2020 Chery Tiggo 8 Luxury EX Review | Philkotse Philippines

The local automotive market has a wide range of vehicles to choose from. From Japanese, Korean, American, German, and so on. However, in recent years, the Philippine market has seen a resurgence of Chinese cars.

Now, we all know that Chinese cars have a certain stigma among Filipino car buyers due to built quality and reliability. However, that stigma is already a thing of the past as Chinese cars have stepped up their game. And one of the brands that have shown a significant leap in terms of design and quality is Chery.

Chery’s return to the Philippine automotive industry is backed by United Asia Automotive Group Inc., which is also the distributor of Foton vehicles in the country. During its comeback launch, Chery Auto PH introduced a model lineup consisted of crossover models only. Due to the increasing demand for crossover vehicles in the Philippines, Chery’s reintroduction into the local market could be seen as perfect timing. 

Previously, we were able to test drive the Tiggo 2, which is Chery’s challenger in the subcompact sedan segment. The Tiggo 2 is a well capable car that comes with an attractive starting price of Php 695,000.

After a few months, we touch base with Chery PH and asked if we could test drive its flagship crossover SUV. The brand approved our request and handed us the keys to the 2020 Chery Tiggo 8. And boy, we were surprised when we saw the vehicle up close. We simply can’t believe that what we’re looking at was a Chery. To know more about it, here’s Philkotse’s 2020 Chery Tiggo 8 review.

2020 Chery Tiggo 8 Review: Premium features on a budget-friendly package

The exterior of the 2020 Tiggo 8 is a clear indication that Chery has gone a long way in terms of design. Just by looking at it, the stigma about Chinese cars could already be thrown away.

The 2020 Chery Tiggo 8

The Chery Tiggo 8 in the Philippines comes with sharp LED headlights, an angular bumper, and a glossy black grille. In addition, this car also comes with daytime running lights found on the bumper. What we liked most on the Tiggo 8’s front end is the grille because it makes the vehicle unique and premium-looking. As a whole, the Tiggo 8’s front design is nice, stylish, and has a premium look.

The Tiggo 8's black alloy wheels give the vehicle extra style points

Turning at the side, the Tiggo 8 features sharp character lines as well as prominent fender flares with black claddings. These make the Tiggo 8 have a composed stance and it helps make the vehicle look large.

You can also see splashes of chrome trims here and there which adds accent to the Tiggo 8’s side profile. However, we just find the chrome trim placed on the doors a bit too big. In fact, the Tiggo 8 will still look good without those chromes.

While its front and side come with a striking look, the Tiggo 8’s rear leans on the subtle side. It still looks nice but it has lesser sharp and angular design traits, which is a great equalizer to the Tiggo 8’s overall look.

The Tiggo 8 has a composed stance

It is fitted with wraparound taillights that appear to come in one piece due to the distinctive strip that runs along the tailgate. The Tiggo 8 also comes with a spoiler that gives the car a touch of sportiness. The large bumper, on the other hand, comes with a silver-colored design element for a slight rugged appeal.

Overall, the exterior look of the 2020 Chery Tiggo 8 comes with a premium-like finish. It has the right amount of class and swag. Moreover, the design of the Tiggo 8 proves that Chery is headed in the right direction in terms of vehicle styling.

The interior of the 2020 Chery Tiggo 8 has a black theme along with silver trims. The overall feel of the cabin gives a premium vibe as the dashboard is filled with soft-touch materials. As such, the Tiggo 8’s cabin could be considered a notch better compared to some cars in its class.

To put things in perspective, the dashboard of some midsize SUVs in the local market today comes with hard plastics in order to lessen production costs that would result in making the price tag reasonable.

However, that’s not the case with the Tiggo 8. As said earlier, the soft-touch materials used on its dashboard and door panels are a welcome sight, especially when you factor in the Tiggo 8’s top-of-the-line price tag of Php 1,340,000.

The Tiggo 8's interior layout gives a premium vibe

With the said price tag, the 2020 Chery Tiggo 8 also offers you leather seats for a more comfortable driving experience. It is also equipped with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, which is a feature that’s usually found on the more expensive top-spec variants of its segment rivals.

In addition, the Tiggo 8 is equipped with a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen that is responsive to every touch and has crisp images. The icons look nice and classy, which further adds to the overall premium feel of the cabin.

The center console looks sleek

The bag of tricks that the Tiggo 8 comes with continues to be seen at its climate control panel that can be operated via touch. It also blends seamlessly into the center console, a design characteristic that you could relate to premium vehicles.

Yes, you could argue that the said design is just a copy of what you see in other premium or luxury vehicles. But, the point here is that Chery found a way to integrate it into the Tiggo 8 without hurting the vehicle’s production cost and price tag.

Moreover, it’s another indication that Chery is stepping up its game when it comes to design and tech development. It might not be as seamless as what’s integrated to the more expensive cars but at least you can see that Chery is headed in the right direction.

And oh, this vehicle also comes with a panoramic sunroof, a feature that’s commonly seen in other Chinese cars.

>>> Related: Top 10 affordable cars with panoramic sunroof to buy

Second-row seats offer good leg- and head-room

In terms of seating capacity, the Tiggo 8 can accommodate up to seven individuals. The second-row seats offer good leg- and head-room, which could easily accommodate up to three average-sized Filipinos.

On the other hand, the third-row seat could be a tight squeeze for individuals standing 5’8” as leg- and head-room might be an issue. However, to increase the leg-room on the third-row, the second-row seats can be adjusted by sliding it forward.

>>> Related: 15 SUVs with third-row seating you can buy

The Tiggo 8's third-row seats

In terms of cargo space, you can fit an assortment of items in the Tiggo 8. With the third-row seats up, you can easily put two to three medium-sized luggage or maletas.

Moreover, fitting in a week’s supply of groceries is a piece of cake with the Tiggo 8. Of note, cargo space increases significantly when you fold down the third-row seats.

Like its interior cabin, the Tiggo 8 comes with features that are usually found in more expensive vehicles. Like what we’ve pointed out earlier, the Tiggo 8 comes with a digital instrument cluster that comes with two options as to how the interface would look like. 

All angles surrounding the vehicles are covered

Another thing is the 10.25-inch touchscreen that transforms into a rear-camera display when you put the gear in reverse. It also serves as the monitor of the Tiggo 8’s 360-degree camera, which lets you see all the angles of the vehicle.

It shows crisp images but the display for the live video feed is a bit small. We wish that it comes with a larger live video display that could further maximize its massive touchscreen.

In addition, the touchscreen comes with Apple CarPlay compatibility. You can easily connect your iPhone to the screen via USB port that’s located at the center glove compartment. Apple CarPlay will be activated by simply plugging-in your iPhone’s charger cable to the USB port. 

Look at that interior

The Tiggo 8 also comes with ambient light, which adds extra style points inside the cabin during nighttime driving. Adding to the list of tech features is the vehicle’s power tailgate.

But among all the tech toys of the Tiggo 8, the Chery smartwatch is what we liked most. The smartwatch allows you to do certain vehicle functions. It can lock and unlock the Tiggo 8 as well as open its power tailgate. It can also alert you when there’s an incoming call, and it can also monitor your heart rate.

But the coolest thing about this smartwatch is it lets you remotely start the engine. And yes, in case you’re wondering, the smartwatch comes as standard when you purchase the Tiggo 8 for sale.

The Tiggo 8 is fitted with distinctive taillights

In terms of safety, the Tiggo comes with six airbags, anti-lock brake system, electronic stability control, hill descent control, cruise control, tire pressure monitoring system, electronic parking brake with auto hold, among many others.

The 2020 Chery Tiggo 8 is powered by a 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine that produces an output of 145 hp and 210 Nm of torque. It comes with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. 

The Tiggo 8 is powered by a 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine

When it comes to driving performance, the Tiggo 8 can deliver the goods. The first thing we notice is its light steering feel, a feature that comes in handy when you’re driving in the city. The Tiggo 8’s light steering responds well even with minimal inputs, which helps lessen driver fatigue. It also helps you maneuver through tight streets in the metro easily.

Moreover, you’ll appreciate the light steering when you’re parking the vehicle. However, keeping the Tiggo 8 centered within the lane could sometimes require more effort than usual.   

In terms of ride comfort, the Tiggo 8 can absorb the dilapidated roads along EDSA within reason. It can take a beating when you encounter a pothole.

But during our drive around the city, we think that the suspension leans a bit more on the firm side. This means that you’ll occasionally feel a bumpy ride but not to the point where overall ride comfort is compromised.

On the other hand, the Tiggo 8 is stable and planted when driven on the open highway. We just wished that the steering feel is not that light when driving at highway speeds.    

That large grille makes the Tiggo 8 stand out

The Tiggo 8 also didn’t disappoint when it comes to power delivery. The 1.5-liter turbo engine accelerates well and gives you adequate power especially when you need to overtake slower vehicles.

However, the transmission is a bit uneasy when it’s at low gears as you can feel a significant amount of shift shock especially when you’re driving through stop-and-go traffic. Moreover, it’s interesting to find out if the said 1.5-liter engine can deliver the same power and acceleration when the Tiggo 8 is fully loaded with passengers and cargo.

Of note, there were only two people on board the vehicle when it was tested. We didn’t manage to test how the engine performs with more passengers on board due to the restrictions brought upon by the pandemic.

In terms of fuel economy, we got 7 km/l while driving at an average speed of 20 km/h. Out on the open highway, the Tiggo 8 registered 14.5 km/l while driving at an average speed of 90 km/h. Of note, there were only two passengers onboard during the said fuel efficiency run. 

The stigma towards Chinese cars is a thing of the past. We have to move forward and accept that Chinese car brands such as Chery have already made a huge improvement when it comes to design and performance. And the 2020 Tiggo 8 is one of the best Chinese cars to prove that point.

Yes, that's a Chery

The Tiggo Luxury EX comes with a stylish exterior, a premium-looking interior, a notable engine performance, and cool tech features for a price of Php 1,340,000. With the said price point, the top-of-the-line Tiggo 8 Luxury EX is priced less as compared to its established rivals in the local seven-seater midsize SUV segment.

Despite the lower price tag, you’re not shorthanded due to the number of features that the 2020 Tiggo 8 comes with. Indeed, this vehicle shows that Chery is headed in the right direction.  

But, if you’re still hesitant to let go of the Chinese car stigma, Chery Auto Philippines is offering 10 years or 1 million km engine warranty. Not only that, when you buy the Tiggo 8 or any other Chery vehicle you’ll also be getting a 5 year or 150,000 km general warranty.

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Q: Is Chery Tiggo 8 a good car?

A: The Chery Tiggo 8 is a crossover SUV that can accommodate up to seven occupants. It is a good car especially when you look at its exterior and interior styling. 

Q: Who makes Chery Tiggo?

A: The Chery Tiggo is a lineup of crossover vehicles produced by Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile. In the Philippines, Chery Auto PH offers the Tiggo 2, Tiggo 5x, Tiggo 7, and Tiggo 8.

Q: Where is Chery Tiggo made?

A: The Chery Tiggo is manufactured in China under the Chery Automobile brand.