Updated Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max offers huge value for money

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, introduced into South Africa in 2022, has been given bit of an exterior nip and tuck. Along with an interior upgrade for this SUV to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

There are two models on offer as before, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T Executive and the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0T Executive. The former is powered by a 145 kW / 290 Nm 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine mated to seven-speed DCT. And the Max draws its power from a 187 kW / 390 Nm 2.0-litre petrol mill that is mated to seven-speed DCT.

The Citizen Motoring this week got to spend some time cruising around Kwazulu-Natal in the flagship, the Pro Max.

Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max comes to life

Up front you have a new grille that features an illuminated Chery logo that uses an array of LED lights to come to life and light up. It is combined with a special light-up sequence of the LED Matrix headlamps and LED daytime running lights to create a unique visual signature.

At the rear, “the coming to life” LED light show continues as the completely redesigned light clusters are connected by a LED light bar. This allows the rear lights to light up from the centre light bar to the lower edges of the tail lamps during the start-up sequence.

On the inside the Chery Tiggo Pro 8 Max has undergone numerous changes. Now there are two thin and connected 12.35-inch screens, new centre console, gear lever, and fast wireless phone charging pad. The overall design of the dashboard and doors has been changed or upgraded with soft touch leather and wood grain patterns and silver finishing.

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Traditional safety equipment aside, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max is also equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). This integrates more than 10 kinds of intelligent driving assistance functions. These are adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assistance to mention a few.

New for 2023 is a DVR driver view recorder (built-in dash cam) and an updated AVM (all view monitor) camera.

Brain burps from fancy mirror

But of all the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro’s electronic wizardry, I simply could not get used to the rearview mirror. It offers what looks like a camera image of the full view of the entire interior. And not just a basic mirror image of what was happening out the back of the car.

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My eyes and brain couldn’t cope with the difference depth perception between this mirror and the more realistic side mirrors. Perhaps over time this would change, but I spent a lot of my drive feeling nauseous.

Talking of the drive, it was firmer than I expected from a luxury family vehicle. While the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine provided for plenty urge, and the seven-speed DCT box offered perfectly acceptable gearshifts on the move, it was the getting off the line smoothly that proved to be a challenge. The throttle and gearbox were over eager to get things going. This resulted in scrabbling front tyre-type pull offs most of the time.

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Serious value for money

I simply can’t cover the comprehensive list of spec on offer. Or everything that has changed. Or has been upgraded. But I can tell you that the Tiggo 8 Pro models represent an enormous level of value for money. Especially if you considering the technology and luxury onboard at the price.

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

As standard, customers benefit from Chery’s standard five-year / 60 000 km service plan on Tiggo 8 Pro models. And seven-year / 90 000 service plan on Max models. In addition they get a five-year / 150 000 km warranty and 10-year / 1-million-kilometre engine warranty.