By Otsile Kadiege

Chery South Africa is celebrating its first birthday in Mzansi since opening its doors as a wholly owned subsidiary of Chery in November 2021. Since then, the brand has welcomed more than 10 000 customers, became a top 10 best-selling brand and grown its network of dealers to over 70 facilities. Chery SA is celebrating this milestone with a new derivative of the brand’s flagship SUV dubbed the Tiggo 8 Pro Max.

One of the key highlights of the newcomer is its redesigned 2.0-litre TGDI turbo-petrol engine which makes 187 kW at 5 500 rpm and 390 Nm from 2 000 rpm to 4 000 rpm. The engine delivers its power to the front wheels through a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). Chery claims the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX accelerates to 100 km/h from standstill in just 7.3 seconds, while consuming as little as 7.0l/100 km in a combined usage cycle.

More standard specifications

Chery SA also adds even more specifications to the standard feature list. To start, the Max has all the features of the Tiggo 8 Pro Executive. This includes Adaptive Cruise Control, multi-colour Ambient Lighting, Chery Voice Control, a large panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, a 10,25 floating infotainment touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an additional 8-inch touch screen for the dual zone climate control and other vehicle features.

In the Tiggo 8 Pro Max, Chery has added privacy glass to the rear passenger compartment and upgraded the windscreen and front side windows to thicker sound dampening glass for an even more refined driving experience. It is worth noting that the Tiggo 8 Pro Executive will in future also feature privacy glass as standard. In addition to the upgraded glasshouse, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max has a black leather interior, as opposed to the dark tan coloured upholstery of the Executive model.

Other luxury and safety features that come standard on the Tiggo 8 Pro Max include electrically adjustable driver’s (6 way) and front passenger (4 way) seats, an 8 speaker Sony sound system and wireless mobile phone charging.

Lastly, the MAX has the full array of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that are also included as standard on the Executive model. This includes Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Adaptive Cruise Control with Emergency Braking Assistance, Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Monitoring.

Pricing and warranty

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max is available at dealerships across South Africa and is priced at R629,900. It also has a 7 year / 90 000 km service plan and the company’s unmatched 10 year / 1-million-kilometre mechanical warranty as standard.