12 months after yr, new automobile patrons chasing an reasonably priced seven-seat SUV flock to the tried and examined Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Path, and Mitsubishi Outlander.
Chinese language challenger Chery is out to vary that with the Tiggo 8 Professional Max, though the most recent addition to the mainstream SUV market has flown below the radar to this point.
Simply 226 examples had been bought in August, and the Outlander (2188 gross sales in August) stays considered one of Australia’s hottest automobiles.
The Chery has loads to supply although, with a brawny turbocharged engine, premium inside finishes, and extra tech than you’ll be able to poke a stick at.
That’s very true of the flagship Final AWD, and also you’ll nonetheless get change from $50,000.
So, does the Tiggo 8 Professional Max deserve higher? And must you purchase one?
How does the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional evaluate?
View an in depth breakdown of the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional in opposition to equally sized automobiles.
Chery
Tiggo 8 Professional
How a lot does the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max price?
Pricing for the Tiggo 8 Professional Max begins at $41,990 drive-away and tops out at $47,990 drive-away for the flagship Final, as examined right here.
To see how the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max strains up in opposition to the competitors, try our comparability software.
What’s the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max like on the within?
Chery has beforehand taken inspiration from the posh manufacturers with its modern, shiny interiors, and the cabin of the Tiggo 8 Professional Max isn’t any completely different.
Packaged like a stretched out Tiggo 7 Professional, the cabin of the Tiggo 8 Professional is spacious and our instance was fitted with the non-obligatory dual-tone black/brown inside.
Except for the inside color possibility (different variants are available in black), the Final additionally positive aspects a 10-speaker sound system, perfume system, and a panoramic sunroof. Every addition elevates the house, constructing on the premium-ish really feel.
Even in base specification, the Tiggo 8 Professional Max is properly appointed. All variants include leatherette door card and sprint trims that are tender to the contact, whereas supplies resembling wooden and aluminium additionally function closely.
Simply because the inside seems to be costly doesn’t imply that it’s, however you must exit of your solution to discover laborious plastics.
Showroom enchantment is there in spades and that’s sufficient in itself to generate gross sales at this worth level. It’s not just like the enchantment disappears if you get behind the wheel, both.
The quilted brown leatherette seats envelop you want an armchair, with loads of cushioning and a tender headrest. Lateral help is missing, however drivers of a wider physique form will recognize the shortage of bolstering.
Each entrance seats are energy adjustable, heated, and ventilated throughout the Tiggo 8 Professional Max vary. Forward of the motive force sits a grippy flat-bottomed steering wheel with bodily buttons, and behind which might be two expansive screens.
The 12.3-inch digital instrument show is evident and practical, with simply legible readouts. By default you get a pair of conventional gauges that flank a customisable central space – it’s an approachable structure for tech-averse patrons.
There are a number of various layouts for many who need to experiment with their new toy. Subsequent door, the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is laid out like a smartphone with massive app icons.
The system is straightforward to navigate, prioritising standard choices on the menu pages, and there’s an apparent residence button to return to the primary menu. Whereas user-friendly and responsive, the touchscreen display screen lacks decision.
Wi-fi smartphone mirroring comes customary on all fashions, though Apple CarPlay was susceptible to dropouts throughout our take a look at. In such conditions, the native ‘turbodog’ navigation system affords serviceable backup.
Entrance row telephone charging is roofed by a wi-fi pad, along with USB-A and USB-C retailers.
Tech-heads will even recognize the haptic local weather controls built-in into the sprint, which provide a clear look to the detriment of usability. Brightly colored ambient lighting is an aesthetic addition with out compromise.
It may be tough to seek out the stability between type and substance, however Chery has performed properly on this regard with the Tiggo 8 Professional Max.
No storage was sacrificed within the making of this suave, wannabe European cabin.
Up entrance you get an enormous centre console, huge rubber-lined tray below the centre stack, massive glovebox, skinny door bins, a sun shades holder, and two cupholders. That’s ample house for stuff, in the event you ask me.
The youngsters within the again are properly sorted, too. Second row passengers cop seats which might be simply as snug because the entrance pews, with recline adjustment and tender, contoured headrests.
A pair of average-sized adults match comfortably and the seat backs are tender in case your knees stick out. Regardless of the Final’s panoramic sunroof, headroom can be greater than satisfactory. Pure mild retains the house feeling open and ethereal.
Whoever finally ends up sitting again there could have room to retailer bits and items in massive door bins, map pockets and cupholders positioned within the centre armrest. USB-A and USB-C charging retailers are built-in into the air vent housing.
A seat within the third row is hardly a punishment, both. The seats are plush, there’s a great deal of headroom and, relying on whether or not you slide the second row ahead, the accessible legroom can accomodate smaller adults.
In comparison with section rivals, the Chery sits someplace between the Kia Sorento and Nissan X-Path for third row usability.
Simply 117L of boot house is obtainable with all seven seats in place, or sufficient for just a few grocery luggage.
In five-seat configuration cargo room jumps to 739L, which is much extra acceptable for a household weekend away.
The seating rows don’t fold fully flat, however you’ll be able to nonetheless slide cumbersome gadgets in with out hitting a pronounced lip.
To see how the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max strains up in opposition to the competitors, try our comparability software.
What’s below the bonnet?
Only one powertrain is obtainable, with the selection of front- or all-wheel drive relying on variant.
Our take a look at consisted of peak-hour Melbourne commuting, situations that closely influenced our last gasoline consumption determine. Again at launch we recorded a 9.1L/100km common.
Chery Australia says it’s engaged on bringing the Tiggo 8 Professional Max Plug-in Hybrid, which groups a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with twin electrical motors and a 19.27kWh ternary lithium battery.
System outputs are 240kW and 545Nm, with EV vary quoted at 80 kilometres on the extra lenient WLTC cycle. This PHEV drivetrain will seemingly debut in Australia with the smaller Tiggo 7 Professional Plug-in Hybrid first, the corporate says.
To see how the Tiggo 8 Professional Max strains up in opposition to the competitors, try our comparability software.
How does the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max drive?
Chery goes for an expensive really feel with the Tiggo 8 Professional Max, and that requires greater than only a splash of leather-based and a beneficiant serving to of recent tech. It must drive properly, and the Final does simply that.
The drivetrain performs a big function within the driving enjoyment of the Tiggo 8 Professional Max.
Below the bonnet sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 180kW and 375Nm, essentially the most potent engine of any seven-seat SUV below $50,000.
The truth is, the one rival that comes shut is the LDV D90 with 165kW and 350Nm.
You’ll be able to definitely really feel that on the street. Paired with a slick-shifting dual-clutch transmission the Chery four-pot by no means lacks grunt, whether or not you’re slicing your approach by way of the suburbs, cruising on the freeway, or venturing additional afield.
The Tiggo will get getting in a clean method from a set of site visitors lights, and has loads of in-gear acceleration to execute lane modifications and overtakes. Not fairly sufficient to warrant quad exhaust suggestions, although.
It’s additionally surprisingly quiet if you train your proper foot – the engine by no means buzzes, thrashes, or shouts.
In the event you shut your eyes (within the passenger seat, in fact), there’s little to differentiate the texture of this finances household hauler from far costlier steel.
That extends to how the Tiggo 8 Professional Max rides. With floaty suspension and lightweight, direct steering, it’s an enormous and tender SUV that’s forgiving on coarse surfaces.
Velocity humps barely register within the cabin, and it takes a nasty pothole or bridge be part of to upset the Chery.
The lightness of the steering additionally makes the Tiggo 8 Professional Max simple to manoeuvre, regardless of its dimensions. I tackled quite a lot of tight laneways throughout our take a look at and by no means felt out of contact with the positioning relative to partitions and different automobiles.
In city environments, security tech is essentially the most distracting side of the Tiggo 8 Professional Max. An extended record of security options will undoubtedly enchantment to potential patrons, however on multi-lane roads the automobile was too desirous to alert me to potential collisions that merely weren’t going to happen.
Autos travelling safely within the lane subsequent to me had been too typically perceived as a hazard, prompting the surround-view cameras to sign a warning unnecessarily.
Chery has beforehand confronted teething points when bringing its driver help methods Down Below, and it is a kink that’s more likely to be ironed out over time.
The surround-view digital camera with 3D view additionally affords loads of perks. It makes parking simpler, and assists if you’re navigating a slender passage.
Street noise on the freeway additionally wants addressing.
Using on its its bigger 19-inch alloys and narrower 235/50 tyres, the Final isn’t fairly as refined on the open street as it’s within the metropolis, transmitting some rubber roar into the cabin.
The security methods quieten down when you’re cruising, with driver consideration monitoring solely making itself recognized when affordable.
Adaptive cruise management does a superb job of holding the Tiggo 8 Professional Max in sync with freeway site visitors, too.
In the event you select to take management on winding rural roads, the Chery additionally steers properly for a big SUV, with spectacular dealing with. It would fortunately take corners at pace, with strong physique management and grip.
The all-wheel drive system offers additional traction, which is useful when the roads get tough or slippery.
What do you get?
Three trim ranges can be found – City, Elite and Final.
Tiggo 8 Professional Max City highlights:
18-inch alloy wheelsLED headlightsLED tail lights12.3-inch digital instrument cluster12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment systemSatellite navigationVoice assistantWireless Apple CarPlay, Android AutoWireless telephone chargerAmbient lighting8-speaker Sony sound systemBlack leatherette upholsteryHeated, ventilated entrance seats3 x drive modesAir high quality administration system
Tiggo 8 Professional Max Elite provides:
Energy tailgateHeated exterior mirrorsBuilt-in dashcamThird-row air vents with fan pace controlIlluminated door sills with Tiggo letteringRetractable cargo blind
Tiggo 8 Professional Max Final provides:
All-wheel drive19-inch alloy wheelsFragrance systemPuddle lampsPanoramic sunroof10-speaker Sony sound systemPrivacy glassOptional brown artificial leather-based upholstery
Is the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max secure?
The Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max has a five-star ANCAP security score, based mostly on testing of its associate mannequin, the Chery Tiggo 7 Professional, in 2023.
Normal security options embrace:
10 airbagsFront airbags x 2Front aspect airbags x 2Curtain airbags x 2Front centre airbags x 1Driver knee airbag x 1Rear aspect airbags x 2Forward collision warningAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Emergency lane keepingLane departure warningLane-keep assistAdaptive cruise controlTraffic Jam AssistIntegrated Cruise AssistAdaptive cruise + lane centringBlind-spot assistRear collision warningRear cross-traffic assistSafe exit warningSpeed restrict informationSpeed Management AssistTraffic signal recognitionDriver monitoring system360-degree camerasParking sensors entrance, rear
How a lot does the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max price to run?
Chery Australia covers its lineup with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max
The Chery Tiggo 8 Professional Max Final affords wonderful worth for a sub-$50k seven-seat SUV – it’s a well-rounded bundle with no actual weak spot.
Efficiency? Verify. A clean and refined journey? Verify. The cabin is roomy sufficient for a car-full of adults and comes filled with know-how and facilities.
Rivals are plentiful – the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Path, and Mitsubishi Outlander, simply to call just a few.
All are established with massive fanbases, however don’t provide the identical style of luxurious motoring that Chery has pulled off with the Tiggo 8 Professional Max.
Every variant has its place within the vary, though given the low price of entry I’d suggest the flagship Final with its all-wheel drive stability and significant inside upgrades.
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