Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max offers seven seats and hot-hatch performance

Chery made an impressive return to the South African market in 2021 and the model offerings since then have not disappointed – and the buyers agree.

by Réhann Coetzee | Mar 6, 2026 | 0 comments

In the 2025 calendar year, Chery sold 25 304 new cars, placing it in eighth spot behind Isuzu and in front of Kia and Mahindra. But if you add the sales of its Omoda and Jaecoo siblings, it puts the Chery family in fourth place behind the Volkswagen group and in front of Hyundai.

These sales are telling a story of the influence the Chinese car makers are having on the South African market. And, after sampling the Chery Tiggo8 Max Pro, it is clear why.

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Drivetrain

Initially launched with a 1,6-litre turbo-charged petrol engine, the Tiggo8 got a 2-litre turbo-charged petrol engine in December 2022 – referred to as the 2.0 TGDI. And while the 1,6 was no slouch, the 2-litre delivers 187kW and 390Nm. And you can feel it when you show a little enthusiasm with the throttle. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox changes gears smoothly and quickly, making a trip to the shops for bread and milk a surprisingly quick one.

Acceleration to 100km/h from standstill happens in a claimed 7,3 seconds, while fuel consumption could be as frugal as 8,7l/100km in the combined cycle. After driving the car for a while, I have no reason to doubt these claims. But I can assure you that it will not be easy to drive economically, because the 2-litre engine tempts you to keep your foot down for longer than necessary. And, believe me, it is a very satisfactory temptation to give in too.

According to Chery, “at the heart of the new 2.0 TGDI’s impressive performance and fuel consumption is a second-generation i-HEC combustion system that uses ultra-low friction technology, intelligent thermal management, and a new dual variable-valve timing system to offer speed, power and refinement at the lowest possible fuel consumption”.

Furthermore, “the engine has a redesigned turbo charger with a small-diameter turbine and new fully floating bearing technology to offer a 22% better response time than similar turbo chargers”.

The all-wheel-drive system not only makes road-holding safer but also inspires confidence.

Luxury and safety

The Tiggo8 is a seven-seater with all the comfort and luxury features we have come to expect from top-of-the range German cars.

This includes adaptive cruise control, multi-colour ambient lighting, voice control, a large panoramic sunroof, a 12,3-inch digital instrument cluster as well as a 12,3-inch centre console with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and other functions such as the dual-zone climate control and other vehicle features.

Privacy glass to the rear passenger compartment and an upgrade to the windscreen and front side windows to thicker sound dampening glass make for what Chery calls “an even more refined driving experience”.

In addition to the upgraded glass, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max has a leather interior.

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Other luxury and safety features that come standard on the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX include electrically adjustable driver’s (six-way) and front passenger (4-wayway) seats, an eight-speaker Sony sound system and wireless mobile phone charging.

It also has the full array of 15 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), including forward-collision warning, traffic-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with emergency-braking assistance, lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring.

Cameras offering a 360-degree view of the immediate area around the car, nine airbags and a dashcam round out the safety features of the Tiggo 8.

Like all the models in the Chery family, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max has a seven-year / 90 000km service plan and a market-leading 10-year / one-million-kilometre mechanical warranty.