Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max: Is It Actually Worth Buying?

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max landed in Australia as one of the cheapest new seven-seat SUVs on the market, which immediately raises a question that most buyers have: what are they cutting corners on? After spending time with the car and going through what owners in Australia and the Philippines are reporting after six months and beyond, the answer is more nuanced than the price suggests.

What You Get for the Money

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max is built on the same platform as the smaller Tiggo 7 Pro but drives noticeably differently — more composed, better insulated, and with a weight and presence that feels closer to a proper family SUV than a stretched hatchback. The 2.0T petrol engine is the only option in Australia, producing 180 kW and 375 Nm. CarExpert noted it as the most powerful engine at its price point in the seven-seat segment.

Standard equipment on the Ultimate trim includes:

• Panoramic sunroof
• 12.3-inch touchscreen with voice control
• Adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• 360-degree camera system
• Seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty

The cabin design shows obvious Mercedes-Benz influence — window switches, starter button placement, and speaker grille styling all draw from the old GLC. Whether that reads as inspired design or imitation depends on the buyer, but fit and finish is consistent and the materials hold up well on close inspection.

Space and Practicality

Boot space with all three rows up is 117 litres — tight but usable for a grocery run. Drop the third row and you get 479 litres, which is workable for a family. Fold both rear rows and you are well into 1,000 litres of cargo space, though Chery does not publish an official figure for this configuration.

The third row seats adults of average size for short trips. Second row passengers get reclinable seats with soft headrests and enough legroom for a comfortable journey. One owner with two rear-facing child seats reported that both fit comfortably in the second row with adequate legroom remaining in the front — a practical data point for families buying in this segment.

How It Drives

The suspension is tuned for comfort over feedback, which suits the target buyer. It absorbs rough urban roads well, and the steering is light enough for parking without feeling disconnected at highway speeds. Adaptive cruise and lane assist work reliably in normal conditions. The 0–100 km/h time runs just over 7 seconds — brisk for an SUV of this size and weight.

The voice control system works better than expected. Commands like “open the sunroof” and “I’m cold” produced the correct responses consistently, though activation via “Hey Chery” was not always reliable on the first attempt.

What Owners Actually Complain About

After six months and beyond, the complaints that appear repeatedly across owner reviews in Australia and the Philippines:

• Air conditioning performance in the second and third row — several owners report the rear climate control struggles at low fan settings in hot weather
• Infotainment screen attracts fingerprints heavily and shows smears under direct sunlight
• One sunroof rattle reported on a press vehicle during the Australian launch — not confirmed as widespread
• Dealer service experience is inconsistent, with timing and communication varying significantly between locations

The 2.0T engine itself draws no significant complaints in owner reports from the first year of Australian sales. The 7-speed wet DCT shifts smoothly and does not exhibit the hesitation issues that affected earlier Chery CVT and dry DCT combinations.

The Honest Assessment

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max delivers on its core promise — space, equipment, and performance at a price point where the established Japanese competitors offer significantly less. The seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty reduces the long-term risk that would otherwise accompany buying a Chinese brand with a limited local service history.

The rear climate control weakness is a genuine issue for buyers in warm climates who will regularly carry passengers in the back. The dealer network in Australia is still expanding, which means service access varies by location. For buyers near a well-reviewed dealer, the value case is strong. For those in areas with limited Chery coverage, that warranty means less if getting the car serviced requires a long drive.