Chery Tiggo 8

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Driving

You can have your Chery Tiggo 8 with one of two power options, a 1.5-litre pure petrol engine with 145bhp or the Super Hybrid plug-in hybrid (PHEV) we tested, which increases the power to 201bhp and reduces the 0-62mph sprint from 9.8sec to 8.5sec. You get instant power when you put your foot down but, when you suddenly lift off in electric mode, there's no brake regeneration and the car continues to surge forwards momentarily. The Tiggo 8's 18.4kWh battery can officially manage up to 56 miles on electricity alone. Prioritising comfort means that the PHEV comes with quite soft suspension - good for soaking up imperfections. The Tiggo 8 will lean through corners and light steering doesn't give much feedback, although it may be a positive for drivers with limited arm strength. Low-speed braking is a weakness, with sharp responses making stop-start traffic challenging, though this improves at higher speeds. Refinement is a strong point. The PHEV is nearly silent on electric power. While the petrol engine can be noisy under hard acceleration, it quickly fades at a cruise and standard-fit double-glazed windows minimise wind and road noise.

Interior

Almost all of the Tiggo 8's interior surfaces are covered in soft touch materials and build quality is also quite impressive. Physical buttons are scarce, reserved only for the windscreen demist, driving modes and a few controls on the steering wheel. As a result, you'll have to make all of your air conditioning changes through the 15.6in touchscreen infotainment system. While the screen graphics are sharp and easy to read, input registration can be slow, and the swiping shortcuts, especially with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, are fiddly. Getting comfortable behind the wheel of the Tiggo 8 is easy, thanks to an electrically adjustable driver's seat as standard and plenty of steering wheel adjustment. Better still, the driving position lines you up perfectly with the steering wheel and pedals. You sit nice and high, giving you a good view out over the bonnet and out at junctions. Rear visibility is also impressive, aided by large rear windows and cut-outs in the chunky rear pillars. Parking is assisted by front/rear sensors and a rear-view camera on all models, with top-spec Summit adding a surround-view camera.

Space and practicality

We doubt anyone will struggle for space in the front or back of the Chery Tiggo 8. Even broad six-footers will have lots of head, leg and shoulder room, and there is a generous amount of storage space dotted around. Headroom in the third row isn't great and an adult may struggle to get comfy without crouching slightly. The boot space for the PHEV variant Tiggo is either 117 litres with all seven seats up, or 494 litres in a five-seat configuration. A movable second row and flexibility with seat configurations means you can fit a mobility scooter, such as the TGA Whill R, with five seats upright.

Equipment

You get lots of standard safety equipment on the Tiggo 8, with automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane departure prevention, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot detection and 10 airbags that stay inflated for six seconds, in case of additional collisions, all available on Aspire trim. The highest trim level, Summit, adds creature comforts such as a 12-speaker Sony sound system and a heads-up display.

*All measurements are approximate. Please note, cars can be taken off the Scheme at any time.

Photos: Chery; Skoda; Matt Howell/Peugeot