New Chery Tiggo 8: budget-friendly family SUV to cost from £28k
Chery's first UK model is a seven-seat plug-in hybrid that will do up to 745 miles in hybrid form and up to 56 miles on pure electric power...
On sale September Price from £28,545
Chinese car giant Chery has already entered the UK car market with two new brands: Jaecoo and Omoda, and it's now adding to its European line-up with the Chery Tiggo 8, which sticks with the parent company's name.
As standard, the Tiggo 8 comes with seven seats, in a two, three, two configuration, putting it in contention with the Kia Sorento, Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq.
Like the closely-related Jaecoo 7, the Tiggo 8 will be available with both plug-in hybrid and pure petrol power.
The plug-in hybrid version, dubbed Super Hybrid, has the same engine and motor combination as the Jaecoo 7 , meaning it has a 1.5-litre engine, single electric motor and 18.3kWh battery that together produce 202bhp. It's capable of a 0-62mph time of 8.5 seconds, again the same as the Jaecoo 7.
The car's batteries can be charged up, but the battery never fully depletes because the engine charges it up when it’s running low. This way, the car operates like a regular hybrid to help save fuel, although you need to plug in it regularly to maximise efficiency. According to Chery, the Tiggo 8 will do up to 745 miles, including 56 miles on pure electric power. The electric range is better than that of the 5008, Sorento and Santa Fe PHEVs, but less than the equivalent Kodiaq.
In the ICE version of the Tiggo 8, power comes from a 1.6-litre 145bhp petrol engine which can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 9.8sec. Once again, it's the same setup found in the Jaecoo 7 – though the Tiggo 8 is slightly faster to 62mph.
Inside, the Tiggo 8 gets a large 15.6in central infotainment touchscreen, through which you can control a number of driving aids, including a 540-degree camera, which provides views around and underneath the car, plus adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.
Two trim levels are available with the Tiggo 8: Aspire and Summit. With entry-level Aspire trim, you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, wireless smartphone charging and heated seats. Stepping up to Summit trim will get you a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats, lumbar adjustment, an electronic hands-free tailgate, a head-up display and a Sony 12-speaker sound system.
When you fold the rear rows of seats, the Tiggo 8 has 1930 litres of boot space, which means it's not quite as practical as a Sorento PHEV (1988 litres) or a Kodiaq (2035 litres).
The Tiggo 8 will arrive in showrooms in September. Prices start at £28,595, which significantly undercuts other seven-seat SUVs, including the Kia Sorento, Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq.
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