My first experiences with Chery cars were in the QQ hatchback. I recall it having unique styling and being incredibly affordable at the time, even though I was only a teenager when it was imported. But the little Chinese subcompact received a lot of criticism for its many problems, which also hurt the reputation of the Chery brand as a whole.
Chery came back to the country, but this time with plans to rebuild. And the new distributor showed up with a variety of vehicles that left a far better impression on my more seasoned peers.
The new Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, which has seven seats and costs Tk46.6 lakh, is incredibly alluring. You won't get a large family vehicle like this, which is loaded with so much luxury and technology, for this type of money in today's world of steadily growing automobile prices.
It is a stylish crossover that appears to be in competition with vehicles in a number of categories. It is priced to compete with popular 5-seat medium SUVs like the Toyota RAV4, Proton X70 and Haval H6, but it does so by providing a third row of seats in addition to a long list of specifications.
The Tiggo 8 Pro clearly has a more premium appearance at first glance.
With its false diffuser and two finely sculpted functional exhaust tips, the updated taillights give it a slightly European feel from the back. The Tiggo 8 Pro is the only crossover among Chery's other models that lacks the company's typical logo and instead bears the word "Chery" in capital letters. Perhaps the manufacturer is implying that this is in fact their flagship model.
Interior
There are three screens on the dashboard, one for the infotainment system, one for the instrument cluster, and one for the climate control settings. The speedometer and tachometer on the 12.3-inch instrument cluster are shown as numbers rather than dials, and the steering wheel controls can be used to access vehicle data like as maintenance reminders and fuel economy estimates.
The driver assistance system settings are also shown on the infotainment screen, along with the 360-degree camera, which is really helpful while parking the enormous crossover.
The vehicle has enough room for its passengers to be comfortably tucked in for longer journeys.
However, the Tiggo 8 Pro provides enough room for children or smaller adults on short trips when you go to the third row (which is simple to do: you just pull a lever to tilt/slide the second-row seat forward). However, if a taller person wants to be accommodated comfortably, the second row will need to be extended forward by a considerable amount.
Adults who are around 5'11 or more will have to experience an odd feeling of their head touching the roof line at the rear.
Nevertheless, in that aspect, this Chery isn't any worse than the competition.
Engine and Performance
The Tiggo 8 Pro deviates from the standard engine formula that is dictated by more lenient Chinese tariff rates. Instead, it has a 4-cylinder 1.6-litre, direct-injected turbo engine.
It generates 195 horsepower and 290 Nm of torque to power the front wheels. Although it won't make you smile from ear to ear, the fact that it only has to pull 1,565 kg makes the drive somewhat intriguing.
Although it has plenty of power, it's more of a smooth cruiser that makes for a nice and relaxed trip down the highway.
Even at highway speeds, Chery's suspension is set more for comfort while maintaining stability and composure in the face of potholes and other road imperfections.
The steering wheel requires very little effort to turn because of how light it is, and the interior is incredibly quiet.
It's fairly amazing how a 100-cc increase and an extra forward gear have managed to address one of this Tiggo 8's greatest flaws because fuel efficiency wasn't exactly its strong suit.
With the new model, the fuel efficiency has increased by about 30% to 8.33 km/L.
Whatever you may think of the Chery brand, one thing is certain: everyone is paying attention. Especially, after their launch where the car was revealed by national team cricketer Tamim Iqbal, who is currently Chery's brand ambassador.
For its user-friendly design, electronics, and safety, it's now a genuinely terrific option.
