2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Upcoming Version Review

In recent years, the mid-sized SUV market in Malaysia has continued to heat up, with consumers showing a significant increase in demand for 7-seat vehicles with spacious interiors and high configurations. As a new competitor in this segment, Chery's Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Upcoming Version has drawn much attention with its advanced features revealed during the pre-sale phase and its anticipated affordable pricing. This test drive focuses on the vehicle's spatial practicality, powertrain compatibility, and performance of intelligent features, aiming to evaluate whether it meets the expectation of family users for a "balanced all-rounder" vehicle.

The exterior design adopts the family's "Peak Aesthetics Design" language, with an overall style leaning towards grandeur and stability. The front features a large hexagonal grille decorated with dot-matrix chrome strips, and the LED headlight groups on either side are connected to the grille via a horizontal chrome strip, enhancing the horizontal visual width. The headlamp units integrate dynamic turn signal functionality, providing high recognizability when illuminated. The body side has smooth lines, with a waistline running from the fender to the taillights, paired with 19-inch multi-spoke aluminum alloy wheels to enhance the sporty feel. The floating roof design and the "PRO" badge on the C-pillar emphasize the model's exclusivity. At the rear, the full-width LED taillights echo the front-end design, and the dual-sided exhaust layout with chrome trim is consistent with the positioning of a mid-sized SUV.

The interior features an enveloping cockpit design with a clean and organized layout. Areas such as the top of the dashboard and the interior of the door panels are covered in soft-touch materials, complemented by metal accents and piano lacquer-finish panels, providing a sense of premium quality superior to competitors in the same price range. The 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel and 12.3-inch central control screen form a dual-screen system, offering high display resolution and smooth operation. The system supports CarPlay/CarLife smartphone connectivity, voice control (recognizes both Chinese and English commands), and online navigation functionalities. The air conditioning control area retains physical buttons, while the rotary gear shift lever saves space. Other features include an electronic parking brake, automatic parking, and wireless charging. The seats are wrapped in leather, with the front seats supporting electric adjustment and heating. The second-row seats can slide forward and backward and have adjustable backrest angles. The third-row seats are suitable for short trips for passengers under 1.7 meters tall. The trunk has a standard volume of 193L, which can be expanded to 889L by folding down the third-row seats, meeting the cargo needs of families.

The vehicle has dimensions of 4722mm × 1860mm × 1745mm, with a wheelbase of 2710mm, offering a seating space that meets the standards of mid-sized SUVs. The headroom in the front-row driver's seat is approximately one fist and two fingers (based on the experience of a 1.8-meter-tall tester), while the second-row legroom can reach up to two fists, with one fist worth of headroom. In the third row, when the second-row seats are adjusted to the frontmost position, the legroom has about three fingers of clearance, and the headroom is about two fingers. Storage spaces are abundant: the central armrest box in the front row has a large capacity; door panel storage slots can accommodate bottles and small items; the second-row central armrest is equipped with cup holders; and storage compartments and cup holders are also set on both sides of the third row. The car's air conditioning system supports zone control, and the rear seats are equipped with independent air vents and USB charging ports to enhance the comfort of rear passengers.

In terms of power, the vehicle is equipped with a 1.6T turbocharged engine, delivering a maximum horsepower of 197 and a peak torque of 290 Nm, paired with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. The vehicle offers three driving modes: Eco, Standard, and Sport. In Eco mode, throttle response is smooth, suitable for congested city traffic. Standard mode delivers balanced power with brisk starts and linear acceleration. In Sport mode, the transmission shifts down more proactively, and throttle sensitivity increases. The 0-100km/h acceleration time is approximately 9.5 seconds, with adequate power reserves for overtaking.

The chassis adopts a combination of front MacPherson independent suspension + rear multi-link independent suspension, with overall tuning leaning towards comfort. When passing speed bumps or bumpy roads, the suspension effectively filters out vibrations, keeping the vehicle stable; during high-speed cornering, body roll is well-controlled, the steering wheel has moderate effort and precise direction, delivering a lightweight driving feel. While driving on urban roads, the chassis effectively filters fine vibrations, ensuring good in-cabin comfort.

The fuel economy meets expectations. In this test drive covering about 150km (60% urban roads, 40% highways), the average fuel consumption was approximately 8.2L/100km, which differs from the official composite fuel consumption of 7.0L/100km, mainly affected by driving habits and road conditions. The braking system performs steadily, with a 100km/h-0 braking distance of about 38 meters, in line with the level of models in the same class.

The noise control inside the car is excellent. At high speeds (120km/h), wind and tire noise are well suppressed, not significantly affecting conversations. The seat wrapping is moderate, making it not easy to feel fatigued during long rides; the suspension adequately filters out bumps, offering high driving and riding comfort. The gearbox occasionally has slight jerks during low-speed gear shifts, but this does not affect daily driving experiences.

Overall, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Upcoming Version performs well in space, configuration, and power. Compared to same-priced competitors such as Proton X70 and Geely Haoyue, it offers advantages in features like the dual-screen system and L2-level driving assistance (pre-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance), and its 7-seat configuration caters better to the needs of larger families. If the final pricing falls within the range of 130,000-160,000 Ringgit, it will offer high cost-performance.

This model is suitable for family users who value practicality in space and richness in configurations, especially those requiring a 7-seat vehicle for multi-person travel while having certain demands for intelligent features. Its power performance meets daily family use, and the chassis offers good comfort, placing its overall product strength in the mid-to-upper level among models in the same price range.

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Upcoming Version stands out in the mid-size 7-seat SUV market with its outstanding smart features, flexible space layout, and stable power performance. If it enters the market at a competitive price, it is likely to attract families looking for a "high-cost-performance all-round vehicle." Its comprehensive performance is worth anticipating.