4WD Hi Range	-	-
4WD Lo Range	-	-
4WD Selector	-	-
Automatic Shift Paddles	Standard	Standard
Front Differential Lock	-	-
Gearbox Type	Automatic	Automatic
Low Range	-	-
Axle Layout	FWD	FWD
Rear Differential Lock	-	-
Transmission Speeds	7 km/h	Hybrid DHT

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Claimed Mileage	13.3 km/l	20.4 km/l
City Mileage	-	-
Highway Mileage	-	-
Fuel Tank Capacity	51 l	60 l
Emission Standard	Euro VIb	Euro VIb
AdBlue Tank Capacity	-	-
Auto Start Stop	Standard	Standard
Average Fuel Consumption	7.5 l/100km	4.9 l/100km
Claimed Fuel Consumption	7.5 l/100km	4.9 l/100km
Fuel Efficiency	7.5 l/100km	4.9 l/100km
Real-world Mileage	13.3 km/l	20.4 km/l
AC Charging Power	-	-
Charging Port Type	Plug-in hybrid AC/DC	Plug-in hybrid AC/DC
Charging Time AC Full	-	-
Charging Time DC Fast 80pct	-	-
Charging Type	AC/DC	AC/DC
Combined Consumption	7.5 l/100km	4.9 l/100km
Combined Consumption L 100km	7.5 l/100km	4.9 l/100km
DC Charging Power	-	-
Fuel Economy Combined	7.5 l/100km	4.9 l/100km
Fuel Tank Litres	51 l	60 l
Fuel Type	Petrol / Plug-in Hybrid	Plug-in Hybrid
Low Range Ratio	-	-
Combined Driving Range	-	1200
Electric Consumption	-	-
Range Real World Highway	-	-
Range Real World Mixed	-	1200 km
Range Wltp	-	93 km

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Airbags	Multiple airbags	Multiple airbags
ABS	Standard	Standard
Electronic Stability Control	Standard	Standard
Traction Control	Standard	Standard
Hill Descent Control	Standard	Standard
Hill Start Assist	Standard	Standard
Child Safety Lock	Standard	Standard
ISOFIX Mounts	Standard	Standard
Brake Assist	Standard	Standard
Tyre Pressure Monitor	Standard	Standard
Engine Immobiliser	Standard	Standard
Seatbelt Warning All Seats	Standard	Standard
Front Parking Sensors	Standard	Standard
AEB	Standard	Standard
BA	Standard	Standard
Brake Override System	Standard	Standard
Curtain Airbags	Standard	Standard
Driver Airbag	Standard	Standard
EBD	Standard	Standard
Engine Immobiliser	Standard	Standard
Hill Hold	Standard	Standard
Passenger Airbag	Standard	Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert	Standard	Standard
Seatbelt Pretensioners	Standard	Standard
Side Airbags	Standard	Standard
TCS	Standard	Standard
Knee Airbag	-	Standard
ABS EBD	Standard	Standard

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Cruise Control	Standard	Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control	Standard	Standard
Lane Keep Assist	Standard	Standard
Lane Departure Warning	Standard	Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring	Standard	Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert	Standard	Standard
Parking Sensors	Standard	Standard
Rear View Camera	Standard	Standard
360 Degree Camera	Standard	Standard
Autonomous Emergency Braking	Standard	Standard
Driver Fatigue Alert	Standard	Standard
Traffic Sign Recognition	-	-
Auto Highbeam	Standard	Standard
Auto Wipers	Standard	Standard
Drive Modes	Eco / Normal / Sport	Eco / Normal / Sport
Rear Parking Sensors	Standard	Standard
Reverse Camera	Standard	Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control	Standard	Standard
Park Assist	-	-
Around View Monitor	Standard	Standard
Blind Spot Warning	Standard	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	Standard	Standard

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Seat Material	Leatherette / leather	Leatherette / leather
Heated Seats	Standard	Standard
Ventilated Seats	Standard	Standard
Ambient Lighting	Standard	Standard
Steering Wheel Material	Leather	Leather
60 40 Split Seat	Standard	Standard
Driver Seat Adjustment	Power	Power
Passenger Seat Adjustment	Power	Power
Seat Trim	Leatherette / leather	Leatherette / leather

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Climate Control	Automatic	Automatic
Power Windows	Standard	Standard
Keyless Entry	Standard	Standard
Push Button Start	Standard	Standard
Wireless Charging	Standard	Standard
Sunroof	Standard	Standard
Electric Tailgate	Standard	Standard
Rain Sensing Wipers	Standard	Standard
AC Type	Automatic	Automatic
Gear Shift Type	Electric	Electric
Seatbelt Reminder	Standard	Standard
Service Plan	5 Years / 70 000 km	5 Year / 75 000 km
Stability Control	Standard	Standard
Valves Per Cylinder	4	4

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Infotainment Screen	Touchscreen infotainment	Touchscreen infotainment
Apple CarPlay	Standard	Standard
Android Auto	Standard	Standard
Bluetooth Connectivity	Standard	Standard
Number of Speakers	8	8
Digital Instrument Cluster	Standard	Standard
USB Ports	Front and rear USB where listed	Front and rear USB where listed
Infotainment Screen	10.25-inch or larger by trim	10.25-inch or larger by trim
Touchscreen	10.25-inch or larger by trim	10.25-inch or larger by trim

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
LED Headlamps	Standard	Standard
Daytime Running Lamps	Standard	Standard
Fog Lamps	Standard	Standard
Roof Rails	Standard	Standard
Exterior Colour Options	Khaki white, carbon crystal black, moonlight silver, grey and other official Omoda market colours where listed.	White, black, grey, silver, blue, green and other official Chery market colours by model.
Headlights	Standard	Standard
Panoramic Sunroof	Standard	Standard

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Approach Angle	-	-
Departure Angle	-	-
Wading Depth	-	-
Terrain Modes	-	-
Locking Differential	-	-
4WD System Type	FWD	FWD
Breakover Angle	-	-

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Tyre Size	235/50 R19	225/60 R18
Front Brake Type	Ventilated Disc	Ventilated Disc
Rear Brake Type	Disc	Disc
Spare Wheel Type	-	-
Wheel Rim Size	235/50 R19	225/60 R18
Handbrake Type	Electronic parking brake	Electronic parking brake

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Front Suspension	MacPherson strut	MacPherson strut
Rear Suspension	Multi-link	Multi-link

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
CO2 Emissions	173 g/km	33 g/km
Fuel Octane Requirement	Petrol	Petrol

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Gear Shift Indicator	Standard	Standard

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Ownership Role	mid-to-high value	flagship or capability-focused
Price Source	Official model page price card	Official model page price card
Price Zar	539900 ZAR	679900 ZAR
Pricing Role	mid-to-high value	flagship or capability-focused
Starting Price	539900	599900
Starting Price Zar	539900	599900

Spec	C7	Tiggo 7 PHEV
Warranty	5 Years / 150 000 km	7 Year / 200 000 km

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100

Verdict readout

Tiggo 7 PHEV leads by 16 points

Tiggo 7 PHEV holds a noticeable edge over C7, especially in key ownership areas.

Winner 84 /100

Lead 16 points

Data 74% confidence

#1 Winner

Tiggo 7 PHEV

74% data confidence 4 strong categories

Best at Safety 94 Check Ownership 69

Performance 91

Efficiency 85

Safety 94

Practicality 76

Ownership 69

Leads by 16 points

C7

78% data confidence 1 strong categories

Best at Safety 94 Check Ownership 55

Performance 59

Efficiency 57

Safety 94

Practicality 69

Ownership 55

Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%

Category leaders What moves the verdict

Performance Tiggo 7 PHEV +32 Efficiency Tiggo 7 PHEV +28 Safety Level Practicality Tiggo 7 PHEV +7 Ownership Tiggo 7 PHEV +14

Moderate difference between the models.

Why this score View full breakdown

Overall Winner

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Performance 91/100

Efficiency 85/100

Safety 94/100

Practicality 76/100

Ownership 69/100

C7

Performance 59/100

Efficiency 57/100

Safety 94/100

Practicality 69/100

Ownership 55/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV wins with 84 pts vs 68 pts for C7

In structured scoring, Tiggo 7 PHEV emerges as the stronger overall package. However, C7 may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Tiggo 7 PHEV edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: C7 57 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 85. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: C7 94, Tiggo 7 PHEV 94. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: C7 55, Tiggo 7 PHEV 69. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: C7 69, Tiggo 7 PHEV 76. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: C7 59, Tiggo 7 PHEV 91. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Tiggo 7 PHEV edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Tiggo 7 PHEV scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between C7 and Tiggo 7 PHEV in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: C7 scores 59 vs 91.

Efficiency: C7 scores 57 vs 85.

Safety: C7 scores 94 vs 94.

Practicality: C7 scores 69 vs 76.

Ownership: C7 scores 55 vs 69.

Final structured scoring gives Tiggo 7 PHEV the advantage in this comparison.

Omoda C7 vs Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

Omoda C7

Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Key Specs Side by Side

The Bottom Line

Where They Actually Differ

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

C7

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Which One's Right for You?

C7

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Full Specs, Side by Side

Overall Verdict Score

Tiggo 7 PHEV leads by 16 points

Tiggo 7 PHEV

C7

Tiggo 7 PHEV

C7

So, Which One Should You Buy?

Other Comparisons Worth Checking

Buyers Also Looked At These

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

In Depth — Breaking It All Down