Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max shows that luxury doesn’t need to empty your pockets
It’s always exciting to drive the flagship model from any brand. You know they have put the most time and effort into that specific model to allow their best-spending customers to really experience what the brand is about.
Chery South Africa has been boastful about its sales figures recently and claims that it achieved its best-ever sales performance in South Africa in November 2024, selling 2 006 vehicles in that month.
Its success continued into 2025 with its entry model, the Tiggo 4 Pro, selling over 3 000 units. This made it the sixth best-selling new car of the year so far.
Of course, its flagship, the Tiggo 8 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro Max, will not come close to these figures as they are more expensive, but after jumping into the latter, it is evident why Chery continues to climb the sales ladder in the country.
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max looks magnificent from the outside. Chery has stuck to its diamond-cut chrome grille that leads into the headlights and the sporty lines on the hood of the Tiggo 4 Pro and Tiggo 7 Pro are also on this vehicle.
I like that the carmaker has given itself an identity in terms of looks. You know exactly what brand you are driving past on the road when you see a Chery.
As you move to the back of the vehicle, the tail lights are connected by a lightbar that stretches across the boot, which has become customary for most vehicles.
However, what Chery does well is the extra touches it adds to your experience with the exterior of the vehicle. How does one get an experience from the exterior of the vehicle?
Well, it has included a lighting sequence to welcome the driver. When you approach the car from the back, the tail lights light up from the middle to the end of the vehicle, almost as if the vehicle was flirting with you, saying, “Try me!”
When you approach from the front, you get the same experience with the headlights, and the Chery logo on the bonnet also lights up.
These features just make you want to jump in and enjoy the car.
The interior
The vehicle gives the driver yet another experience when you step into it. As the infotainment system switches on, it has welcome music that made me feel as if I was sitting in a cinema and the movie was just about to start. Adding to this perception is the amount of space the dual screens take on the dashboard. There is a 12.3 inch digital cluster paired to a 10 inch infotainment system that comes equipped with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The dashboard is very clean and the leather trim underneath the aircon vents gives the vehicle a premium feel. The insides of the doors also sport leather, which adds to that.
You get the feeling that you are controlling a spaceship.
However, the controls for the aircon are positioned just below the infotainment system. It was super annoying that every time I went to touch the infotainment screen, my palm or wrist would touch a button on that panel and suddenly, the demister would be on. Maybe my hands are too big or maybe it is down to poor design.
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max features perforated leather seats which are both heated and cooled in the front. This is useful for a quick warm up or cool down, especially with how moody the weather in Joburg has been lately.
It is a seven seater, so you have a second row of three seats and a third row of two seats. The second row is extremely spacious and comfortable, while the third row is just about enough for small kids.
All of these seats maintain the same leather and comfort so, no matter where you end up sitting in this vehicle, you still get the premium feel.
The boot is enormous when the last row of seats is folded, giving you 739 litres of space but, if you have those seats up, it is reduced to 117 litres.
The interior was definitely my favourite part of the vehicle. It was comfortable and spacious. It felt elegant, but at the same time, it didn’t feel overdone.
The drive
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that gives 187kW of power and 390Nm of torque. Those figures mean that, even for a vehicle of this size, this is more than sufficient power.
Along the highways to Joburg and Pretoria, it was a pleasure to drive. The vehicle was very responsive but it was also quite punchy when you put your foot down. This is probably because I was in the front-wheel drive variant. I can imagine that the performance of the all-wheel drive variant would be much more disciplined.
My passenger princess did complain that it was “too bumpy” to do her make-up while I was driving but, luckily, that’s not a problem you will have if you are behind the wheel.
Another issue — this has been a problem with Chinese vehicles — was the fuel consumption. Chery claims 7.6 litres/100km but I was struggling to achieve that figure. I averaged 8.7 litres/100km.
Safety
It’s difficult to argue with the Chinese manufacturer when it comes to safety. Apart from the six airbags and five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program safety rating, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max comes with an array of safety features.
From blind-spot detection to a full 360-degree camera system, which works extremely well, you will be at ease when driving this vehicle.
But there is some work to be done on the lane-keeping aid feature. This detects the lanes on the road and keeps your steering wheel fixed to adjust to them, but it does it so aggressively.
When I had that feature turned on, I found myself getting a full shoulder and tricep workout just trying to keep control of the wheel myself.
Verdict
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max comes in two variants: a front-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive. The front-wheel drive is priced at R669 900 while the all-wheel drive is priced at R731 900.
It also comes with a 7-year/90 000km service plan, a 5-year/150 000km warranty and a 10-year/ 1 million km engine warranty for the first owner.
It offers luxury and comfort and, while it’s not a performance SUV, it still has the tools to give you that extra kick when you need it. It is just a touch thirsty for fuel.
For the price, it is just too good a vehicle to ignore.