The lease is up on my old Skoda Kodiaq – should I get a Chery Tiggo 9 next?

A reader came to us and asked if they should consider a Chery Tiggo 9 when the lease is up on their Skoda Kodiaq, and it’s a very good question because the Tiggo 9 has a lot going for it. News editor Jamie Edkins compares these two seven-seat SUVs.

Car-changing time can be both exciting and stressful. As your lease deal comes to an end, you need to think about what you’re going to have next. Do you play it safe and go for the same car again, or switch it up?

And the onslaught of new Chinese brands entering the UK market is making the decision even harder, because a lot of these cars offer a huge amount of space and equipment for not a lot of money.

One of our readers recently asked if they should consider a Chery Tiggo 9 when the lease runs out on their Skoda Kodiaq. They’d seen some great lease deals on the Chery, with monthly prices being about the same as a new Kodiaq, but were unsure about switching, seeing as the Kodiaq had been so good to them.

Well we’ve extensively tested both cars here at Carwow, so I’m going to compare them to see if the Tiggo 9 is a worthy alternative to the Skoda Kodiaq, or any seven-seat SUV for that matter.

Skoda Kodiaq vs Chery Tiggo 9: prices and deals

Let’s start by talking about cold, hard cash, because these days a lot of buyers choose their car based on the deal you can get, rather than the car itself.

The Chery Tiggo 9 starts from £43,105, and you can save an average of £3,600 on one through Carwow at the time of writing. The Skoda Kodiaq costs £39,000 in its most basic form, but that’s for the model with the 1.5-litre petrol engine.

The Tiggo 9 is only available as a plug-in hybrid, so to make this a fair comparison we have to pair it up with the PHEV version of the Kodiaq which costs from £42,000. You can save an average of £3,500 on a new Kodiaq through Carwow right now.

But what about leasing prices? Well they’re evenly matched here as well. Right now you can get a new Chery Tiggo 9 for around £330 per month, and this is with an upfront payment of £4,280 over three years with a mileage limit of 5,000 per year.

A plug-in hybrid Skoda Kodiaq can also be yours for £330 per month with similar terms to the Chery, so choosing between the two could be harder than you think.

Remember – prices and discounts are changing all the time. The figures provided here are accurate at the time of writing, but make sure you check out the latest deals on the Kodiaq and Tiggo 9 for up-to-date numbers.

Skoda Kodiaq vs Chery Tiggo 9: equipment and value for money

In terms of what you get for your £330 per month, the Chery Tiggo 9 has a distinct advantage.

There is only one version available, and there are no optional extras beyond paint colours. Every car comes with heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, heated and ventilated rear seats, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, hands-free power tailgate and a Sony sound system. That’s an insane amount of kit for a sub-£45,000 SUV.

The Kodiaq is available in a few different trim levels, but for £330 per month you’ll be looking at the basic SE model. It comes with heated front seats, cruise control, a wireless phone charger and a digital driver’s display as standard. That’s still decent, but a bit spartan when put up against the Tiggo 9.

For an extra £30 a month you can upgrade to the top-spec Laurin and Klement version, and that gets you ventilated and massaging front seats, adaptive cruise control and some posher interior materials.

It’s also worth noting that the Kodiaq starts from around £280 per month if you don’t want a plug-in hybrid, so if you’re not fussed about being able to drive on electric power alone then it may be the better option.

Skoda Kodiaq vs Chery Tiggo 9: space and practicality

Skoda has a long-standing reputation for no-nonsense practicality, and this is perfectly demonstrated by the Kodiaq.

There’s loads of space in the rear seats, and the boot is enormous at 910 litres in five-seater non-hybrid models. This drops to 845 litres in seven-seater versions, which is still impressive, and the plug-in hybrid has 745 litres of space.

It’s also worth noting that you can’t get seven seats with the plug-in hybrid version thanks to the electrical gubbins under the boot floor, so if you want a PHEV with space for seven then you’ll have to go for the Tiggo 9.

The Chery has an 819-litre boot, so it also has the best outright carrying capacity if you’re comparing the plug-in hybrid models. This comes as no surprise seeing as the Tiggo 9 is longer and wider than the Kodiaq.

This also means the Chery has more rear legroom than the Skoda, although both are plenty roomy in the back.

So when comparing the plug-in hybrid versions of these cars, the larger Chery Tiggo 9 is a bit more practical. But if you value luggage space over a third row of seats, the Kodiaq is the car to go for.

Skoda Kodiaq vs Chery Tiggo 9: engines and driving

Picking an engine in your Chery Tiggo 9 is just as easy as choosing a trim, because there’s only one.

You get a 1.5-litre petrol plug-in hybrid system with a whopping 430hp, and 0-60mph takes just 5.4 seconds. That’s quicker than some hot hatches, but what’s more important in a family SUV is the 91 miles of electric-only driving range. That’s great for saving fuel on your daily commute.

However, the Tiggo 9 doesn’t really have the suspension setup to handle all that power. It feels pretty wallowy through the bends, and the steering is super light and vague. It doesn’t inspire much confidence on a twisty road, although it does settle down nicely on the motorway.

There are lots of engine options in the Skoda Kodiaq, including an economical diesel which could be the best choice if you spend a lot of time slogging up and down the motorway. The sporty vRS version is the quickest, but with 265hp on tap it can’t match the Chery for straight-line speed.

The plug-in hybrid Kodiaq uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor, and combined they make 204hp. The 75-mile electric range is hugely impressive, and plenty for most people’s daily driving duties, but it still falls short of the Tiggo 9.

Where the Kodiaq doesn’t fall short is out on the road, because it’s much nicer to drive than the Chery. It feels more tied-down and secure on a twisty road, with accurate steering and suspension which does a better job of ironing out bumps and reducing body roll. It’s also comfortable on the motorway, with minimal noise entering the cabin.

Neither of these cars will thrill you from behind the wheel, but the Skoda is the nicer car to drive of the two.

So should I swap my Skoda Kodiaq for a Chery Tiggo 9?

The Tiggo 9 is certainly a tempting proposition, and if you want something which is spacious and hugely well-equipped then you should definitely add it to your shortlist.

However, make sure to take a thorough test drive first to make sure you like it out on the road. It feels very different to your old Kodiaq, and the floaty suspension may put you off.

Another car to consider while in the Chery showroom is our 2026 Car Of the Year – the Chery Tiggo 8. It’s slightly smaller than the Tiggo 9, but not by a huge amount so practicality is still impressive.

It also comes with a much more sensible 204hp plug-in hybrid system, which is still more than quick enough but not so rapid that it overwhelms the suspension. There’s the option of a traditional petrol engine – although we’d avoid that one as it’s pretty unrefined and thirsty.

Top-spec versions still get posh features like heated and ventilated front and rear seats, as well as a massage function for front seat passengers. And you can get a range-topping hybrid Tiggo 8 for as little as £270 per month at the time of writing.

Personally, I’d have the Tiggo 8 over the Tiggo 9. It does almost everything that the Tiggo 9 can do, but is usefully cheaper to buy and run. It’s also way better value for money than the Kodiaq, so make sure you check it out.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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