2026 Chery Tiggo 8 Review

As competition in Malaysia's D-Segment SUV market intensifies, more and more family users are inclined to choose models that offer practical space, comprehensive configurations, and reliable power. The 2026 Chery Tiggo 8, as a new contender in this segment, directly showcases its core selling points of "standard 9 airbags + intelligent safety system" and "electric seats for both front and rear rows," which is uncommon in models of the same price range. The main purpose of this test drive is to verify whether its configurations are truly practical, whether its power and fuel consumption are balanced, and whether the actual driving and ride experience can meet the daily needs of family users.

Approaching the 2026 Tiggo 8, its overall appearance leans towards a steady, family-oriented style without overly aggressive designs. The front features a large grille filled with multiple horizontal chrome strips, paired with sharp LED headlights on both sides, resulting in decent recognizability. The car's side profile displays smooth lines, with a waistline extending from the front fender to the rear, enhancing its three-dimensional feel. The combination of 18-inch multi-spoke wheels and 235/55 R18 tires visually matches the car’s proportions just right. At the rear, the main design highlight is the full-width taillight set, which enhances nighttime recognizability when lit. A chrome trim below adds a touch of refinement. The overall exterior design avoids excessive flashy elements, aligning with the family SUV positioning.

Opening the door, the interior features a dark color scheme, with the dashboard wrapped in soft materials that feel rather refined to the touch. A 10.25-inch touchscreen is centrally located with a simple interface layout, offering relatively smooth operation and paired with an 8-speaker SONY audio system that delivers adequate sound quality for daily music listening. A HUD head-up display is standard, projecting information like speed and navigation directly, thus reducing the frequency of looking down at the instrument cluster while driving. Surprisingly, both the front and rear seats are equipped with electric adjustment functions, which is uncommon in models of the same class. The front seats also support lumbar adjustment, ensuring comfort during long trips. In terms of space, the car's dimensions are 4722mm (length), 1860mm (width), and 1705mm (height), with a wheelbase of 2710mm. After adjusting the front seats to a suitable position, the rear legroom still provides about two fists of space; a passenger 175cm tall sitting in the back won't feel cramped. The trunk offers a standard capacity of 193L, which isn't very large. However, folding down the rear seats extends the space significantly, which is sufficient for daily cargo needs. Additionally, the rear row is equipped with air conditioning vents and a 220V power outlet, enhancing practicality.

For power, the car is equipped with a 1.6L naturally aspirated engine delivering a maximum power output of 145kW (197PS) and a maximum torque of 290N·m, paired with a 7-speed DCT gearbox. The power response during start is brisk, with noticeable thrust upon slight accelerator input, making urban driving or starting from a halt effortless. Switching to Sport mode makes the gearshift logic more aggressive, with quicker downshifts and a stronger sense of acceleration, suitable for high-speed overtaking scenarios. However, there may be slight shift jerks during low-speed crawling, slightly impacting smoothness. The chassis adopts a front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension setup, tuned towards comfort. When driving over speed bumps or uneven roads, the suspension effectively absorbs most of the vibrations, ensuring passengers inside the car do not feel significant bumps. During cornering, body roll is relatively well-controlled, and the steering wheel's effort feels balanced with decent precision, making the overall handling level rank above average among SUVs.

In terms of fuel consumption, the official combined fuel consumption is 7.2L/100km. This test drive was mainly on urban roads, with occasional highway segments, and the actual measured fuel consumption was around 8.1L/100km. Considering the vehicle's weight of 1590kg, this result is within the normal range for vehicles of the same class. As for noise control, at speeds below 60km/h, the cabin is relatively quiet, with minimal tire and wind noise; when the speed exceeds 80km/h, wind noise gradually increases but remains within an acceptable range and does not interfere with normal conversation among passengers inside the cabin. Regarding safety features, 9 airbags, active braking, and lane departure warning are all standard configurations. During the test drive, the active braking function was tested, and the system was able to promptly warn and intervene with braking when detecting an obstacle ahead, showing a fairly responsive reaction speed, which adds a layer of security to daily driving.

Overall, the primary advantage of the 2026 Chery Tiggo 8 lies in its comprehensive configurations, especially features like front and rear power seats, HUD head-up display, and 9 airbags, which make it highly competitive among D-segment SUVs in the same price range (RM 129,800). The power performance meets the needs of daily family use, and the fuel consumption is within an acceptable range. The practicality of space just matches the demands of family users. However, low-speed gear shift jerks and the relatively small conventional trunk capacity are areas for improvement. Compared to competitors such as the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 in the same class, the Tiggo 8 stands out with its configuration advantage and more affordable price, making it suitable for families that value cost-effectiveness and rich features. If you're looking for an SUV with adequate space, comprehensive configurations, and the ability to meet the needs of daily commuting and family outings, the 2026 Chery Tiggo 8 is worth considering.