Chery Tiggo 4 vs Toyota Yaris Cross

The Tiggo 4 Hybrid is $30,350 against the Yaris Cross Hybrid's $31,790, a $1,440 saving for the Chery, and you get a bigger, more powerful car for the lower price.

Running costs swing to the Toyota: the Yaris Cross's remarkable 3.8L/100km uses about $1,080 a year over 15,000km versus roughly $1,540 for the Tiggo's 5.4, around $460 a year cheaper to fuel. But the Chery's longer 7-year warranty (versus Toyota's 5) and lower purchase price keep total cost competitive, and Toyota's exceptional resale is the counterweight.

The Toyota Yaris Cross holds a confirmed 5-star ANCAP rating (2021) with the full active-safety suite. At the time of writing the newer Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid grades were not separately ANCAP-rated in our data (the petrol Tiggo 4 is 5-star), so if a confirmed rating matters to you, the Yaris Cross has it, confirm the Tiggo hybrid's status before buying. Both come with comprehensive driver assistance.

The Tiggo 4 is the bigger, more practical car at 4,330mm with 175mm of clearance, and in Ultimate trim its cabin feels genuinely upmarket, with a large touchscreen, ambient lighting and soft-touch materials that punch above the price. It's the roomier, more SUV-like of the two.

The Yaris Cross is a light SUV, smaller at 4,180mm and lower (120mm), so it's best thought of as a high-riding small hatch. Its cabin is well-made and sensible but tighter than the Chery's, and the boot is modest. It's the more city-friendly, easy-to-park choice; the Tiggo is the more spacious family option.

The drivetrains tell opposite stories. The Tiggo 4 Hybrid makes a strong combined 150kW and 310Nm, far more than the Yaris Cross's 85kW and 141Nm, so the Chery feels noticeably punchier and more relaxed at speed (though its 0–100 time is a leisurely 10.5s, the Toyota's lighter weight makes it feel nippier off the line at 9.8s).

The Yaris Cross's trump card is Toyota's class-leading hybrid efficiency: 3.8L/100km is among the best of any SUV on sale, and the system is famously refined and proven over millions of vehicles. The Tiggo offers more performance and a bigger car for less money; the Toyota offers unmatched economy and reliability. Both are front-wheel drive.