Chery Tiggo 8: 'I test drove CarWow's Car of the Year - and was most impressed by the price'
Chery may not be a household motoring name yet but Steve Teale says we will soon come to know this China brand. He test drove the Chery Tiggo 8 Summit and was more than impressed by the price.
Cost might not be everything but it has been thrown into sharp focus in recent years. Motoring bills seem to be soaring.
Everything from insurance to petrol is on a one-way trajectory. But is the age of the cheap car really dead?
Chinese brand Chery think not. They prefer affordable to cheap but it boils down to the same thing: you get an awful lot of car for your money.
There have been mixed reports about the Tiggo 8 tested here but everyone seems to agree that £36,545 for the seven-seater vehicle tested here is astonishing. The entry level starting at £28,545 is even more so.
It isn’t an SUV without fault but the balance between value and quality seems to have been struck well. This isn’t an Audi or a BMW but it’s nearer those premium brands than you might expect.
Sales seem to echo that sentiment. Chery UK recorded 4,544 registrations in March, making it the most successful month so far. That’s a 223 per cent over February.
The year-to-date total reaches 8,077 registrations, building on the strong momentum established since the brand’s UK launch.
Not surprisingly, Tiggo 8 is the best performing model.
And together with the other Chery group brands – Omoda and Jaecoo – there have been 22,000 sales in the first quarter of the year. Not bad for brands which are still becoming established.
Tiggo 8 is on a high. It was awarded Carwow’s Car of the Year 2026.
Across the wider range, the Chery Tiggo line-up – including Tiggo 7, Tiggo 8 and the flagship Tiggo 9 hybrids – continues to support that momentum as awareness grows among UK drivers.
Price is key but so is style and these models don’t look out of place on our roads. Chery has a on high levels of specification, technology and everyday usability.
I must say build quality is good and the cabin is excellent.
In terms of specification, there are just two trim levels.
The standard ‘Aspire’ comes with equipment such as a 15.6-inch quad central touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and heated front seats.
The flagship Summit tested here boasts extras such as a panoramic glass sunroof, interior ambient lighting, a powered tailgate and a 12-speaker premium Sony audio system.
It isn’t perfect. The boot is limited in seven-seat format which is arguably when you might need more luggage space.
The ride and handling is arguably vague but it’s easy to live with. The rear view is limited too, making it feel like a van in some respects.
Chery is one of China’s largest vehicle manufacturers and has begun selling cars in the UK, with the Tiggo 8 arriving as its first offering.
Under the bonnet, there is a choice of two powertrains.
The first is a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that develops 145bhp and 275Nm of torque. Meanwhile, 0-60mph is reached in 9.6 seconds and the car will reach a top speed of 118mph.
There is also the option of a plug-in hybrid tested here, which comes in at £33,545 and features a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor and 18.4kWh battery.
Chery claims the car can travel up to 56 miles on electric power and will manage 745 miles on one tank of fuel.
Meanwhile, Chery has taken the covers of its smallest model with the Tiggo 4 compact SUV.
Chery is one of China’s largest car makers and has been selling cars in the UK since 2025. Its latest model to reach our shores will be a rival for the likes of the Ford Puma.
The Tiggo 4 is equipped with a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor to produce 201bhp and 310Nm of torque; however, performance figures have not been revealed at this stage.
The exterior design features a diamond-shaped front grille with Chery’s signature LED lighting, while the rear end features a single lightbar, a roof spoiler and vertical reflector lights in the bumpers.
Inside, there is space for five occupants and a digital driver’s display, a touchscreen interface system, physical shortcut buttons and climate control dials located at the top of the centre console.
There is also a leatherette dashboard and trim panel, while the centre console gets a brushed aluminium-effect look.
The Tiggo 4 is Chery’s fourth model to enter the UK market and will sit below the larger Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 SUVs in the firm’s model line-up.
Prices for the Chery Tiggo 4 start at £19,995 with further details on the car’s specification, order books and delivery dates to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Chery may be new to most of us but it has been China’s biggest car exporter for 23 years.
Farrell Hsu, Chery UK’s deputy country director, said: “Chery is here to stay – and our aim is to make it a household name in the UK.
"With a growing national dealer network and a line-up tailored for British drivers, the brand is setting a new benchmark for what customers can expect in quality, innovation and long-term ownership confidence.”
Chery Tiggo 8 Summit: £36,545. Range starts at £28,545; 1.6 litre turbocharged engine and an 18.4kWh electric motor powered via a seven-speed automatic transmission; Top speed 112mph and 0 to 60mph in 8.5 seconds; Economy 36,2mpg combined; Seven years warranty, 100,000 miles plus an eight-year 100,000 miles cover for the battery