2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Review

Chery has just released their Tiggo 8 Pro Max into Australia, marking it as one of the cheapest new 7-seat SUVs you can buy.

Like me, you might look at the Tiggo 8 Pro Max – which is based on the same underpinnings as the smaller 5-seat Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – and wonder if it’s just the same SUV but with a third row added?

The answer (spoiler alert) is no, it’s not the same.

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max drives remarkebly different from the Tiggo 7 Pro, and despite its small increase in price, it’s a compelling argument to spend a little bit more to get quite a lot extra.

So, let’s review it!

How much does the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max cost?

In terms of pricing, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max is not the cheapest on the market… but it’s not far off.

Starting at $41,990 driveaway, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Urban front-wheel drive comes generously equipped, including heated and cooled seats and 18” alloy wheels.

The Max Elite variant is priced at  $43,990 and adds some niceties including a powered tailgate, built-in dashcam and third row air-conditioning plumbing.

Step up to the Ultimate All-Wheel Drive, and as the name suggests, you gain all-wheel drive with upgraded Cooper tyres, a 10-speaker Sony sound-system, a panoramic sunroof; and even a 3-scent fragrance system.

For perspective, a maxed out Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Ultimate AWD is $45,990, meaning the delta for more seats and practicality, features and a more powerful engine is only $2,000.

There’s no doubt that pricing overall is very sharp.

2024 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Pricing:

• Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Urban (FWD) - $41,990
• Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Elite (FWD) - $43,990
• Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max Ultimate (AWD) - $47,990

Note: Price is drive-away and $AUD.

What’s the interior like of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

Step inside the Tiggo 8 Pro Max and it’s easy to be wowed by the sheer volume of tech inside.

The centrepiece(s) are two dual 12.3” displays on curved glass. The infotainment screen provides wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (with in-built navigation.

Up in front of the driver is the other display, which has plenty of menus and information; including a full-page navigation screen.

There are some weird quirks particularly with translation, including the three different screen themes: Classic, Fashion and… Streamer.

The screens themselves are nice enough, with good graphics and colour accuracy, however some lag is noticeable particularly on the instrument display. But really, I’m nitpicking here.

The air-conditioning controls are also visible underneath the infotainment display, though can be a little finicky at times to adjust when on the move as their on a texture less panel.

Zooming out, the materials of the cabin are far nicer than the budget price tag would suggest. Soft touch leatherette and other plastics can be found across most surfaces, with customisable ambient lighting covering most of the panels.

Even the quality of the faux leather seats is great, with plenty of support and adjustment for the driver in particular.

The steering wheel Is a nice leather unit, with plenty of buttons meaning you never really have to take your hands off the wheel.

In terms of storage, you get two cupholders up front with a large centre armrest bin that includes some air-conditioning ducting to keep drinks cool within it.

The glovebox is a rather large size too, with another big open storage are underneath the centre console. That’s also where you’ll find dual USB ports and a 12v socket.

If you would rather a wireless charger, that can be found underneath a hidey-hole up front.

In the Ultimate AWD spec which I spent most of my time driving on the launch program, I was rather taken aback by the size of the panoramic sunroof. When fully extended, you could almost argue the Tiggo 8 Pro Max becomes a convertible.

Another thing noted was the quietness within the cabin. The Tiggo 8 Pro Max comes with acoustic treated glass, which helps to reduce noises of the outside world rather significantly.

Overall, the interior of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max is a very nice place to be; and other than some translation quirks, it stacks up as a solid, polished interior.

What about back seats?

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max’s back seats provide ample room for my frame at 5’11”, with heaps of head-, toe- and leg-room.

Interestingly, the headrests of the 2nd row in particular are far more luxury than I would have expected with a moulded head-rest style similar to what you’d find in a mid-2000’s BMW 7 Series.

Amentities are good, with a couple of air vents, two more USB ports and a phone storage area.

There’s also a fold down centre-armrest, with two more cupholders for rear passengers.

The third row is not the greatest, however.

Climbing into the back is easy enough, however with the 2nd row in their normal position, there isn’t enough space for me as an adult male.

However, if you can get the second row to compromise by sliding their seats forward (which is also useful for creating more boot space, then I can just about fit behind the seats with enough leg-room, head-room and a small amount of toe room.

Third row passengers also benefit from the airconditioning being plumbed through to the rear on all specs but the base, and also get a couple more cupholders as standard.

What is boot space like for the Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

For a relatively compact 7 seater, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max get’s a decent amount of boot space.

With all three rows up, you get 117L of boot space. Drop the third row, and you’ll receive 479L of boot space.

If you then fold the second row of seats, you can expect well into the 1000+ litres of boot space, though Chery don’t claim a certain volume here.

What’s under the bonnet of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

Believe it or not, Pro Max stands for something with the Tiggo 8.

It refers to the 2.0L four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that powers the Tiggo 8 in Australia, and exclusively so. Chery says it has no plans to bring the smaller 1.6L turbo-petrol engine sold in some markets overseas and available locally in the Tiggo 7 Pro.

It outputs a decent amount, with 180kW of power and 375Nm of torque.

Power is sent through a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission to a Borg-Warner sourced front-wheel drive biased all-wheel drive system in the Ultimate, while the other two lower variants are front-wheel drive only.

Front wheel drive Tiggo 8 Pro Max’s have a claimed fuel economy of 8.1L/100km, while the AWD ups that a little to 8.8L/100km.

How does the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max drive?

Most remarkable to me was how different the Tiggo 8 Pro Max drives versus the Tiggo 7 Pro.

Whereas the Tiggo 7 Pro has a rather wafty suspension tune, making it great for long, flat country roads and around town driving, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max has a more ‘euro’ feel.

It’s a little bit firmer, but in a good way, and strikes a balance of comfort and driving dynamics often seen in far more expensive European competitors.

Similarly, the engine is remarkably more powerful and torque-y than the Tiggo 7 Pro’s 1.6L turbo petrol.

In fact, we timed the 0-100km/h sprint in the Ultimate AWD at just 6.95 seconds, which is proper hot-hatch territory… but for a 7 seat SUV!

Paired with the 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, there is definitely some dual-clutch quirks. At low speeds, the transmission can feel a little clunky – almost as if the engine is quite responding well to throttle inputs.

However, out on country roads and higher speeds, the transmission shifts are quick and imperceptible, and versus the CVT transmissions often found in competitors at this price point, I’d much rather the dual-clutch.

Where the Tiggo 8 Pro Max falls behind the smaller Tiggo 7 Pro is the handling. It just feels a little vague, and even when switching to Sport mode where the steering wheel sharpens up, the steering always has a sort of lightness to it that feels disconnected from what the front end is actually doing.

The flipside being of course that this translates to very easy navigation in urban environments, though with a euro suspension feel I would have loved a euro steering feel too.

The other downside - though this is not just a Chery problem - is the intrusive driver monitoring system. It beeps, it bongs – and apparently, it is sunglasses-phobic. If you wear polarised sunglasses, it can really struggle to accurately track your eyes.

Thankfully you can turn it off relatively easily, but it defaults to on every time.

Chery claims it has 17 other active driver features, and that they have spent a lot of time locally tuning the adaptive cruise control and lane centering features.

And you can tell, with the steering wheel no longer prone to jerking abruptly, and confidently steering you down the lane should you want that.

Of course, you can turn it off if you don’t.

Overall, the driving experience of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max – especially when you consider it’s attractive price point – is rather impressive, though could do with some iterative refinements.

Is the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max safe?

Did you know that Chery have the largest dedicated crash testing facility in China? Or that they crash about 5 cars every day for testing in these facilities?

It should be no surprise to you then that the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max has just received a 5-Star ANCAP safety rating.

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max comes with a comprehensive suite of standard safety systems, including:

• 360-degree camera system
• Front and Rear parking sensors
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Lane Centering Assist
• Adaptive Cruiser Control
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Autonomous Emergency Braking
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Door Exit Warning
• 10 Airbags – 2x front, 2x front-side, 2x rear-side, 2x side curtain, 1x driver knee, 1x front-centre

What do you get with the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

Standard Features Across All Variants:

• 2.0^-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine
• 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission
• 18-inch alloy wheels (Urban and Elite) / 19-inch alloy wheels (Ultimate)
• LED headlights and tail lights
• Dual 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• Voice assistant
• Wireless phone charger
• Ambient lighting
• 8-speaker Sony sound system (Urban and Elite) / 10-speaker Sony sound system (Ultimate)
• Black leatherette upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Three drive modes
• Air quality management system

Additional Features for Elite Variant:

• Power tailgate
• Heated exterior mirrors
• Built-in dashcam
• Third-row air vents with fan speed control
• Illuminated door sills with Tiggo lettering
• Retractable cargo blind

Exclusive Features for Ultimate AWD Variant:

• All-wheel drive
• Fragrance system
• Puddle lamps
• Panoramic sunroof
• Privacy glass
• Optional brown interior

How much does it cost to run the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max is covered by a 7-year unlimited kilometer warranty, with 7 years of included road-side assist and 7-years capped price servicing.

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max requires servicing every 15,000 kilometers or every 12 months, whichever comes first.

• Service Interval: 15,000 kms / 12 months
  • Price (Urban / Elite 2WD): $280.00
  • Price (Ultimate AWD): $280.00
• Service Interval: 30,000 kms / 24 months
  • Price (Urban / Elite 2WD): $280.00
  • Price (Ultimate AWD): $280.00
• Service Interval: 45,000 kms / 36 months
  • Price (Urban / Elite 2WD): $280.00
  • Price (Ultimate AWD): $280.00
• Service Interval: 60,000 kms / 48 months
  • Price (Urban / Elite 2WD): $280.00
  • Price (Ultimate AWD): $280.00
• Service Interval: 75,000 kms / 60 months
  • Price (Urban / Elite 2WD): $280.00
  • Price (Ultimate AWD): $280.00
• Service Interval: 90,000 kms / 72 months
  • Price (Urban / Elite 2WD): $465.60
  • Price (Ultimate AWD): $614.07
• Service Interval: 105,000 kms / 84 months
  • Price (Urban / Elite 2WD): $295.09
  • Price (Ultimate AWD): $295.09

Final thoughts - should you buy a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max?

For those wanting a 7-seat SUV, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max provides a comprehensive package at a good price.

The interior is an almost luxurious place to spend time, with plenty of practicality and tech.

The driving experience is solid, with a punchy engine that’s also quite fuel efficient for such a large vehicle.

And with a 7-year warranty and relative low cost of entry, it’s easy to see the appeal for most families.

Are you looking to buy a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max, we can help! We have over 2000 dealers who we pit-against each other to get you the best price and cars that are actually in stock. Best of all, it’s free for you! We charge the dealer a fixed fee, ensuring we always find the best price for you. Head to CarSauce.com/Buy to learn more.