The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro range has grown to three with the addition of an all-wheel drive flagship model.
Priced at R731,900 the new Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0TGDI AWD joins the existing 2.0T front-wheel drive equivalent, priced at R669,900, as well as the 1.6T GDI model, which retails at R609,900.
While front-wheel drive is the norm in this segment, the all-paw variant offers additional grip and stability, particularly on slippery road surfaces, thanks to an on-demand system that can switch from two- to four-wheel drive in just 100 milliseconds.
Interestingly Chery has fitted a bigger fuel tank to the new AWD flagship, which trades the FWD model’s 51 litre storage for a 57 litre unit. The suspension has also been upgraded to suit the new drive configuration.
“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,” said Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery SA.
As per the front-driven Tiggo 8 Pro Max, the AWD model is powered by a 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine that produces 187kW and 390Nm. It is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
Standard features in the Pro Max AWD include quilted leather upholstery for all seven seats, a 64-colour ambient lighting system, 10-speaker SONY premium sound system, fully digital dual-screen cockpit system with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, 360 degree camera, and much more.
Driver-assisting safety features include adaptive cruise control with traffic congestion assistance, rear cross traffic alert and auto emergency braking.
Unlike the FWD model, the AWD flagship also gains Emergency Lane Keeping and Lane Departure Prevention.
As with other Chery models, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max AWD is sold with a seven-year or 90,000km service plan and five-year or 150,000km warranty, while the first owner also receives a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty.
IOL Motoring