Chery unveils all-wheel drive flagship

Chery’s Tiggo 8 Pro Max options have been augmented with an all-wheel drive version

With the addition of this model, the Tiggo 8 Pro range now comprises, the Tiggo 8 Pro Executive with a turbocharged 1.6 litre petrol engine, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max with a turbocharged 2.0 litre petrol engine and the new all-wheel drive (AWD) model.

At the heart of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max AWD is the platform and specification of its two-wheel drive sibling.The proprietary Chery all-wheel drive system has a front-wheel drive bias during normal driving. This benefits the vehicle’s average fuel consumption and everyday driveability, while also offering a familiar driving experience to existing Tiggo 8 Pro Max owners.

When drivers shift from everyday commuting to more spirited driving, or finds themselves in slippery and wet conditions, the all-wheel drive system comes into play.

“Our engineers have spent a considerable amount of development and testing hours with the all-wheel drive system to ensure that it is robust enough to work in the blink of an eye, but that it also offers a long operational life,” says Tony Liu, executive deputy general manager of Chery South Africa.

The result of all this development is an all-wheel drive system that can switch from two- to four-wheel drive in 100 milliseconds. This means the operation is imperceptible to the driver, while providing additional grip and stability on slippery surfaces or during high-speed dynamic driving.

During its development, says Chery, it repeatedly pushed up to ten times the expected vehicle torque through the all-wheel drive system to ensure that its operation remains faultless and fast, regardless of the conditions or the workload.

“Chery completed another round of extreme weather testing in 2023,” says Liu. “The results of these tests have been incorporated in the design of the all-wheel drive system. It means that whether the driver finds him/herself in snowy or desert conditions, the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX AWD will deliver.”

The wheels are driven by Chery’s award-winning 2.0 TDGI turbo-petrol engine. The engine has been programmed to deliver 187 kW at 5 500 rpm and 390 Nm from 2 000 rpm to 4 000 rpm, while the 7DCT dual-clutch self-shifting transmission has been mapped to smoothly deliver this power to two- or four wheels as required.

For this model, Chery has increased the fuel tank size to 57 litres (from 51 litres on the 2WD model) to allow for greater range.

As with the Tiggo 8 Pro Max, the Max AWD model is built on Chery’s flagship platform that uses ultra-high tensile steel in over 60% of the body construction.

In the Tiggo 8 Pro Max AWD, the suspension has been upgraded and tuned to fit the fact that power is delivered to all four wheels and there is a unique drive mode select system to adapt the power delivery and vehicle characteristics to the environment.

A complete list of Autonomous Driver Assistant Systems (ADAS) is augmented by ten airbags, to make it one of the safest vehicles in its class.

The ADAS systems that come standard in this flagship model include autonomous emergency braking (AEV), adaptive cruise control with radar controls, lane keep assistance (LKA), rear cross traffic alert (RTCA), traffic congestion assistance (TJA) and a driving view recorder (DVR). 

The AWD model steps up the level of driver assistance with a smart driver monitoring system (DMS), Emergency Lane Keeping and Lane Departure Prevention and an Intelligent Evasion System as standard.

new flagship offers quilted leather upholstery on all seven seats, the door bolsters and on the dashboard. There is ambient lighting with over 64 hues that can be matched to the music from the premium Sony sound system, the driving style or the driver’s mood.  The Sony sound system offers 10 speakers and a power amplifier for an immersive audio experience.

A fully digital cockpit contains two large 12.3” screens for a large super screen that is 24.7” long. The infotainment section of the screen has full wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, and it will show a full panoramic view of the vehicle thanks to the 360-degree camera array. The latter offers the best possible view of the vehicle in its surroundings thanks to an upgraded Around View Monitor system.

The flagship Max AWD has a superior air conditioning system with two independent zones and an upgraded air quality sensor (AQS) that ensures that the air is N95 certified clean. In addition, there is a Fragrance System with 3 different scents.

Other features include a super-fast wireless charger, electric memory seats for the front passengers that are both heated and cooled, multiple Type A and Type C chargers and a large panoramic sunroof.

As with all other Chery models, the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX AWD is sold with a comprehensive 7-year / 90 000 km service plan, a 5-year / 150 000 km warranty, a full 10-year / 1-million-kilometre engine warranty (linked to the first owner), 5-year unlimited distance Roadside Assistance, and Chery’s range of Value-added Services under My Chery Care. These include a range of services including scratch and dent repair, rim repair, a courtesy Chery when a vehicle is booked for service and even a free take-me-home service.

The new Chery Tiggo 8 Pro MAX AWD is available immediately from Chery dealers across South Africa. It retails for R 731,900.