Chery South Africa has announced their First Class, following the launch of upgraded Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX breaks cover, with more features, upgraded styling and a wholly redesigned interior.

The Tiggo 8 Pro offered unmatched value in its class, with luxuries such as a panoramic sunroof, a full leather upholstery, dual zone climate control and a fully integrated voice control system as standard. Winning the award as Motoring enthusiasts choice in the prestigious SAGMJ Car of the Year competition. The Tiggo Pro Max now brings even more first class to the party.

“The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro is not only our flagship model in terms of luxury and performance, but it is also our top performing model globally. As such it accounts for a significant part of Chery’s global growth,” says Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa.

In South Africa, no fewer than 3 100 customers have purchased a Tiggo 8 Pro, making it one of the best-selling vehicles in its class and mirroring the range’s global success.

Styling.

There is no mistaking the upgraded Tiggo 8 Pro MY2023 for its predecessor or any other midsize luxury seven-seater on the road. Not with it’s brand-new grille and illuminated Chery logo which really looks cool.. 

The grille is a reinterpretation of the “galaxy full of stars” design that is used on all Tiggo Pro models that narrows towards a point above the logo. This design, informally called the “warp speed grille”, creates the impression of speed and places additional emphasis on the new Chery logo.

The grille itself is framed by a new wide grey moulding that gives the Tiggo 8 Pro a bolder and more forceful overtaking presence.

Viewed from the side, all the design elements that have made the Tiggo 8 Pro so sought after, like the three waistlines running from the front to rear lights, the glass panoramic roof, the diamond cut dark alloy wheels and the bold wheel arches remain unchanged.

At the rear, the vehicle has completely redesigned light clusters that are connected by a striking LED light bar between them. The rear lights have been designed to light up from the centre light bar to the lower edges of the tail lamps during the vehicle start-up sequence. This again creates the impression of a vehicle coming to life.

New Cabin- First class of course.

Chery’s designers changed the dual-cluster design of the previous Tiggo 8 Pro and replaced it with two thin and connected 12.35” screens that together form a digital screen of 24.7” long. This gives the dash area a classy look indeed.

Those familiar with the previous Tiggo 8 Pro will remember a third screen, mounted on the lower level of the centre console. This screen, which took care of the climate controls, has been replaced by a set of haptic touch-sensitive buttons that are both easier to control and close at hand for both the driver and front passenger.

Speaking of climate control, all the rows have access to their own air conditioning controls, with the first-row occupants pampered by a dual zone independent climate control system.

Chery has also upgraded the Air Quality System (AQS) to include an ion sensor that will automatically engage the purifying system when it detects polluted air. The air quality inside the Tiggo 8 Pro MY2023 range is N95 certified, making it similar to the air quality in a surgeon’s operating room. 

Soft touch surfaces abound, and make the cabin first class. Ambient lighting is available with 64 different colours. Both models have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, offline navigation, a panoramic sunroof, voice controls for everything from setting the climate to closing the boot and electrically adjustable seats. 

On the topic of seats, following the feedback from owners, the Tiggo 8 Pro MY2023 is now upholstered in black leather and the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX MY2023 has received plush, dark chocolate brown leather upholstery with front seats that are both heated and cooled. Both models are equipped with a “boss button” seat where a rear occupant can control the passenger seat.

Both versions of the Tiggo 8 Pro MY2023 have four USB ports split equally between Type A and Type C and equally between the front and middle row seats.

They also have a unique step-up-and-step-away feature. Handy with an armful of groceries.

Safety.

In addition to adopting the high-strength steel in more than 60% of the bodywork and the use of Benteler ultra-high thermo-forming steel with yield strength of more than 1500 Mpa for improving the strength of the vehicle body comprehensively, the Tiggo 8 Pro is also equipped with the newest Bosch ESP 9.3 body electronic stability system and pre-tensioned safety belt as standard. 

As before, all versions of the Tiggo 8 Pro MY2023 have a comprehensive list of active and passive safety features, including front, front side, rear bolster, driver knee and side curtain airbags.

Moreover, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max is also equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) integrating more than 10 kinds of intelligent driving assistance functions, including adaptive cruise control (ACC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane keeping assistance (LKA) to mention a few. All new to the Tiggo 8 Pro Max MY2023 is a DVR driver view recorder (built-in dash cam) and an updated AVM (all view monitor) camera. 

Another example is the improvements to the door open warning system. Now, the system will monitor both flanks and warn occupants not to open a door if there is a car approaching, by flashing a red ring light around the door mounted speakers.

Intelligent Voice Command

The hello Chery voice command feature is good, but you need to get the hang of the language used, or it will not understand your commands.

Engine.

As one of the most popular vehicles in its class and the top selling Tiggo globally, Chery has decided to retain the existing and much-loved powertrains.

This means the Tiggo 8 Pro MY2023 is fitted with Chery’s Heart of China-winning 1.6 TGDI engine that delivers a maximum power output of 145 kW at 5 500 rpm and a solid 290 Nm across a notably wide powerband between 2 000 rpm and 4 400 rpm. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (7DCT) that delivers power to the front wheels.

Customers who choose the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX MY2023 can expect top notch power from Chery’s 2.0 TDGI engine. This flagship powerplant utilises many of Chery’s newest proprietary engine technologies to deliver 187 kW at 5 500 rpm and 390 Nm from 2 000 rpm to 4 000 rpm. This engine is equipped with the same smooth-shifting seven speed DCT gearbox to deliver power to the front wheels. We found this drive to be quite thrilling, and it’s like a young pony, frisky and just wants to get going. Fuel consumption might still be a tad high though.

It is this powerful flagship – the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX MY2023 – that has been chosen as the official presidential vehicle partner for the BRICS summit that takes place in Johannesburg later this month.  A big accolade indeed.

#CheryCares

Chery’s value has not only improved in terms of design, luxury and safety, but also in its level of aftermarket support and service value.

For instance, since first launching the Tiggo 8 Pro, Chery has added a range of free value-added services, including free rim and scratch repair, free roadside assistance, a free loan vehicle when your Tiggo is in for a longer service or repair and even a free take-me-home service.

Chery has also partnered with Absa to introduce a range of extended service plans and warranties and the possibility to upgrade a service plan to a comprehensive maintenance plan.

Even if customers choose not to upgrade their warranty or service plan, they can still benefit from Chery’s impressive standard warranty and service plan.

Buyers of the Tiggo 8 Pro can expect a 5-year / 60 000 km service plan and 5 year / 150 000 km comprehensive mechanical warranty. With the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX buyers receive a 7-year / 90 000 km service plan and the same mechanical warranty.

And then there is the unmatched Chery engine warranty which offers 10-years / 1-million-kilometre of peace of mind motoring.

Pick your first class

Two models of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro MY2023 are available at launch. They are:

Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T Executive – R609 900

Tiggo 8 Pro MAX 2.0T Executive – R669 900

The first 100 customers to purchase an all new Tiggo 8 Pro Max MY2023 will gain membership to The Max Club, which offers a host of exclusive lifestyle benefits, a 5-year My Chery Care package, as well as the opportunity to win one of 3 trips to China later this year.

Summation.

I was very impressed by this SUV, especially for the price. It cannot be beaten. A first Class package all round. With the money you save on the top price, you can afford the fuel consumption to be a bit higher, considering the frisky performance.