The first test of the updated Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max

On September 30, sales of the updated crossover Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max started in Russia, and my colleagues and I went to the Moscow region that day to test the car in various conditions.

Let’s first look at the appearance of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max to understand what has changed with the facelift. So, in front you can see a slightly modified radiator grille, in which the manufacturer upgraded the “diamond” parts, making them a little larger. But if you are not the owner of a crossover from Chery, then you will not even pay attention to this element, but you will immediately notice the illuminated company logo at night, which, apparently, will now become a feature of all new models of the manufacturer. More changes have occurred at the rear of the crossover, here flaunts new optics, united by an active LED strip, which is now fashionable and in the spirit of the times. It is for this detail that it will be easiest to recognize the updated Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max on the road. In addition, the manufacturer has expanded the color gamut for the novelty, offering customers, for example, a new green color, which has already appeared in the Arrizo 8, and a pleasant gray tint, which was previously only available for models under the Exeed brand.

The manufacturer made more changes in the updated Tiggo 8 Pro Max to the interior of the crossover, completely redesigning the front panel, door cards and the central tunnel. These are not unique elements, but new design details that debuted with the new Chery Arrizo 8 sedan, and now they have come to the company’s crossovers. So, the front panel has become more complex in architecture and more modern, it has a neat decorative concave detail that imitates a wooden insert. The instrument panel box, which also integrates two 12.3-inch displays, is now curved to be more comfortable for the driver. The door panels received a new design and speaker trims on them in the style of Burmester acoustics in Mercedes-Benz. The central tunnel has become visually wider, with a convenient curtain in front, under which a wireless charging pad is hidden, and the automatic transmission lever is now low, with a comfortable grip, we previously saw it in Omoda cars. In general, with the updated interior design, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max began to look more interesting and, one might say, more premium, which will surely appeal to future buyers of the model. According to the materials, however, there are no special differences from its predecessor. Everything that is at eye level is made of soft plastic and sheathed with artificial leather, and everything that is below is made of high-quality, but already hard plastic.

You can sit comfortably behind the wheel of a crossover, however, the novelty has some minor flaws inherent in the current model, this is a short seat cushion without a lift in its front part, and the steering wheel adjustment for reach is still a little lacking. Otherwise, everything is very good, the seats are comfortable, with the right profile and sufficient lateral support, they are equipped with a full range of electric adjustments and position memory for the driver. The new shape of the front panel makes it more comfortable to work with data on both displays, however, on a sunny day, a lot of glare and reflections appear on the tidy. If they bother you a lot, then on the same Aliexpress you can order a matte anti-glare film on the screen, which will help you cope with this drawback. In general, in the updated Tiggo 8 Pro Max you can live like this, since a high-quality projection display has appeared here, the information from which is well read in any light.

Another significant element of the updated model was the front passenger seat, which was equipped with an electrically adjustable ottoman and a back massage function. At the same time, the driver does not have a massage, the Chinese manufacturer believes that this option is useless to him and will distract him from the road. But the front passenger in the new Tiggo 8 Pro Max will feel like a king. He moved as far back as possible, leaned back, raised the ottoman, turned on the massage, and let the whole world wait.

The second row of seats in the crossover is still as spacious as in the previous model, unless you use the third row of seats. On the second row, you can change the backrest tilt, you can fold the central armrest, but climate control has not appeared here, only two air ducts are still available with the ability to adjust the direction of air flow. But a separate air conditioning unit has become available for the third row of seats, although the latter is more suitable for children or short adults. The opening for access to the gallery opens relatively small, and the unfolded seats there eat up almost all the usable trunk space, leaving only 193 liters for luggage. The luggage compartment door is traditionally electrically operated and can be opened without contact.

Of the innovations of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max, it is worth noting that a set of 9 airbags has appeared: front driver and passenger, side for the first and second rows, curtain airbags and a knee airbag for the driver. The Chery Connect telematics system has become available, with which you can access the car from anywhere in the world from your smartphone. In addition, this system can be expanded with an anti-theft complex, but this is already for some money.

The updated Tiggo 8 Pro Max received the same 2.0 TGDI turbocharged petrol engine with 197 hp. and a maximum torque of 375 Nm in the range of 2000–3500 rpm, the same as its predecessor. The engine is also mated to a seven-speed DCT7 automatic transmission with two wet clutches. Such a car can accelerate to 100 km / h in 8.4 seconds.

They say that the software settings have undergone changes, so now the engine-box connection works more smoothly. As for me, the car didn’t change its character much, with a uniform smooth movement there are no complaints about it, with a sharp acceleration, the box still thinks longer than we would like, and the car “shoots” only after a short pause. The downhill assistant intervenes a little too late at the exit and allows the crossover to accelerate too much. But on the other hand, there are no questions about the brakes, they work perfectly, and on a straight line they slow down the car just like a Mercedes, delicately, but effectively.

The off-road qualities of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max are, in general, not bad, the ground clearance is 190 mm, and in the settings there are several driving modes at once, including 4 × 4, however, everything here is controlled by electronics. There is now a 540 ° camera in the car, in addition to the all-round view, the option of the so-called “transparent hood” has been added here, thanks to which you can see what is happening under your bottom. That is, if without fanaticism, it is quite possible to drive a crossover off the asphalt and not be afraid of snowy roads in winter. The suspension has not changed, it also copes well with small and medium bumps, but does not like ledges and potholes with sharp edges, shaking a lot when hitting them. Noise isolation is not bad, for the most part the cabin is quiet enough, so that even on the highway you can talk to passengers without raising your voice.

The updated Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max appeared in Russia in two rather rich trim levels: Dreamline and Ultimate. Differences — available in the top configuration projection, adaptive cruise control with assistance systems, 10 speakers (against 8) and a comfortable front passenger seat. The price of the first configuration is 4,459,900 rubles, and the second — 4,650,900 rubles. If you take advantage of all the manufacturer’s marketing promotions, you can save 590,000 rubles when buying. The previous version of Tiggo 8 Pro Max is also still on sale, it is also available in two trim levels, and the price is 4,080,900 rubles and 4,380,900 rubles, respectively.