We’re all familiar with the formula. Get a small engine, add a turbo and it can match a larger engine when it comes to power and torque. But what do you get if you mate a small engine, a turbo, and a 48V electric assist motor? The answer is environmentally friendly power and torque. On paper at least, it seems there’s a lot going on, but how is it on the road? To answer your question, we had a chance to take one such vehicle with this unique combo on a long drive to Tarlac.
Exterior
That vehicle is the Chery Tiggo 5X Pro mild hybrid electric vehicle. This subcompact crossover SUV in mild hybrid form has some seriously good appointments, both giving it an upscale look and functionality. Up front, is the distinct Diamond Galaxy grille, flanked by LED headlights, with follow me home function and dual row DRLs, and the red trim on the top part of the faux stone guard of the front bumper. At the rear, you get brushed aluminum trim on the bumper housing and what looks like dual exhausts, a spoiler, high mount third brake light, roof rails and power folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals. It rolls on 18-inch two-tone alloys wrapped in 215/55’s.
On the way out, we left Quezon City around 10 a.m. but encountered some traffic. The Tiggo 5x Pro was small enough to make it easy to snake our way to the right side lanes on EDSA and make our way out to the Balintawak toll plaza .
Interior
The ride was comfortable, as I was the passenger for the first part of the trip. It was one of the few times I enjoyed traffic on the road. The interior has a black theme with red trim giving the interior a sporty feel, and kept the glare to minimum since our vehicle wasn’t tinted. Faux leather seats gave it an upscale feel, the driver gets a six-way power-adjustable seat, while my front passenger seat was four-way adjustable. Getting in is easy with the intelligent remote key. The tilt-telescopic steering wheel makes it easy to find your comfortable driving position and the instrument cluster is a seven-inch full digital display. The six-speaker entertainment system has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and is equipped with a large 10.25-inch HD display, which also serves as the screen for the reverse camera and 360 degree Around View Monitor.
Powerplant
Under the hood is a turbocharged 1.5L gasoline engine connected to a 48V electric motor assist using a Belt Starter Generator (BSG), all combined, it puts out 154-Hp with 230-Nm of torque and this is mated to a CVT which drives the front wheels. It has two driver-selectable drive modes: Normal and Sport.
Safety
There are six SRS Airbags, Dual Pre-tensioner seatbelts, Traction Control, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESP), Hillstart Assist System, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, N95 Cabin Filter, Brake Assist System, Emergency Brake Assist, Hill Decent Control, Child Safety Lock, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and ISOFIX anchors.
Convenience features are keyless entry, engine push start/stop, electric power steering, steering wheel controls, tailgate remote unlock, headlight follow-me-home, engine immobilizer, wireless charger, electronic parking brake, Cruise Control and speed limiter and a Reverse Camera with auxiliary lines. It has multicolor ambient lighting, which makes for a fun drive when it gets dark, and it comes with a sunroof.
From Tarlac, it was my turn to drive on the way back. I found it interesting how a turbo and electric motor assist can work in symphony with each other. The electric motor assists the gas engine when you step on the gas or accelerate and the turbo adds power and torque when you hit a higher rpm. There may be a time when they’re all working at the same time (when you put it in sport mode). The system makes sure that you get power on tap, which is the opposite of when you’re in normal or eco mode, where you’ll notice that power is stifled. To keep fuel consumption down, the CVT “shifts” up sooner and will attempt to keep the RPM’s as low as it can for the speed you’re at.
It was fun to drive, especially on the expressway. We would use the Normal drive mode on city streets and mostly on NLEX to be economical, but we would use Sport mode when we would overtake and that's where the turbo/hybrid system comes into its own.
The new Chery Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid is priced at P1,140,000.00 and comes with a five-year / 150,000-km warranty and also a 10-year / 1-million kilometer engine warranty plus three-year free PMS and roadside assistance. All that makes for pretty good value.