Battery size: 18.4 kWh
Max charge rate: 40 kW
WLTP range: 56 miles
Introduction
Right, I imagine you might know who Chery is, by now. But just in case – Chery is a huge Chinese manufacturer, and the parent company to Jaecoo, Omoda and Lepas. Now, it’s brought Chery-branded cars to the UK as well, as a more budget offering below those other, posher brands.
And while it’s only been selling cars in the UK for a short while, it’s still saying something that this Chery Tiggo 8 could be its most convincing product yet. This 4.75 metre, seven-seat SUV comes as standard with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain known as the Chery Super Hybrid (CSH). Sadly, there’s no pure electric version, so if you want an electric seven-seater at this sort of price, do have a look at a used Peugeot E-5008 or Mercedes EQB - both of which are great seven-seat EVs and very available on our used car pages!
Back to the Chery Tiggo 8 CSH, though, which gets an official electric range of up to 56 miles - enough to cover most daily runs without waking up the 1.5-litre petrol engine.
Its closest rivals include the MG S9 and Peugeot 5008 plug-in hybrids, or you could also look towards the Chery Tiggo 9 CSH… The Tiggo 9 is a slightly larger (at 4.81m long) and more luxurious seven-seat SUV with a longer 91-mile electric range, and while list prices are some £10k higher, in reality the monthly finance deals and dealer discounts can bring it the price in much closer to the Tiggo 8, so they’re closer rivals than you might initially think.
Range, battery and charging
The Tiggo 8 CSH gets an 18.4kWh LFP battery for an official electric range of 56 miles – or real-world range will be closer to 40 miles depending on conditions. That's enough to cover most routine daily journeys without needing the petrol engine, but do have a think about how easily you can charge, as plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) only really make sense provided you can plug-in regularly and use the electric running for most of your shorter journeys. If you run it without charging, you’re just lugging around a big battery pack for very little reason! Provided you can plug in regularly and run mostly on electric power, a PHEV can save you a lot of money on fuel.
Another pleasant surprise in the Tiggo 8 CSH PHEV is the charging speed. While many plug-in hybrids only accept slow DC charging, the Tiggo 8 supports DC rapid charging at up to 40kW. That allows a 30- to 80 per cent recharge in roughly 20 minutes, making it much easier to top up while you're shopping or grabbing a coffee. Most will still rely on a charger at home or the office, though, and a full charge from a 7kW charger will still be done in around three- to four hours.
Practicality and boot space
There’s no shortage of space in the front of the Chery Tiggo 8. Even six-footers will have loads of room, and there are plenty of cubbies to stow your gubbins. The door bins will swallow a big bottle, and there are two cupholders, two phone trays including one with a wireless charger, and even a refrigerated cubby beneath the armrest.
Things are equally generous in the middle row. Head room is good even for tall adults, but it’s the leg room that really stands out. Slide the 60/40-split rear bench all the way back and there’s masses of legroom, and three kids can fit across the bench without too much elbow-clashing, as well.
Those sliding seats also let you juggle passenger and luggage space, which is handy because things are more compromised in row three. Adults will find head and legroom tight even with the middle row slid forwards, so the back seats are best left to children. If you do need more space in the third row, check out the Chery Tiggo 9, which is much the same as the 8 but a bit bigger and plusher, or the Peugeot 5008 or MGS9 hybrids also have better third-row accommodation than the Tiggo 8.
Parents should also note that there are only two Isofix mounting points, which is a bit disappointing in a family car like this. I’d have hoped for three, at least, which is what you get with the Peugeot 5008 PHEV.
Boot space isn’t a Tiggo 8 strong point, either. The PHEV has just 117 litres with all seven seats raised, although some additional storage lurks beneath the floor. Fold the third row and capacity rises to 494 litres, but that’s still behind most rivals. On the plus side, the middle seats fold flat, and you can even fold the front passenger seat flat to load really long items for that run to the tip.
While there are more versatile and spacious seven-seat PHEVs out there, at the price it’s still hard to argue with the Tiggo 8’s family-friendly usability.
Interior, design and technology
I know I’ve talked about how the Chery is a budget car, but you might be surprised by how nice the interior is! Soft-touch materials cover much of the dashboard, the switchgear feels solid enough and there's very little to remind you that this SUV costs thousands less than most competitors.
There are two 12.3-inch displays that dominate the dash, with the central touchscreen being the window to most of the Tiggo 8’s controls. The graphics are sharp enough, it responds fairly promptly to a prod or swipe, and you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Thankfully, Chery has a few physical controls for the windscreen demister and drive modes, but climate temperature has to be changed via the touchscreen or with voice control, which is annoying.
Higher-spec Summit models feel particularly luxurious, and will probably be the big sellers, as they add heated and ventilated front seats, heated middle-row seats, ambient lighting, a panoramic glass roof and a Sony audio system. I really don’t think you can’t argue with that for standard equipment, can you?!
Safety equipment is comprehensive, with automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and ten airbags fitted as standard. The Tiggo 8 has also achieved a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
Motors, performance and handling
The Tiggo 8’s electric motor and 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine combine to deliver 204hp, giving perfectly respectable 0-62mph of 8.5 seconds. It’s front-wheel drive only in the UK, although some other European markets get the option of a four-wheel drive model.
The electric motor delivers plenty of response from rest, even if you’re in electric mode, and will avoid waking the petrol engine unless absolutely necessary - so you still feel like there’s enough pace even if you’re saving the petrol.
Ride comfort is pretty good, as this is a very soft car that sponges up most of the worst bumps in the road. Wind and road noise are also well suppressed, but the trade-off is that the Tiggo 8 feels quite wallowy and floaty, so if your kids are prone to travel sickness then make sure you take them along for the test drive to see how they find it.
Drive a bit harder though, and the compromises become more obvious. Steering is accurate enough but offers very little feel, body roll is very noticeable in faster corners and the gearbox occasionally hesitates while deciding how best to combine petrol and electric power. It's never alarming, just a bit less polished than rivals from Kia, Hyundai, Skoda or Peugeot.
Most Tiggo 8 buyers are unlikely to be chasing B-road thrills, anyway. This is a family SUV designed to make everyday driving as easy and comfortable as possible, and it succeeds thanks to its quiet cruising manners, comfortable ride and effortless performance.
The powertrain also offers the modes that you want in a PHEV: you can save the battery charge for later in the journey if you want, so that you can have full control over when to make best use of the electric running, or you can leave it in hybrid mode and let the car make the decisions.
Running costs and pricing
Price is where the Tiggo 8 becomes genuinely difficult to ignore. The CSH plug-in hybrid undercuts many similarly sized rivals by several thousand pounds. Even well-equipped versions remain comfortably below the price of entry-level alternatives from a lot of rival brands.
Company car drivers should also appreciate the low, 31g/km of CO₂ emissions of the plug-in hybrid, which helps to keep Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax costs low.
A seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty is another sweetener with the Chery Tiggo 8.
The only lingering unknown is the long-term residual value. Chery is still establishing itself in the UK, so depreciation is harder to predict than with more familiar brands. However, the competitive purchase price and monthly finance deals help to offset that uncertainty.
Obviously, equipment is very generous! Entry-level Aspire models include equipment that many European rivals reserve for expensive options packs: twin 12.3-inch displays, heated seats, adaptive cruise control, LED lighting, wireless smartphone connectivity and a panoramic roof all feature high on the specification list. Move up to Summit trim and you gain ventilated seats, additional driver assistance systems, heated middle-row seats and an upgraded audio system.
Verdict
The Tiggo 8 is a genuinely convincing family seven-seater. It's not the best or the most refined car in its class, but it's perfectly adequate in undemanding daily driving and - more importantly - it's great value, practical and promises to be pretty hassle-free to own thanks to the warranty. If you're shopping for a practical plug-in hybrid seven-seat SUV, and want as much car as possible for your money, the Tiggo 8 CSH deserves to be high on your shortlist. It proves you don't have to sacrifice equipment, comfort or family-friendly practicality simply because you're buying on a budget.
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