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Chery has made quite the name for itself ever since its entry into the small SUV scene with the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro. The Tiggo 4 Pro comes with good looks, a great interior and a refined engine. But we aren't here to talk about that. Today, we are talking about the Tiggo 8 Pro, the flagship, the absolute best SUV that Chery has to offer at the moment. Read on as we drive it and find out if it is really the best SUV from the stables of Chery.
Exterior
Right, let's start off with the looks. The Tiggo 8 Pro is big and beautiful. Although harder to keep clean, we prefer the colour black as it really brings out the brilliance in the exterior of the Tiggo 8 Pro.
Up front, you get a massive grille with a matrix pattern that's bejewelled with chrome. You get slim LED headlights with LED DRLs that look mean and smart at the same time. Underneath the headlights are where the air pass-through vents are housed. And these are functioning units, by the way, no fake vents here. The vents are split in half with a sharp slim cut-out for the LED fog lamps. Completing the look in the front is a robust skid plate finished in silver.
Over to the side, the Tiggo 8 Pro looks proportionate. You get that proper SUV silhouette with a high shoulder line and large windows. The profile of the Tiggo 8 Pro sports minimal creases, slim black cladding, and meaty front and rear overhangs. The car looks nice and hefty as it sits on 235/55 rubbers with a gorgeous pair of 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.
At the back, the Tiggo 8 Pro brings tastefully sporty styling. Starting from the top with the shark fin antenna, and the roof-mounted spoiler with integrated brake light, and then coming down to the LED taillights, tailgate structure, rear bumper, dual exhaust, and rear skid plate. It all bears similarities with the SUVs from Porsche's stable, the Cayenne and the Macan. This is a great thing, the rear of the Tiggo 8 Pro looks sweet and ready for action at all times.
Interiors
Inside, the Tiggo 8 Pro is plushhh (yes with 3 ‘h's). The first thing you notice is the luxurious tan leather quilted seats that look first-class. The driver seat comes with a six-way electric adjustment along with lumbar support and a memory function that is also integrated into the ORVMs. Finding the perfect driving spot is super easy.
The seats provide wrap-around thickened side bolsters that hug all the occupants around the hips and waist for greater comfort. The headrests also come with adjustable flaps you can rest your head on. It's similar to what you get to see in high-luxury cars. The third row, while comfortable only for kids is also plush with the occupants getting their own blower controls and cup holders.
The Tiggo 8 Pro is highly practical as well, with storage spaces dotted around the cabin including a cooled glove box and a large space under the front console that comes with an integrated wireless charging pad. The Tiggo 8 Pro brings a large boot as well. With an electric tailgate that opens and closes with a press of a button, you have a capacity of 210 litres when all 3 rows are up, 1179 Litres with the 3rd row folded, and 2100 litres when folding both the 3rd and 2nd rows; the Tiggo 8 Pro caters to all your luggage hauling needs easily.
Coming back to the driver's seat, you are greeted by 3 screens. The first screen is a fully digital 12.3-inch driver's instrument cluster that provides all the necessary information at a glance. The second is a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is smooth and responsive and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The third screen lies just below the infotainment system. It is a smaller capacitive screen that houses climate controls.
Apart from that you get a flat bottom steering wheel with mounted controls. And on the console that is finished in piano black, you get an expensive-looking gear shifter. We'd advise you to get all the piano black trim inside the cabin coated or wrapped as these are notoriously prone to stains and scratches. With all this luxury, our only gripe is that Chery should have given the Tiggo 8 pro a set of ventilated and heated seats at least for the front passenger and the driver. Finishing the interior is a large panoramic sunroof and multicolour ambient lighting.
Performance
Okay, let's get to driving. The Tiggo 8 Pro comes with a 1.6L 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine. It sounds small but wait till you hear how much power it makes: 195BHP at 5500rpms of max power and 290Nm of peak torque at 2000-4000rpms. And this power is delivered to the front wheels via a 7-speed Double Clutch transmission. Driving the Tiggo 8 Pro is sheer fun, the car picks up speed quickly but at a confident pace. Highway cruises and overtakes are buttery smooth.
Where the Tiggo 8 Pro truly shines are the handling and suspension. The Tiggo 8 Pro tackles corners with excitement, one turn of the steering wheel and the Tiggo 8 Pro will dart into the corner with precision and comes out of it brimming with power. The body roll on the Tiggo 8 Pro is surprisingly less, especially when taking its 7-seater size into consideration.
The sport mode further stiffens up the suspension and the steering wheel which creates more adrenaline-filled moments of fun in a car you'd normally perceive as a "take your kids to school" car. Take your foot off the gas and venture into the urban jungle and then you'll realize the suspension does an equally great job in ironing out all the bumps and potholes in the suburban roads. Another weapon helping you fight the roads and the traffic of the inner city is the array of sensors all around the car and the 360-degree camera that makes manoeuvring the city roads nothing but a light breeze.
Braking duties are carried out by discs on all four wheels and while we would have been happier if the Tiggo 8 Pro came with an AWD system, the large tires and a ground clearance of 196mm do a decent job overcoming any unanticipated off-road situations that the cities in Nepal are infamous for.
Safety is also where the Tiggo 8 Pro ranks high. Starting with Six airbags placed omnidirectionally for a guard ring around the cabin occupants to the basics with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, ESP, and all the way up to the top tier safety kit with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) that include door opening warning, integrated cruise assist, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and much more. Rest assured, the Tiggo 8 Pro is one of the safest cars around.
Verdict
The Tiggo 8 Pro comes in at a price tag of Rs. 1.05 crore. That's a hefty sum, but in our opinion, it’s worth it. For that price, you are getting a large spacious car that is beautiful on the outside and plush on the inside. It offers a dynamic drive that rivals even a segment above it and packs a bucket full of safety tech.
While the inclusion of heated & ventilated seats and an All-Wheel- Drive system would have hit the ball out of the park, the Tiggo 8 Pro still oozes value even at the price it is asking for. And just for that the Tiggo 8 Pro establishes itself as the proper Chery on top.
