WITH FUEL increase on the rise from this Wednesday, one thing that quickly sprung to my mind is the extent the brand new Chery Tiggo8 Pro range, consumes way too much fuel.
Upon delivery for a test, it had one bar already chowed by petrol. Yes, being an SUV may would have preferred diesel, alas not.
But, kudos to the Chinese company Chery, it has the looks and its boldness makes you think twice as it passes those other German’s made.
It comes in both Distinctive and Executive, and I tested the latter and what a pleasure my Gran had as we negotiated our way to ‘her other home’ in the North West province.
Before we could share the details on the exterior, let me introduce you to the standard six airbags, traction control, roll stability control, ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist and ISOFIX child seat anchors.
Yes, that’s the interior part that also boast other key features namely rear park distance control plus a rear-view camera with dynamic guides and a 360-degree parking view, auto-locking on the drive, remote car locking and automatic window closing, tyre pressure monitoring, hill assist and downhill ascent control, an anti-theft alarm and keyless entry with a push-button start as standard.
That’s not the end, as it complements its bold look with range topping standard safety features such as Lane Departure Warning, Automatic Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent High-beam Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Front Collision Warning, an emergency Brake Override System and a Door Open Warning and Prevention system.
As I had to adjust my drivers electronic seat time and again, I could not help but wonder on this 7-seater’s latest hard-wearing materials, great quality cabin appointments as well as a digitized cabin, a 12.3-inch high-res instrument panel and a secondary 8-inch wide climate system.
So, is a fully-automatic, dual-zone climate control with N95-grade air purifying as standard, a third air conditioning system for the rear seats; a 10.25-inch high-definition floating multimedia display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone pairing.
The Sony speakers system features two USB ports and sound system with 8 surround speakers as standard. Aha, so is the Executive model that comes with a panoramic sunroof- that at times irked my Gran, to the extent she yelled “why do you always open that roof- are you showing off”?
The price of rolling with our elders- they will humble you!
The exterior of Tiggo8 Pro ‘Movement Design’ comes in the form of a 3D front grille inspired by the stars in the galaxies.
It is complemented by two fully automatic headlights with dual daytime running lights that are standard across the entire range.
Other unique design elements include satin chrome finishes across the lower air intake, which double as a strike plate, the fog lamps, grille, windows and lower door section.
The rear is accentuated by LED rear lights with dual fog lights and a high-mounted central stoplight and 18-inch alloy wheels in chrome and black design.
So, the trip was pleasant for the ‘ou lady’ as she owned the entire back-seat, loving the comfort and the subtle drive- thanks to the pouring rain that made yours truly to be very observant for the disgusting pot-holes, wells, swimming pools or whatever superlative to describe the poor state of infrastructure in that province.
I used the Standard mode drive- though it also boast Eco and Sport, respectively.
The Tiggo, 8 Pro beats a 1.6-litre TGDI petrol engine with 145 kW and 290 Nm which is mated to a 7-speed DCT transmission that drives the front wheels.
A torque steer seemed a bit problematic but when pulling away and once the SUV gets going, that dies down further making others to ‘eat its dust’ as happened on a gravel road from a funeral of one of our senior members of our church. Head-turner and a ‘cherrie’
It is backed up by a comprehensive 10-year / 1-million-kilometre engine warranty.
Only the original owner is afforded this warranty and it is not transferrable.
A 5-year / 150 000 km general warranty that is linked to the vehicle as standard, as is a 5-year comprehensive roadside assistance plan.
Chery will also offer customers a comprehensive 5-year / 60 000 km service plan as standard with its flagship Tiggo 8 Pro.
It retails from Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Distinctive R496,900 to Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Executive R546,900
Verdict
Performance 1-10 (8)
Fuel 1-10 (5)
Image SLM ( The Tiggo8 Pro a real ‘dust eater’’).
