REVIEW | Why the spacious Chery Tiggo 8 Pro is worth a look

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro is aimed at customers primarily looking for a seven-seat SUV.

Size wise it easily competes with large family SUVs such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, but at a lower price. The Tiggo 8 Pro Distinction on test is R496,900 while the more luxuriously equipped Executive retails for R574,900 — prices that challenge smaller five-seaters in the sector.

To its credit the Tiggo 8 Pro looks smart. It has a huge, jewelled grille and it packs digital-age features including smartphone compatibility. It allows for the easiest connection to music streaming I’ve experienced. 

Inside, the driver’s seat and steering column are height adjustable, and at 4,722mm long this large Chery is a paragon of family practicality.

There is good room up front and in the second row with not-so-easy access to the rearmost seats through middle seats that have little adjustability. Here, space for adults can be negotiated with second-row passengers seats that move fore and aft, but like any seven-seat SUVs, rear-load capacity increases with the seats folded down.

The cabin has a vibe of satisfying quality, and Distinction-grade luxuries coalesce around the digital outlay and sensory functions.

Walk close to the Tiggo 8 Pro with the remote key in your pocket and it flashes lights and the doors unlock automatically. Walk away and it self-locks. The top-tier Executive model benefits from a panoramic sunroof, active cruise control, high-beam assist and lane departure warning as standard.  

The engine is a 1.6l turbocharged petrol four-cylinder with 145kW and 290Nm on tap mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. You’d expect a small capacity motor lugging a fairly sized SUV to be sluggish, but it’s not. It’s a vigorous little motor, though Chery could have refined it in other areas, too.

This Chery has driving modes of Standard, Eco and Sport, but it can be plagued by an overeager engine responses that at times leads to spinning its front wheels. You learn to moderate the throttle, and, like its smaller siblings that are known for being thirsty, it consumed a relatively high 10.5l/100km average. 

On the move, the turn signals prompts an active graphic of the vehicle superimposed on live images of the car’s surroundings captured by cameras. It also has a fairly good turning circle for its sheer size, and its high-speed turning is decent, too. The Tiggo 8 Pro does not lurch much through fast or slow bends.

The drive feels confident on varying surface conditions while sitting in a commanding, reasonably comfortable position with a good all-round view. A word of advice though, and especially in this season of rain and adventure travel, it’s not a 4x4 by any means and should be treated as such. It only has hill descent control as an off-road tool of sorts. Stick to tarmac and dry gravel roads to avoid getting stuck.

Another foible was the wide-angle interior rear-view mirror. It has a magnifying effect that made it impossible to use. Chery needs to address this issue. But, in a nutshell, the Chery Tiggo8 Pro is a lot of SUV for the money and it’s impressive to see how far the brand has come in upping its ante from the previous Tiggo models it sold in SA.

The spacious cabin for seven is a big plus and it’s packed with feel-good creature comforts for a fraction of the cost commanded by similarly sized alternatives from Europe, South Korea and Japan, and it benefits from Chery’s enticing 1-million-kilometre engine warranty for the first owner. It’s really worth a look.

Tech Specs

Engine

Type: Four-cylinder petrol turbo

Capacity: 1.6l

Power: 145kW

Torque: 290Nm

Transmission

Type: Seven-speed auto

Drivetrain

Type: Front-wheel drive

Performance

Top speed: 190km/h

0-100km/h: 8.6 seconds (claimed)

Fuel consumption: 7.0l/100km (claimed), 10.5l/100km (as tested)

Emissions: 165g/km

Standard features

Six airbags, ABS brakes, traction control, stability control, auto on/off lights, rain sensor wipers, electric tailgate, cruise control, electric folding mirrors, auto dim exterior mirrors, voice control, touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB ports, remote central locking, leather upholstery, daytime running lights, camera park for distance control, climate control, electric front seats, tyre pressure sensor.

Ownership

Warranty: Five years vehicle/10 years engine for the first owner

Service plan: Five years/60,000km

Price: R496,900

Lease*: R10,652 a month

* at 10% interest over 60 months no deposit

Chery Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T GDI 290T Distinction

WE LIKE: Looks, practicality, price

WE DISLIKE: High fuel consumption, wide-angle interior mirror

VERDICT: Bargain Noah’s ark  

Motor News star rating

Design * * * *

Performance * * *  

Economy * *

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Competition

Kia Sorento 2.2CRDi EX+ — 148kW/440Nm — R813,995

Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2D Executive, 148kW/440Nm — R839,900

Hyundai Grand Creta, 117kW/191Nm — R509,900

Mahindra XUV500 2.2CRDe W8 auto, 103kW/330Nm — R488,999

Peugeot 5008 1.6T GT, 121kW/240Nm — R782,900 

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