Suzuki Jimny vs Chery Tiggo 9 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.

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 9 PHEV in South Africa

Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV

PHEV Vanguard AWD Plug-In Hybrid Automatic
ZAR 989,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 455 kW 🔧 920 Nm ⛽ 16.1 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tiggo 9 PHEV
Fuel Economy Tiggo 9 PHEV
🛡 Safety Tiggo 9 PHEV
📦 Practicality Tiggo 9 PHEV
🔑 Ownership Jimny
Jimny starts ZAR 839900 cheaper Jimny from ZAR 444,900 · Tiggo 9 PHEV from ZAR 839,900

Key Specs Side by Side

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

Spec Jimny Tiggo 9 PHEV
Engine Power 75 kW 455 kW
Torque 130 Nm 920 Nm
Engine Size 1462 cc 1.5 cc
Claimed Mileage 15.9 km/l 16.1 km/l
Ground Clearance 210 mm 183 mm
Boot / Load Bay 85 l 448 l
Airbags 6 Multiple airbags
Kerb Weight 1115 kg -
Seating Capacity 4 7
Warranty 5 7 Year / 200 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Tiggo 9 PHEV dominates this comparison with clear advantages across multiple categories.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tiggo 9 PHEV +66 pts
Efficiency Tiggo 9 PHEV +11 pts
Safety Tiggo 9 PHEV +12 pts
Practicality Tiggo 9 PHEV +32 pts
Ownership Jimny +2 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Jimny

Strengths
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less comprehensive safety features
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: General Use
🏆 Overall Winner

Tiggo 9 PHEV

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger safety package
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Fuel Efficiency Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Jimny

  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Tiggo 9 PHEV

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Jimny Tiggo 9 PHEV
Engine 1.5L K15B 4-Cylinder Petrol 1.5T plug-in hybrid
Engine Type Inline 4 Cylinder Naturally Aspirated 1.5T plug-in hybrid
Engine Code K15B -
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Inline
Engine Aspiration Naturally Aspirated Turbocharged
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 - Standard
Power 75 kW 455 kW
Power @ RPM 6,000 rpm 5500
Power 100 bhp 610.2 bhp
Torque 130 Nm 920 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 455 kW
Engine Torque Nm 130 Nm 920 Nm
Max Power kW 75 kW 455 kW
Max Torque Nm 130 Nm 920 Nm
Maximum Torque 130 Nm 920 Nm
Engine Config 1.5L K15B 4-Cylinder Petrol 1.5T plug-in hybrid
Engine Type Config 1.5L K15B 4-Cylinder Petrol 1.5T plug-in hybrid
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 Turbocharged
Turbo Type Naturally Aspirated Single turbo
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 455 kW
Power Assisted Steering Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) -
Spec Jimny Tiggo 9 PHEV
Transmission Type Automatic Automatic
Number of Gears 4 km/h Hybrid DHT
Drive Type 4WD / AWD AWD
Drivetrain Layout Rear Wheel Drive (2WD) / 4WD with Low-Range AWD
Final Drive Ratio 4.090:1 -
Steering Turns Lock to Lock 3.8 -
Clutch Type Single Dry Plate Diaphragm Automatic clutch
LSD Available - -
Differential Lock - -
Paddle Shifters - Standard
Drivetrain 4WD / AWD AWD
Transmission Automatic Automatic
Gearbox Type Automatic Automatic
Transmission Speeds 4 km/h Hybrid DHT
Axle Layout 4WD / AWD AWD
Automatic Shift Paddles - Standard
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 Automatic

Overall Verdict Score

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

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Tiggo 9 PHEV leads by 27 points

Tiggo 9 PHEV dominates this comparison with clear advantages across multiple categories.

Winner 84 /100
Lead 27 points
Data 74% confidence
84
#1 Winner

Tiggo 9 PHEV

74% data confidence 4 strong categories
Best at Performance 98 Check Ownership 69
Performance 98
Efficiency 72
Safety 94
Practicality 77
Ownership 69
Leads by 27 points
57
#2

Jimny

98% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 82 Check Performance 32
Performance 32
Efficiency 61
Safety 82
Practicality 45
Ownership 71
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tiggo 9 PHEV +66 Efficiency Tiggo 9 PHEV +11 Safety Tiggo 9 PHEV +12 Practicality Tiggo 9 PHEV +32 Ownership Jimny +2

High confidence result.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Tiggo 9 PHEV

Performance 98/100
Efficiency 72/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 77/100
Ownership 69/100

Jimny

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

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV wins with 84 pts vs 57 pts for Jimny

In structured scoring, Tiggo 9 PHEV emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Jimny 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 9 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: Jimny 61 vs Tiggo 9 PHEV 72. 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 9 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: Jimny 71, Tiggo 9 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: Jimny 45, Tiggo 9 PHEV 77. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Jimny 32, Tiggo 9 PHEV 98. 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 9 PHEV edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Tiggo 9 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 Jimny and Tiggo 9 PHEV in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Jimny scores 32 vs 98.

Efficiency: Jimny scores 61 vs 72.

Safety: Jimny scores 82 vs 94.

Practicality: Jimny scores 45 vs 77.

Ownership: Jimny scores 71 vs 69.

Final structured scoring gives Tiggo 9 PHEV the advantage in this comparison.