2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max review (video)

When you think of car brands, household names like Toyota and Hyundai often come to mind. As the market evolves, more international players from various countries are rapidly carving out a space for themselves. Chery, a Chinese automaker with a fierce eye on expansion, is one of those brands pushing into the Australian market with an ambitious lineup during a time where consumer costs are felt the most.

The 2024 Tiggo 8 Pro Max is among Chery’s latest offerings, aimed at enticing Aussie families looking for a stylish, feature-packed, 7-seat SUV with a dash of performance, at a competitive price. But how does it fare against those household names? Read on as we’ll give you the full scoop.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Ultimate: Specifications

Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Output: 180kW@5500rpm / 375Nm@1750-4000rpm
Gearbox: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Drive type: All-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 19×7.0, 235/50
ANCAP: Five stars
Tare weight: 1731kg
Power-to-weight: 9.61:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 8.7L/100km
Our consumption: 9.3L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 57L/95 RON

Power efficiency: 20.68kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 3.66 seconds*
0-100km/h: 7.75 seconds*
60-110km/h: 5.47 seconds*
1/4 mile: 15.73 seconds at 145.0km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.762g*
100-0km/h braking: 40.57m in 3.13 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.168g*
Decibel at idle: 41*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 79*
Starting price: $47,990

*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: How much does it cost?

All Tiggo 8s come with seven seats, the same nippy 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. The price for the cheapest Urban front-wheel drive is $41,990, then $43,990 for the FWD Elite. The grandest variant is the Ultimate, adding all-wheel drive. It costs $47,990 (all drive-away). We have spent a week in each the Elite FWD and Ultimate.

Those prices are very competitive. The only cheaper 7-seat SUVs on the market are the Mahindra XUV700, the base Nissan X-Trail ST, and the base Mitsubishi Outlander LS. But the Tiggo 8 is equipped with more features than those. However, those established brands are proving to hold a better resale value than these newer brands. If 7-seats is not a must-have for you, there are other similar-sized SUVs that are cheaper.

Regarding maintenance costs, all Cherys are backed by a class-leading seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, 12 months of free roadside assistance, and seven years of capped and competitively priced servicing. Services are required every 15,000km or 12 months. The first five services are capped at $280. For the Urban and Elite variants, the sixth service costs $465.60, and the seventh is set at $295.09. For the Ultimate AWD, the sixth service is $614.07 and the seventh is $295.09.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: Interior & packaging

One of the first things you’ll notice when stepping inside the Tiggo 8 is its spaciousness. The interior is incredibly roomy, with loads of legroom for passengers in both the front and back seats. There’s also an abundance of storage pockets scattered around, which is always a plus for those long road trips or when you’ve got a car full of family paraphernalia.

The seats are generally comfortable, with decent head support adjusters and enough padding for a long ride. It’s a moderately stylish environment for the price. The materials used give a sense of refinement, especially in the top-spec Ultimate version. That said, the optional unique design choice of brown and blue colours in the Ultimate we had did not quite mesh with us. But some may like it. Luckily, the standard is black. The diamond-stitched synthetic leather upholstery and well-placed chrome accents help elevate the overall vibe.

At the very rear, the boot size is sensible for the SUV market. Based on the VDA measuring standard it swallows 479 litres of luggage, or 739 litres when the second row is folded down. It’s not the largest boot, but it is competitively sized for its price point. When the third row is in use, 117L is still available – enough to squeeze in a few shopping bags.

As for the third row, it offers marginal room for adults but reasonable for growing humans The Elite and Ultimate models score third row air vents and a powered tailgate, and the middle row slides so you can adjust where you want more legroom or boot space.

Now, let’s talk about the tech inside the cabin. Two large 12.3-inch screens, while visually appealing, leave a lot to be desired in terms of functionality. The menu system feels clunky and is not particularly intuitive. If you’re using wireless connectivity (like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), there is no quick way to access the air-conditioning controls, which is a major oversight.

And while the air-conditioning system does have limited touch-sensitive buttons on a separate panel, there’s no way to visually confirm what temperature or fan speed you’ve selected. Even worse, when you first start the car, it takes a good few seconds before you can adjust the air-conditioning at all, which feels like an eternity on a hot Aussie day.

Speaking of start-up times, there’s a noticeable lag in the instrument cluster when you first fire up the engine. The rev gauge is also a second or two behind, which can be a little disorienting when you’re trying to gauge engine revs. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something you’ll notice, especially when you’re expecting instant responsiveness. Other matured manufacturers do not have these quirks.

Nonetheless, cabin technology is on par with current trends. It includes a 50-Watt wireless phone charger, an eight-speaker Sony-branded sound system (10 speakers for the Ultimate), wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, inbuilt sat-nav, voice command, USB-A and -C charging ports, and 360-degree surround view monitoring. Oddly, digital radio is nowhere to be seen.

All Tiggo 8s score a comprehensive list of safety tech as standard to earn them a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. You get crucial items like blind-spot detection, autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert and braking, lane departure warning and prevention, adaptive cruise with traffic jam assist, door opening warning, traffic sign recognition, and an overbearing driver monitoring system.

Be sure to check if you have the latest software updates as our experience from one variant to the next was vastly different. With one, the driver monitoring was awfully disruptive; beeping constantly for a full five minutes for seemingly no proper reason. A distracting feature that is supposed to detect distractions, not create them. The other test car was more sensible in its alerts.

For all other non-safety features, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max is well-stocked throughout the range. Even the base Urban gets proximity key entry, tyre pressure monitors, synthetic leather, six-way and four-way power adjustable (with memory) heated and ventilated front seats, customisable-colour LED interior lighting, sequential turn signals, rain-sensing front wipers, and auto-dipping side mirrors on reverse. Some of these features would not be seen on base variants of established brands.

For an additional $2k, the Elite gives you a powered tailgate, inbuilt dashcam, a cargo blind, those illuminated front door sills, and third row climate vents. Then another $3k for the Ultimate upgrades you to 19-inch alloy wheels (up from 18s), a panoramic sunroof, privacy glass, a suave fragrance system, AWD, and that 10-speaker Sony sound system (up from eight speakers).

From an external perspective, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max looks polished with its conservative design. You notice the distinctive diamond-shaped, 3D-look front grille, and a signature LED single unit taillight design that really elevates the level of elegance and perceived craftsmanship. Sheet metal is kept rather plain, with conforming contours and a traditional SUV silhouette. In fact, it looks similar to other SUVs, like the Haval H6. There is not a huge difference in aesthetics as you hop through the variants. Except, the Ultimate scores puddle lamps and the Elite and Ultimate receive those illuminated front door sills.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: Powertrain & handling

Let’s move on to the fun stuff – the performance. Under the bonnet of the Tiggo 8 you’ll find a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that delivers an inspiring amount of power; 180kW and 375Nm. Our testing recorded a 0-100km/h time of 7.75 seconds. For the price, it’s a potent engine with a revy nature, making driving more exhilarating than you might expect from a family-focussed SUV. It is ideal for on-the-go lifestyles, and it responds quickly when you put your foot down, once the gearbox kicks down. You’ll find it spends much of its time higher in the rev range to get the job done.

It’s a snappy dual-clutch transmission, adding to the Tiggo 8’s overall performance credentials. Whether you’re accelerating from a standstill or overtaking on the highway, the transmission loads up the ratios quickly. It’s the kind of responsiveness you don’t always find in this segment, in terms of gear changes.

As an added bonus at this end of the price spectrum, the Tiggo 8 comes with selectable driving modes; Eco, Normal, and Sport. Then the Ultimate AWD adds Snow, Mud, and Off-road modes.

One downside to the Tiggo 8’s spritely nature is high fuel consumption. Officially, the front-wheel drive burns 8.1L/100km and the AWD consumes 8.7L/100km. During our 400km travelled in each, we averaged 8.5L/100km and 9.3L/100km, respectively. These figures are nothing to boast about, and far from class-leading. Both setups also require the expensive 95 RON fuel at a minimum.

In a vain effort to save fuel, the Tiggo 8 is equipped with the common engine start/stop feature. Compared with other SUVs with this, there is a timely delay to resume the engine. Every second matters on busy journeys, and it needs to be quicker.

On the road, the MacPherson struts at the front and the multi-link suspension at the rear both spring out bumps competently. You can bounce over speedhumps with a fair amount of momentum without it bottoming out or flailing underneath you. But it feels a little ‘pogo-stick-like’ in motion, as you notice some loose side-to-side lean around corners. It’s not caused by a high ground clearance as the front-wheel drive has a clearance of just 190mm. Oddly, the AWD clearance is even less, at 185mm – it would make more sense to be the other way around.

For an SUV of this size, we would expect to see a towing capacity far greater than just 1300kg as offered here. If you plan on towing, the Tiggo 8 is one of your worst options. And we can’t help but correlate that towing rating with the overall structural integrity of the vehicle, paired with soft suspension.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: Key attractions/reasons to buy

• Competitive pricing: With a starting price of $41,990, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max is one of the most affordable 7-seat SUVs on the market.
• Spacious and comfortable interior: The Tiggo 8 provides ample legroom for the first and second row, and practical storage, making it ideal for families.
• Standard equipment across the range: Dual 12.3-inch screens, wireless app connectivity, a 50-Watt wireless charger, a 360-degree camera, and heated and ventilated front seats.
• Strong performance: The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine delivers a zippy 180kW and 375Nm, making it one of the more powerful budget-minded 7-seat SUVs on sale.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: Key considerations before you buy

• Poor fuel efficiency: Rated officially at 8.5L/100km for FWD and 9.3L/100km for AWD, there are more efficient options on the market, even with this power level.
• Tech usability: Despite its impressive tech offerings, the clunky menu system for the touch-screen and slow start-up times for the air-conditioning can be frustrating. And no digital radio is someone’s bad mistake.
• Towing capacity: The Tiggo 8’s 1300kg towing capacity is low for an SUV of this size.
• Handling quality: While the ride is generally comfortable, the Tiggo 8 has some noticeable side-to-side lean in corners and feels floppy at times, compared with rivals.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: Video