For the most part, new car buyers have faced a barrage of rising prices which, along with all the recent supply uncertainties, have boosted used car sales and changed the look of the top sellers’ board in RSA and elsewhere.

What has become very clear is that price is rapidly becoming the key component in the decision-making process when it comes to which brand will grace a potential buyer’s driveway. The proof is in the charts that show huge gains made by Suzuki and by Chinese manufacturers whose contenders, just a couple of years ago, were viewed as cheap and not-so-cheerful devices.

“You get what you pay for” was the common cry but that credo is now beginning to look a little hollow as those Chinese makers up the ante with modern designs awash with the latest tech equipment and decent powertrains. Now the cry could well be “you get more than what you pay for” when comparisons are made with cars sourced from more traditional markets.

One such example is Chery which began production as recently as 1999, using a chassis derived from VW’s SEAT Toledo model. Roll on to 2022 and a compact SUV (it looks more mid-sized to me) carrying the odd name of Tiggo 7 Pro arrived on my driveway and caught my attention immediately.

I hate to sound condescending, but frankly, I did not expect to find a vehicle showing off such visually appealing paintwork and such tight and even panel gaps. And then there were the body colour door handles, the polished roof rails, the dual sunroof, the LED lamps, the folding body colour door mirrors, the auto tailgate, the full surround rubber inlays, the full-width rear light strip, the rear spoiler, the big 225/60R18 tyres residing on smart diamond cut alloys and so on. Impressive.

But there was more to admire than a casual inspection might reveal. The polished embellishment surrounding the side windows is an example. The entire upper embellisher is attached immediately above the door closure line on the main bodywork, so it is a seamless one-piece unit with no alignment variations. Neat. And then there are the false sills. The doors overlap the sills and are equipped with hefty rubber seals along their lower edges to keep dirt at bay and occupants’ clothing clean when exiting after a drive on mucky surfaces.

Inside – accessible via keyless tech – the positive impressions continue thanks in no small part to the use of smart-looking materials and neat detail execution. The dashboard, for example, is simply executed and swathed in a stitched faux leather that adds to the inviting ambiance which is further enhanced by polished trim embellishers and by the use of high-quality off-white fabric for the roof lining. Unusually, the centre console is a two-layer affair and incorporates a wireless charging pad.

Unusually too at this price level, both front seats sport electric adjustment and the convenience factor is high thanks to the presence of plenty of oddments receptacles and a cooled receptacle to keep your chocolates in fine fettle. The rear seat is split 60:40 to give additional volume to the already reasonably spacious and well-finished 475L primary luggage area with a retractable cover under which sits a full-size spare.

Illuminated vanity mirrors are complemented by multi-colour ambient lighting, niceties such as park sensors, rearview camera, 360 all-round view monitor, rear traffic alert, blind spot detection, auto-folding rear view mirrors, a full array of airbags, privacy glass, electric windows all round, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate control, multiple USB ports, ISOFIX mountings and even more.

In truth, the interior execution is remarkably classy such that there’s a distinctly Audi-like feel about much of the detailing, and let me tell you that is a compliment. The fact that so much is included in the standard spec really does lead to questioning why other makers charge liberally for options that are already on board here. For example, the electric panoramic sunroof and LED lighting of the Chery will cost you around R28 000 extra on a VW Polo, but we haven’t finished with the Tiggo’s listings yet as the attractive soft-moulded dash also incorporates a floating 10,25-inch Bluetooth-enabled infotainment touchscreen that powers 6-speakers and incorporates intelligent voice control and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility.

Powering the Tiggo is a 1.5 litre turbo’d four credited with 108kW @ 5 500rpm and 210Nm which holds from 1 750 to 4 500rpm. That torque plateau ensures that progress rarely feels strained. Speed sensitive power steering takes out most of the effort and much of the feel when traversing twistier roads, but most drivers should be happy with the required muscle levels in the urban at speed when mechanical refinement is notably good. The adaptive cruise control system is a useful fitment for those who spend a lot of time on busier open roads.

To say I was pleasantly surprised by the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Executive is something of an understatement. Indeed, I am obliged to rate it as one of the MAJOR surprises of my motoring year, an assessment based on the quality of the overall presentation along with the astonishingly complete specification. In the meantime, take it as read that this Chery at under R500 000 in RSA is a value leader and a source of much pleasure for anyone with an eye for quality of assembly and terrific detail finishing standards.

PRICING: From R472 900 as at November 2022

WARRANTY: 5yr/150 000km* SERVICE: 5yr/60 000km

*Special extensions on the engine apply to the first owner