BYD SEALION 7 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.

BYD SEALION 7 in South Africa

BYD SEALION 7

Performance EV AWD 4.5S Electric Single-Speed Reduction Gear Current
ZAR 1,319,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 390 kW 🔧 690 Nm
VS
Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV in South Africa

Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV

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

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance SEALION 7
Fuel Economy SEALION 7
🛡 Safety SEALION 7
📦 Practicality Tiggo 9 PHEV
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Tiggo 9 PHEV starts ZAR 270,000 cheaper SEALION 7 from ZAR 1,109,900 · Tiggo 9 PHEV from ZAR 839,900

Key Specs Side by Side

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

Spec SEALION 7 Tiggo 9 PHEV
Maximum Power 390 kW 455 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque 690 Nm 920 Nm
Engine Size Not Applicable 1500 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Not Applicable 16.1 km/l
Ground Clearance 163 mm 183 mm
Boot / Load Bay 500 l 448 l
Airbags 9 Multiple airbags
Kerb Weight 2340 kg -
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Warranty 5 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit 7 Year / 200 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

SEALION 7 and Tiggo 9 PHEV are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance SEALION 7 +2 pts
Efficiency SEALION 7 +18 pts
Safety SEALION 7 +5 pts
Practicality Tiggo 9 PHEV +15 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Catalogue-index leader

SEALION 7

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency

Tiggo 9 PHEV

Strengths
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

SEALION 7

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Tiggo 9 PHEV

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec SEALION 7 Tiggo 9 PHEV
Model Introduced Year 2025 2026
Generation First South African SEALION 7 generation Current South Africa Tiggo 9 PHEV range
Facelift History No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026 Current South Africa version listed by official source
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2026
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status Active active
Segment Medium SUV SUV
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Tare Mass Kg - Not Available
Spec SEALION 7 Tiggo 9 PHEV
Length 4830 mm 4810 mm
Width 1925 mm 1925 mm
Height 1620 mm 1741 mm
Wheelbase 2930 mm 2800 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 163 mm 183 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 140 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 0 l 70 l
Boot/Cargo Space 500 l 448 l
Kerb Weight 2340 kg -
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2750 kg -
Payload Capacity 410 kg -
Towing Capacity 1500 kg -
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.85 m -
Front Headroom 980 mm -
Rear Headroom 940 mm -
Front Legroom 1100 mm -
Rear Legroom 820 mm -

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

SEALION 7 leads by 2 points

SEALION 7 and Tiggo 9 PHEV are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Index leader 88 /100
Lead 2 points
Data 69% source coverage
88
#1 Index leader

SEALION 7

69% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Performance 100 Check Practicality 62
Performance 100
Efficiency 90
Safety 99
Practicality 62
Leads by 2 points
86
#2

Tiggo 9 PHEV

62% source coverage 4 strong categories
Best at Performance 98 Check Efficiency 72
Performance 98
Efficiency 72
Safety 94
Practicality 77
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance SEALION 7 +2 Efficiency SEALION 7 +18 Safety SEALION 7 +5 Practicality Tiggo 9 PHEV +15

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

SEALION 7

Performance 100/100
Efficiency 90/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 62/100

Tiggo 9 PHEV

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

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 BYD SEALION 7 leads the catalogue index with 88 pts vs 86 pts for Tiggo 9 PHEV

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, SEALION 7 leads. However, Tiggo 9 PHEV may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. 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

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This SEALION 7 and Tiggo 9 PHEV comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: SEALION 7 100 vs Tiggo 9 PHEV 98.

Efficiency index: SEALION 7 90 vs Tiggo 9 PHEV 72.

Safety-equipment index: SEALION 7 99 vs Tiggo 9 PHEV 94.

Practicality index: SEALION 7 62 vs Tiggo 9 PHEV 77.

Ownership-cover index: SEALION 7 not separately scored vs Tiggo 9 PHEV not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.