Of the five SUVs that were present at the Chery Malaysia preview event yesterday, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro is the largest and most luxurious. The flagship of the Tiggo Pro range is also available in “e+” plug-in hybrid form, and both the regular ICE and PHEV variants were showcased.
If the Omoda 5 is a HR-V rival and the Tiggo 7 Pro is a CR-V-sized SUV, think of the Tiggo 8 Pro as a Hyundai Santa Fe or Mazda CX-8 type of SUV, one with three rows of seats for seven occupants. Size aside, the 8 also serves as the flagship model for the Tiggo Pro range, and since Chery is all in on SUVs these days, this is also a flagship for the brand itself.
Powering the Tiggo 8 Pro is a 2.0 litre turbo-four with 254 hp and 390 Nm of torque, and the TGDi is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This is the more powerful of the two engine options – the other is the 194 hp/290 Nm 1.6 litre TGDi that can also be had in the Omoda 5. AWD is also available. 254 hp/390 Nm is a pretty strong set of figures a 2.0L – Mazda’s 2.5 litre turbo is rated at 228 hp/420 Nm, for instance.
Meanwhile, the PHEV combines a 1.5 litre turbo engine with a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) and dual motors for 241 hp and 510 Nm of torque. Chery claims 0-100 km/h acceleration in 8.2 seconds and a pure EV range of 80 km.
What’s more eye-popping is the car’s nine operating modes – single motor pure electric, dual motor pure electric, series and extended range mode, direct engine drive mode and parallel drive mode. The other four is related to energy recovery – parking and charge mode, driving and charge mode, single motor brake energy regeneration and dual motor brake energy regeneration. We’re pretty sure that this PHEV doesn’t work that differently from others, but Chery decided to spell it all out.
The Tiggo 8 Pro’s dashboard is similar to that of the Tiggo 7 Pro you saw earlier, but with plusher materials and more coverage for the nicer (read softer) stuff. The seats are where this is the most obvious – the leather is smoother and significantly softer. Another easy way to differentiate 8 from 7 is the AC control screen – it’s in colour here, making it three colour screens on the dashboard.
There are small changes to the PHEV’s dashboard, which has a continuous strip of AC vents and joint instrument panel and infotainment screen (in total, 24.6 inches wide). The centre console gains hybrid related touch panel controls and a 4WD model selector, and some elements have been moved here to balance out the symmetry. The PHEV display car is a left-hand drive model.
Kit wise, the flagship SUV gets all that’s on the Tiggo 7 Pro, and more. Included are full LED headlights with matrix tech, LED DRLs, 18-inch wheels, powered panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, 10.25-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, eight-speaker Sony sound system, wireless charging tray, dual-zone climate control, and two-tone leather upholstery. The driver’s seat gains lumbar and memory functions.
What do you think of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, the flagship model with the whole inventory of kit thrown in. Does it stand a chance in our market and how much would you pay for it? For something a bit more mass market, check out the C-segment Tiggo 7 Pro and the rather wild-looking Omoda 5.
GALLERY: Chery Tiggo 8 Pro in Malaysia
GALLERY: Chery Tiggo 8 Pro e+ plug-in hybrid
GALLERY: Chery Tiggo 8 Pro official images
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Please get the variant right
2.0T = Tiggo 8 PRO “MAX”
Can’t wait to buy this car.
No questions asked. China Dulu kini n selamanya
The Tiggo 4 and 8..are like Junior T rex and Brontosaurus..in Dinosaur terms.
Ini bukan Chevy apa lagi nak cerita nama nak copy tapi ejaan pun salah. Lagi baik tutup kedai buat kuih tiu sup bungkus dan export.