Chery South Africa has expanded its Tiggo 7 line-up with the launch of the new Distinction Dark Edition.

The model is based on the standard Tiggo 7 Distinction but gains several styling and safety upgrades. It is priced at R415,900.

Darker styling inside and out

The biggest visual change is the blacked-out exterior treatment.

The radiator grille, window surrounds and 18-inch alloy wheels all receive darker finishes. Chery has also fitted tinted privacy glass to the rear windows.

Buyers can choose from four exterior colours: black and white two-tone, khaki white, carbon white and phantom grey.

Inside, the darker theme continues with black artificial leather upholstery and matching detailing. The multifunction steering wheel is also finished in artificial leather and offers manual rake and reach adjustment.

Dual screens and familiar turbo power

Standard equipment includes a curved dual-screen display.

It combines a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and intelligent voice commands are included.

Other features include keyless entry, one-button start, dual-zone climate control and a powered tailgate.

Under the bonnet is Chery’s 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. It produces 108kW and 210Nm.

Drivers can choose between Eco, Normal and Sport modes.

Chery claims combined fuel consumption of 6.9 litres per 100km. With a 51-litre fuel tank, the company estimates a theoretical cruising range of 739km.

Safety specification gets an upgrade

The Dark Edition also improves on the standard Distinction’s safety equipment.

It comes with seven airbags, compared with four in the regular Distinction model.

Other safety features include tyre-pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera with dynamic guidelines.

For the first owner, the Tiggo 7 Distinction Dark Edition includes a five-year/150,000km warranty and five-year/75,000km service plan.

Chery also provides a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty.