By Sibusiso Mkhwanazi

Spot test: what brand do you associate with the words “PRO MAX”? Bonus points if you said Chery, and after school detention for you if you thought of your favourite electronics brand.

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max AWD is schooling its more expensive, 7-seater rivals in terms of value, standard features and striking looks.

For R731,900, the all-wheel-drive stunner deserves a distinction for affordability, as it boasts a 24.5″ ultra curved dual screen, 8-speaker Sony sound system, ventilated and heated front seats, as well as hand-stitched leather upholstery.

This valedictorian of an SUV has the memo when it comes to safety, offering 9 airbags and up to 15 driver assistant systems. Naturally, this prefect excels at pure maths: 2.0L petrol turbo engine + 187kw of power + 390Nm of torque = efficiency and responsiveness.

This is the time of the year when Grade 12 and other students sit for year-end exams, and this is also the case for this overachieving SUV.  Oddly enough, it gets both an A+ and C-minus at the same time, thanks to the use and overuse of technology.

You get an array of driver assist features, which at first sound like a great idea, until there are endless and overwhelming beeps and lights as you drive. It is as if the manufacturer is adamant to have a feature for every letter of the alphabet, as ABS, EBD, ESP, TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring), PDC (Park Distance Control – front and rear), FCW (Forward Collision Warning), RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) are just some of the seemingly endless safety offerings.

Thankfully, after-school intervention means almost all the assist features can be switched off, and this is when the star student shines. Fully loaded with seven passengers and luggage filling up the 1179 litres of boot space, it is real treat to drive and be a passenger prince/princess in.

At prizegiving, you will not be able to resist shouting the student’s izithakazelo, thanks to unique features like a sound-insulating windscreen, rear privacy glass, air quality sensor and a fragrance system with three scents. Halala wena Chery yethu sonke!

Year-end report card:

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max AWD is luxury and opulence epitomised, but some of its safety features ironically end up being a dangerous distraction. One of these is the Traffic Sign Recognition, which is a 50-50 chance of success with some of Joburg’s worn out traffic signs. Of course, this then means the car emits slightly annoying visual or audible cues. No wonder this pupil’s blazer is filled with scrolls, badges, awards and other accolades. It deserves all the praise it can get.