Suzuki Jimny vs Chery Tiggo 4 Cross

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.

Suzuki Jimny in South Africa

Suzuki Jimny

1.5 GLX AllGrip AT Petrol Automatic
ZAR 466,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 75 kW 🔧 130 Nm ⛽ 15.9 km/l
VS
Chery Tiggo 4 Cross in South Africa

Chery Tiggo 4 Cross

LiT MT Petrol Manual
ZAR 279,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 83 kW 🔧 170 Nm ⛽ 14.3 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

⚡ Performance Tiggo 4 Cross
⛽ Fuel Economy Jimny
🛡 Safety Jimny
📦 Practicality Tiggo 4 Cross
🔑 Ownership Jimny
Tiggo 4 Cross starts ZAR 444900 cheaper Jimny from ZAR 444,900 · Tiggo 4 Cross from ZAR 279,900

Key Specs Side by Side

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

Spec Jimny Tiggo 4 Cross
Engine Power 75 kW 83 kW
Torque 130 Nm 170 Nm
Engine Size 1462 cc 1.5 cc
Claimed Mileage 15.9 km/l 14.3 km/l
Ground Clearance 210 mm 180 mm
Boot / Load Bay 85 l -
Airbags 6 Multiple airbags
Kerb Weight 1115 kg -
Seating Capacity 4 5
Warranty 5 5 Years / 150 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Both Jimny and Tiggo 4 Cross are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tiggo 4 Cross +6 pts
Efficiency Jimny +5 pts
Safety Jimny +7 pts
Practicality Tiggo 4 Cross +22 pts
Ownership Jimny +24 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

Jimny

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger safety package
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency

Tiggo 4 Cross

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less comprehensive safety features
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Jimny

  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Tiggo 4 Cross

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Jimny Tiggo 4 Cross
Engine 1.5L K15B 4-Cylinder Petrol 1.5L petrol
Engine Type Inline 4 Cylinder Naturally Aspirated 1.5L petrol
Engine Code K15B -
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Inline
Engine Aspiration Naturally Aspirated Naturally aspirated
Displacement 1462 cc 1.5 cc
Cylinders 4 4
Valves per Cylinder 4 16
Cylinder Bore 74.0 mm -
Piston Stroke 85.1 mm -
Engine Position Longitudinal Front-Mounted -
Variable Valve Timing VVT on Intake Camshaft -
Turbocharger - -
Power 75 kW 83 kW
Power @ RPM 6,000 rpm 5500
Power 100 bhp 111.3 bhp
Torque 130 Nm 170 Nm
Torque @ RPM 4,000 rpm 1750-4000
Maximum Engine RPM 6800 rpm -
Engine Oil Capacity 3.7 l -
Fuel Grade Required 93 RON Unleaded Petrol Petrol
Top Speed 145 km/h -
0-100 km/h 14.5 sec -
Engine Displacement 1462 cc 1.5 cc
Engine Displacement Cc 1462 cc 1.5 cc
Engine Power kW 75 kW 83 kW
Engine Torque Nm 130 Nm 170 Nm
Max Power kW 75 kW 83 kW
Max Torque Nm 130 Nm 170 Nm
Maximum Torque 130 Nm 170 Nm
Engine Config 1.5L K15B 4-Cylinder Petrol 1.5L petrol
Engine Type Config 1.5L K15B 4-Cylinder Petrol 1.5L petrol
Engine Cylinders 4 4
Engine Valves 4 16
Power kW Rpm 6,000 rpm 5500
Torque Nm Rpm 4,000 rpm 1750-4000
0–100 km/h 14.5 sec -
Acceleration 0 100 14.5 sec -
Induction Naturally Aspirated Naturally aspirated
Turbo Type Naturally Aspirated -
Battery Capacity - -
Charging Port - -
AC Charging Time - -
EV Range - -
Motor Position - -
Motor Power - -
Motor Torque - -
Motor Type - -
System Output - -
Combined System Power - -
Combined System Torque - -
Engine Displacement Litres 1462 cc 1.5 cc
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 -
Fuel System Multi-Point Fuel Injection (MPFI) Petrol injection
Maximum Power 75 kW 83 kW
Power Assisted Steering Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) -
Spec Jimny Tiggo 4 Cross
Transmission Type Automatic Manual
Number of Gears 4 km/h 5 km/h
Drive Type 4WD / AWD FWD
Drivetrain Layout Rear Wheel Drive (2WD) / 4WD with Low-Range FWD
Final Drive Ratio 4.090:1 -
Steering Turns Lock to Lock 3.8 -
Clutch Type Single Dry Plate Diaphragm Manual clutch
LSD Available - -
Differential Lock - -
Paddle Shifters - -
Drivetrain 4WD / AWD FWD
Transmission Automatic Manual
Gearbox Type Automatic Manual
Transmission Speeds 4 km/h 5 km/h
Axle Layout 4WD / AWD FWD
Automatic Shift Paddles - -
4WD Engagement - -
4WD Hi Range - -
4WD Lo Range - -
Transfer Case Guard - -
Low Range - -
Front Differential Lock - -
Rear Differential Lock - -
4WD Selector - -
Transfer Case Two-Speed Transfer Case (Hi / Lo Range) -
Transmission Automatic Manual

Overall Verdict Score

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

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Jimny leads by 0 points

Both Jimny and Tiggo 4 Cross are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 57 /100
Lead 0 points
Data 98% confidence
57
#1 Winner

Jimny

98% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 82 Check Performance 32
Performance 32
Efficiency 61
Safety 82
Practicality 45
Ownership 71
Leads by 0 points
57
#2

Tiggo 4 Cross

68% data confidence 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 75 Check Performance 38
Performance 38
Efficiency 56
Safety 75
Practicality 67
Ownership 47
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tiggo 4 Cross +6 Efficiency Jimny +5 Safety Jimny +7 Practicality Tiggo 4 Cross +22 Ownership Jimny +24

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Jimny

Performance 32/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 82/100
Practicality 45/100
Ownership 71/100

Tiggo 4 Cross

Performance 38/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 75/100
Practicality 67/100
Ownership 47/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Suzuki Jimny wins with 57 pts vs 57 pts for Tiggo 4 Cross

In structured scoring, Jimny emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Tiggo 4 Cross may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

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Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Jimny 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: Jimny 61 vs Tiggo 4 Cross 56. 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: Jimny 82, Tiggo 4 Cross 75. 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: Jimny 71, Tiggo 4 Cross 47. 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: Jimny 45, Tiggo 4 Cross 67. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Jimny 32, Tiggo 4 Cross 38. 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 Jimny edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Jimny 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 Jimny and Tiggo 4 Cross in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Jimny scores 32 vs 38.

Efficiency: Jimny scores 61 vs 56.

Safety: Jimny scores 82 vs 75.

Practicality: Jimny scores 45 vs 67.

Ownership: Jimny scores 71 vs 47.

Final structured scoring gives Jimny the advantage in this comparison.