2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: Australian first drive (2024)

20/05/2024 01:00

Our first look at Chery’s new seven-seat Tiggo 8 Pro Max showcases a car where you don’t need to sacrifice space and luxury for outright value.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max

After a return to Australia last year, Chery has made a bit of a name for itself by introducing some of the best-value SUVs in the market.

The brand started with the compact Omoda 5 (priced from $33,990 drive-away) and followed up with the mid-size Tiggo 7 Pro (priced from $36,990 drive-away), and now there's a third car gracing local showrooms, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max.

Yes, like an iPhone.

And, like the other Chery models, the new seven-seat mid-sized Tiggo 8 Pro Max leans into strong consumer value.

Starting at just $41,990 (drive-away), Chery is hoping to win over Australian family car buyers with an impressive array of safety technology and luxury details even in the entry-level variant.

At the Australian launch of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max in Sydney, we've had the chance to drive both the mid-spec Elite and top-spec Ultimate variants, and will get our hands on the base-level model through the Drive garage in due course.

With a sharp focus on value, we'll find out whether it's worth paying the extra bucks for the top-spec, or whether the mid-spec Tiggo 8 variant is impressive enough.

How much is a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

There are three variants in the Tiggo 8 Pro Max range, the entry-level Urban that starts at $41,990, the mid-spec Elite that starts at $43,990 and the highest-spec Ultimate, which costs $47,990 drive-away.

All variants are equipped with dual 12.3-inch screens, dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats, leather-look upholstery, wireless phone charging, an eight-speaker sound system, ambient interior lighting and a 360-degree camera.

The Elite adds a power-operated tailgate, heated side mirrors and built-in dash cam, while the Ultimate is all-wheel drive, has larger 19-inch wheels, a 10-speaker Sony sound system, privacy glass and a panoramic sunroof.

Power for all models comes from a 180kW/375Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and is delivered through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

More: Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max price and specifications

Buyers looking for other seven-seaters within a similar price bracket have the Mahindra XUV700 (from $36,990 drive-away), LDV D90 (from $38,937 drive-away), Nissan X-Trail (from $40,290 plus on-road costs), Mitsubishi Outlander (from $41,240 +ORCs), and the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace (from $43,990 +ORCs) to choose from.

For the most part, the Outlander is the car the Tiggo 8 Pro Max has most in its sights, but the LS and Black Edition variants of the Outlander, which are priced similarly to the Tiggo 8 Urban and Elite variants, lack some of the material quality and standard equipment that the Chery offers.

From the outside, the exterior of the Tiggo 8 isn't all that different in design to the Tiggo 7, though it features a longer wheelbase (2710mm vs 2670mm) and is longer overall (4720mm vs 4513mm).

To tell the two Tiggos apart, the newer car uses the slightly updated Chery badge set against the brand's signature diamond grille. The Tiggo 8 also has LED headlights and tail-lights on all three models, and at the back includes a set of quad exhaust tips.

Both the cars we tested were finished in Lunar White (no cost option), but customers can choose from eight different colours in total including Star Silver, Rhine Blue, Loran Violet, Mercurial Grey, Technical Grey, Aurora Green and Space Black, which cost an extra $600.

How big is a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

All three Tiggo 8 variants come complete with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and 12.3-inch driver information display, leather-and-wood effect panelling and leather-look seats, which are also heated and ventilated.

Along with with the panoramic sunroof in the Ultimate, the only other difference between it and the Elite on the inside is the optional brown leather-look upholstery (rather than black).

Personally, I find there is a lot going on in terms of the variety of material and trim elements (less is often more in my book), but in terms of quality and implementation, the material use looks more plush and arguably more exciting than the hard plastics that you typically find in other cars at this price point.

The steering wheel is trimmed with artificial leather and features buttons to control the volume and the driver information display screen. The driver information screen is fairly straightforward and the graphics are clear, although I found the digital speed display and speed-limit graphic a bit on the small side.

Below the central infotainment screen, there is a panel of touch-sensitive buttons that operate the dual-zone temperature controls. These buttons face upwards rather than outwards, which against the chrome panel they're set upon makes it quite hard to see the button icons.

Below this is a wireless phone charger and two USB ports (one USB-A and one USB-C), and two cupholders. Along with the transmission lever, the console includes a rotary dial to change driving modes and a large armrest that is big enough for two to share. There is storage beneath the armrest, but the console itself is quite large, to the point where it may impinge on space for the driver or passenger.

The electrically adjustable seats look sporty and are bolstered well enough to be comfortable over the course of a long drive.

Last but not least, when it comes to the front row, I have to call out my favourite feature that is only available in the Ultimate spec, an integrated fragrance diffuser! This allows your Tiggo to smell of either Sport (sweaty changing rooms come to mind), Cure (eh?) or Natural (probably your safest option). Is it a necessity? Absolutely not. Do I love the frivolousness of it anyway? Absolutely yes.

In the second row, you've got plenty of room to play with. I'm 171cm tall and had plenty of head and leg room, although head room was a little more compromised in the Ultimate to accommodate for the panoramic sunroof. The floor is also almost completely flat so three adults can sit in the back with relative ease (if they picked the short straw), and there are also two ISOFIX points and three top-tether points should you be plugging in child seats.

The door pockets are a little disappointing as they are not big enough to store an average-sized drink bottle, but there are enough other amenities to keep everyone happy, with cupholders in a central armrest, two USB ports and directional air vents.

As an adult, the third row proved to be a little bit of a hassle to get in and out of, which is a shame because I'd imagine you're only buying a seven-seater if you need seven seats! On my initial attempts (and in the video above), the second row doesn't collapse down particularly far, so it can be a bit of a climb to access the third row.

To slide the seat forward requires a second action with the handle on top of the seat. If it was confusing for me, it would likely be confusing for children attempting access. My advice would be to hold a thorough family training session or ensure third-row passengers are pretty limber.

Once in there, though, the space is pretty decent. I had a passenger who was 188cm tall in front of me in the second row and we both had adequate leg room. There are also decent amenities by way of a couple more cupholders, air vents and jacket (or bag) hooks.

As far as third rows go, it's not such a squeeze that an adult can't fit, but it is still best left to the (more limber) younger generation.

For cargo, there is 117L of boot space when all three rows are up, which expands to 479L with the third row folded.

Comparatively, a Mitsubishi Outlander (163L/478L) or Honda CR-V (150L/472L) both offer a little more space when all three rows are in use but less space when the third row is flat.

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max also has a space-saver spare wheel in all three variants and an electric tailgate in Elite and Ultimate grades.

Does the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The 12.3-inch infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone projection and can be accessed wirelessly.

There is a wireless charging dock below the infotainment screen, but you've also got USB-A and USB-C plugs if you'd rather plug in.

The Chery media system has integrated navigation with high-definition graphics and is relatively simple to use. Cabin temperature, lighting and the driver assistance technology settings can also all be controlled via the touchscreen.

You can also activate the integrated voice command system by saying 'Hello Chery', then, your cute little blue and pink icon will grant you your request. Was it able to find Sydney domestic airport for me using the navigation system in the Elite? No. But was it able to open the panoramic sunroof in the Ultimate? Yes.

Is the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max a safe car?

While the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max is yet to be awarded an official safety rating from ANCAP, we do know that all three variants will be equipped with 10 airbags including dual frontal, dual front-side, dual rear-side, dual side curtain, single driver's knee and front centre airbags.

What safety technology does the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max have?

The Tiggo 8 has a long list of active and passive safety features, and is also equipped with 18 different advanced driver assistance systems. These include adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning and lane-change assist, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and rear collision warning, door opening warning, speed control assist, traffic sign recognition and driver monitoring system.

As I'm sure is the case with most people in the market for a family car, seeing a laundry list of safety features is a comfort.

However, while testing, some of the features felt a little unpolished and in need of further calibration. For example, the lane-keeping assist function was a little under-sensitive and would allow the car to touch a lane marking before offering a minor vibration through the wheel; however, the setting can be adjusted to suit your driving tastes.

The adaptive cruise-control system generally worked fine, but occasionally it would not recognise the correct speed limits and in one instance slowed the car down to 60km/h in an 80km/h tunnel, and the driver monitoring system was very quick to tell me I wasn't paying attention when I was.

That said, there is an option to increase or decrease the sensitivity of a number of these functions (lane-keeping assist being a prime example) or even mute them completely, so depending on your preferences, you certainly have options.

As is always my attitude, I'd always rather have the features there than not at all, even if a couple of them still need a little fine-tuning.

How much does the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max cost to run?

Chery offers a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and a seven-year capped-price service schedule. All services in the first five years (for all Tiggo 8 variants) are priced at $280 per visit (in 12-month or 15,000km intervals), making it $840 for three years or $1400 for five.

The sixth year (72,000km interval) is a bit more pricey at $465.60 for 2WD and $614.07 for AWD models.

For context, a Volkswagen Tiguan 110 has a three-year service plan available for $1565 and five years for $3340, and a Mitsubishi Outlander will run you $1010 for three and $1700 for five years.

As the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max is still so new to the market, it was not possible to create an online insurance quote estimate.

Is the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max fuel-efficient?

Chery claims a combined-cycle fuel consumption of 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the front-wheel-drive versions of the car.

Over a roughly 150km route that saw us cover everything from highway to suburbs, I finished with a fuel reading of 8.9L/100km.

This is a little higher than claimed but roughly on par with rivals within the segment. On previous Drive test drives, the Nissan X-Trail delivered a fuel reading of 8.8L/100km, the Mitsubishi Outlander delivered a fuel reading of 9.7L/100km, and the Honda CR-V delivered 8.5L/100km.

One thing to note is that 8.1L/100km is the fuel reading reached with just two people and two hand luggage-sized suitcases in the car. We'll spend more time with the Tiggo 8 Pro Max in the coming months to get a better understanding of its fuel use in a more typical-use environment, including with a load of extra passengers and bags to see what difference this makes to overall fuel consumption.

What is the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max like to drive?

All three variants of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max come with Chery's most powerful petrol engine to date, a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit producing 180kW and 375Nm.

The car has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and is available in all-wheel drive in the highest spec, while the two lower variants are front-wheel drive.

In terms of its rivals, the Mitsubishi Outlander ES and the Nissan X-Trail ST, both entry-level variants, have 2.5-litre naturally aspirated (non-turbocharged) petrol engines with outputs of 135kW.

As the Elite is front-wheel drive (as opposed to AWD in the Ultimate), it is 105kg lighter than the top-spec car, and you can certainly feel the difference.

The torque band offers 375Nm between 1750 and 4000rpm making the lighter Tiggo feel willing off the mark, and even with power peaking at 5500rpm, there's enough oomph to quickly match pace with traffic when merging.

The AWD car by comparison does feel a little less brisk. Yes it is heavier, but even with just two people on board, it feels less suited to tight corners or uphill stretches than its front-drive counterpart. Again, we'll run the car through the Drive garage over the coming months to get a better understanding of how the Tiggo manages a load of passengers in a typical-use environment.

Comparatively, the Elite feels much more composed. The car feels much lighter, because it is, but in turn that makes the drive much smoother.

Ride comfort is good and the car feels composed enough over potholes and undulating surfaces and will recover quickly after sharper hits. The brakes do their job, but the pedal feel is a bit softer than I would have expected, again underscoring the Tiggo's primary role as an urban runner.

Visibility out of the front is good, and the large side mirrors help, but the rear-view mirror can hinder visibility out of the back as it has a strange fish-eye (wide angle) effect that makes the rear look much smaller than it actually is. The upside is that you can see where all the little people are behind you, which as a parent can often feel more important than surrounding traffic!

There are three different driving modes (Normal, Eco and Sport), although the AWD Ultimate adds three more to accommodate off-road driving (Snow, Mud, Off-road). I mostly stuck to Eco and Normal, although switching into Sport for a brief run down the highway improved the throttle response.

It's not a hugely powerful or dynamic car by any means, but it doesn't need to be. It's a suburban runaround designed for families, skewing more to ride comfort and 'softness' rather than sharp dynamic appeal.

Can a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max tow?

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max has a braked towing capacity of 1300kg, but a maximum towball weight of just 75kg. This means any trailer larger than 750kg will need to be specifically configured to load less than 10 per cent of its mass (the typical trailer load) on the ball.

Note that the 2WD variants have a maximum payload of 568kg (including driver) and the AWD, 571kg. With a 75kg load on the ball, these are reduced to just under 500kg, which has to accommodate fuel load and any people as well as luggage on board.

Should I buy a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

Chery has set out to deliver a car that places value at the forefront of everything it does, and with all the space and equipment in the Tiggo 8 Pro Max Elite for $43,990, it is fair to say this goal has been achieved.

This mid-specification is where the Tiggo 8 is best suited. I found it to be the better car to drive, and as the AWD car isn't a true off-roader, on initial impression the Ultimate doesn't deliver enough benefit to offset the extra cost and weight.

Yes, in many ways there is a lot going on with the interior of the Tiggo, and in the process of throwing the whole box of goodies at the Tiggo 8, maybe Chery should have ‘cherry picked’ a few less but more resolved finishes and features to offer a more mature product. I say that as a fan of ‘less is more’, so if you are a ‘more is more’ person, then you may quite enjoy the full-house experience of the Tiggo 8.

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max still has a few calibration points to work on with its driver assistance features, but given all the equipment, safety features, premium details, and the quality of materials you're getting in any of the three variants, it's a smart choice for anyone in the market for a seven-seater who doesn't want to feel like price is a compromise for luxury.

How do I buy a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max? The next steps.

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max will be in showrooms later this month, so the next step on your purchase journey is to visit the Chery website to book a test drive of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max. You can also find Chery cars for sale at Drive Cars For Sale.

As noted, at this stage our pick is the mid-specification Elite model, but we haven’t spent any time with the entry-level Urban variant, so we may adjust our thinking once we get some time behind the wheel.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.

Editors note: Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Ultimate AWD pictured.

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