The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, a popular sport utility vehicle in South Africa, received a two-star safety rating in crash tests conducted by Global NCAP, the organization announced on February 18, 2026. The rating, part of the #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign, assessed adult occupant protection, awarding the vehicle three stars for child occupant safety.
Global NCAP’s assessment revealed significant structural weaknesses in the Tiggo 7 Pro. The report detailed that the vehicle’s footwell area and bodyshell were unstable and unable to withstand additional force during testing. The absence of standard side head protection for both front and rear passengers prevented the completion of a side pole impact test, exposing occupants to a heightened risk of severe injury in such collisions.
While the tested vehicle included electronic stability control (ESC) and seat belt reminders (SBRs) as standard features, Global NCAP noted that these systems did not meet the organization’s requirements for effectiveness. The child restraint system (CRS) also failed installation tests for all front rearward-facing positions, and the vehicle lacks the ability to disconnect the passenger airbag when a rearward-facing child seat is used.
The low safety rating has prompted strong criticism from Global NCAP, particularly regarding Chery’s promotion of a separate five-star Euro NCAP rating. Richard Woods, CEO of Global NCAP, stated that the company’s use of the Euro NCAP result was “misleading,” as it applied to a higher-specification CSH version of the Tiggo 7 and was not representative of the models sold in South Africa. “South African consumers need independent and accurate information to inform their purchasing decisions,” Woods said. “Transparency and accountability on vehicle safety, not marketing smoke and mirrors.”
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA), a partner to Global NCAP, also expressed concern. Bobby Ramagwede, CEO of the AA, criticized a 2025 live crash test demonstration hosted by Chery SA, describing it as “an unsafe exercise and one misleading based on the principles of the NCAP studies undertaken in this critical area of safety.”
News24 reported that the Tiggo 7 Pro’s two-star rating mirrors that recently given to the Toyota Corolla Cross in similar Global NCAP testing. The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is currently the most popular Chinese car brand in South Africa, according to News24SA.
Global NCAP has not yet announced any further testing or investigations related to the Tiggo 7 Pro, and Chery SA has not issued a public response to the latest safety ratings as of February 19, 2026.
