Chery SA have made waves recently with the launch of the sublime Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, so it was with anticipation that we attended the launch of their flagship model, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro..
Their launch slogan was aiming the bar high, ‘’welcome to First Class’’ Did it live up to these lofty words? We unpack that, in the following article.
The answer is a resounding YES. The media was left mightily impressed with the overall package of the Tiggo 8 Pro, and the pricing lends itself to achieving good market penetration. South Africa is the first right-hand drive country in the world to receive the Tiggo 8 Pro, and it arrives shortly after its debut in other large markets such as South America, Russia and the Middle East.
In Chile, the latest country to launch the Tiggo 8 Pro, the launch drew the attention of media, customers and celebrities, and sales have started exceptionally well with Chery ranked as one of the five most popular and best-selling brands in the country.
In Russia, where the Tiggo 8 Pro has been on sale for a number of months, it is not only one of the best-selling luxury SUVs on the market, but it was selected as the Most Technological SUV and the Most Popular Medium-sized SUV in the 2021 SUV of the Year Awards.
Styling.
The Tiggo 8 Pro is the first vehicle to use Chery’s next-generation design language. Called “Movement Design”, the new design mixes bionics and aesthetics to create a vehicle that has a fluid design that hides its size, while maintaining a striking presence.
The grille is a prominent feature on the SUV, and the diamond hexagonal grille is large, and adds presence. I like the Tigers eyes LED headlamps coupled with dual daytime running lights, it has attractive rear LED lights as well as satin chrome finishes that accent the picture.
Add to these two load-bearing continuous chromed roof rails and a panoramic sunroof (added to the Executive model) and it is clearly a first-class SUV. The 18 inch alloy wheels with a chrome and black design compliment the SUV, as well help with good handling on the road.
The Cabin.
It has three different screens, after all this is First Class, all digitised. The first being the instrumentation panel, which is a large horizontal 12.3” high-resolution screen. The screen not only displays the necessary vehicle information, but dynamically adapts to the driver’s needs and can display much of the infotainment and mobile phone information as well.
A second screen – 8” wide – takes over all climate-control functions. It is worth noting that the climate control system is fully automatic, dual-zone and fitted with an N95-grade air purifying system as standard. Executive models further receive a third air conditioning system for the rearmost seats.
Mounted in the centre of the dashboard and forming the heart of the vehicle controls is the infotainment system. This 10.25” high-definition floating multimedia display takes care of the audio controls, display from your mobile phone via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the image from the reverse camera.
Speaking of the infotainment system and central console, all Tiggo 8 Pro models offer wireless charging, intelligent voice control and crisp clear music through a SONY sound system with 8 surround sound speakers as standard. The Tiggo 8 Pro further has auto-locking on drive, remote car locking and automatic window closing, tyre pressure monitoring (TPM), hill assist and downhill ascent control HAC) an anti-theft alarm and keyless entry with a push button start as standard.
The luxury seats are all leather bound with multiple electrically adjustable settings. The rear seats in both models can fold completely flat in a 60:40 configuration. We found the seats and cabin most comfortable, on our drive from Johannesburg to the Vaal dam, and onto the barrage.
Safety
These days people literally buy cars for the safety. And the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro delivers on all fronts, starting with six airbags as standard across the range. Also standard across the range is the full list of safety features usually expected in far more expensive SUVs. This includes Traction Control (TCS), Roll Stability Control (RSC), ABS brakes with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and of course ISOFIX child seat anchors.
For help at parking speeds, the Tiggo 8 Pro has rear park distance control (PDC), a rear-view camera with dynamic guides and a 360-degree parking view from its cameras mounted in the nose, rear and sides of the vehicle.
To further enhance the driving experience in the Executive model, Chery has added a comprehensive, intelligent safety package as standard. This uses an array of complex sensors to offer Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Automatic Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSC), Intelligent High-beam Control (IHC), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSD), Front Collision Warning (FCW), an emergency Brake Override System (BOS) and a Door Open Warning and Prevention (DOW) system as standard.
The Engine.
With a fairly big car you always start thinking as to whether it has the power to move the car around efficiently. The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro comes with a 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. This we found was plenty, even at altitude, and the only minor concern was the high fuel consumption achieved on the day of 11.9 km/100kmh. However this will be better reviewed over a 7-day test cycle.
The Tiggo 8 has Standard, Eco and Sport driving modes. We personally preferred comfort mode.
The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro will follow the example set by its smaller sibling, the Tiggo 4 Pro, and offers a comprehensive 10-year / 1-million-kilometre engine warranty. Only the original owner is afforded this warranty and it is not transferrable. A 5-year / 150 000 km general warranty that is linked to the vehicle is standard, as is a 5-year comprehensive roadside assistance plan.
Chery will also offer customers a comprehensive 5-year / 60 000 km service plan as standard with its flagship Tiggo 8 Pro.
Pricing
There are two models available in the Tiggo 8 Pro range:
Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Distinctive – R496 900.00
Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Executive – R546 900.00
The Tiggo 8 Pro is now available at 50 dealers nationwide
In summation, the pricing is very attractive, and should ensure that the momentum is maitained with sales, going forward for Chery. The Tiggo 8 Pro is an good overall package, with good looks, a luxury cabin, and a responsive engine.