Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
If you’ve been to the malls lately, you must have seen the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro “World of Luxury” display at SM Aura (July 1-7), SM Megamall (July 14-20), Eastwood City (July 29-August 3), Estancia (August 12-18), and The Block at SM City North Edsa (August 25-31). If you haven’t, you can still catch it at SM Mall of Asia, where it will be displayed from September 1 to 7. Chery Auto Philippines experienced their highest sales in June 2022 and they are driven to further promote their Tiggo crossover and SUV model lineup, focusing on the luxurious virtues of their top-of-the-line model, the Tiggo 8 Pro, through these mall displays.
My husband Lester and I attended the launch of the Tiggo 8 Pro in May, where we drove from the ACEA Beach Resort in Subic Bay, Olongapo, Zambales up to the National Shrine of Valor in Mount Samat, Bataan to experience the driving capabilities of the new Chery mid-sized SUV. My ex-boyfriend (now husband) thoroughly enjoyed the drive up and down the mountain roads that he hogged the driver’s seat and I was unable to take the wheel during the entire drive. However, I made sure that I had some “alone time” with the 2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T the day after.
Quiet Luxury at an Affordable Price
During the launch event, Chery Auto Philippines VP for Marketing Luigi Ignacio boldly claimed that the Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T is at par with the more popular Japanese SUVs in the market because of its higher standards of quality, its advanced technologies for safety, driving and comfort, and, at P1,645,000, it is competitively priced against the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Montero Sport and Honda CR-V. The pricing alone is attractive, especially to a wife and mother like me who is always keeping an eye on the family budget.
When I got into the white Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T test unit, the first thing that impressed me was how quiet and luxurious it was inside. Lester told me how Chery made the body structure more rigid to eliminate unnecessary flexing, and how the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) insulations were improved to eliminate road noise protruding into the interior. I didn’t really pay any attention to all the technical stuff he just said because I was paying more attention to how supple the perforated soft faux leather around interior was, how its brown color clashed with the gray and black components of the interior, and how its double-stitched diamond design looked really rich and luxurious.
Safe, Fun and Easy to Drive
As I drove out, I was amazed at all the safety features that were built into the Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T. When I switch on the turn signal to either left or right, the touch screen automatically switches to a 360º view of the road plus a pictograph of the vehicle and the road that I’m turning into, to help me avoid obstacles and help me navigate through narrow streets and tight turns. I also appreciated its electronic driving assistance features such as the Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA), and Front Collison Warning (FCW) systems. I felt that these driving aids were a lot more useful than my husband sitting in the passenger seat and saying, “You’re too close to the curb” or “Watch out for the motorcycle on your blind spot” while I’m driving.
My loving and caring hubby also told me about the safety features of the Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T including Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Brake Assist System (BAS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), Hill Assist Control (HAC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Traction Control System (TCS), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Intelligent High Beam Control (IHC), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and many more. I was trying to focus on his explanation of how these features work, especially since I’m after the safety of my kids while we’re driving, but the cool climate control system, and the great music from the 8-speaker infotainment system diverted my attention at times.
Empowering Women Drivers
I’ve been driving for around 18 years and I’ve driven mostly compact vehicles – a couple of 4-door sedans, a crossover and an MPV. I’m tired of inconsiderate drivers – both male and female – who try to bully me on the road just because they’re driving bigger or more powerful vehicles. Lester said that with the Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6 T and its 195-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter inline 4-cylinder engine and 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmissions (DCT), I would encounter fewer inconsiderate drivers since I could out-accelerate most of them, especially since I have 290 Newton-meters of torque at my disposal. I’ll just leave these bad drivers behind, eating my dust. (Ooh, honey. I’d love that! Heh-heh-heh…)
But seriously, taking into account the tagline for this new Chery SUV is “The New Seat of Power”, the Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T also has the capability to empower women drivers like me to finally be able to enjoy driving a larger, powerful yet agile vehicle. And furthermore, as a homemaker and entrepreneur, I appreciate the space that it offers for seven passengers, and the flexible cargo space that can accommodate between 1,179 to 2,101 dry liters of items by folding the 2nd and 3rd rows. That’s a lot of space for groceries or small appliances, small furniture, knick-knacks, or even plants, especially nowadays when everything for sale is easily available online.
Our Future Family Car?
Ever since its introduction and our test drive in May, Lester and I have been discussing the possibility of getting a Tiggo 8 Pro as our next family car. After all, our current 4-door sedan family car is now six years old and we think that a vehicle with more carrying capacity would be ideal and more suitable for our changing lifestyle and our growing kids. We would also like a bit more luxury in our next family car, like a panoramic sunroof, multicolor ambient interior lighting, soft-touch dashboard and 6-way power seats with driver seat memory on the inside and a 3-D grille, roof rail, daytime running lights (DRLs) and 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with meaty 235/55R18 tires on the exterior.
Another factor that attracted us to the Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T is the Chery Premium Preserv unbeatable warranty package that includes a 7-year, 200,000-kilometer general and engine warranty (whichever comes first), free 3-year preventive maintenance service every 10,000 kilometers or once-a-year (whichever comes first), and 3-year road side assistance. We appreciate the confidence that Chery Auto Philippines has placed on its automotive products, which translates to peace of mind for Chery owners (and prospective owners like us).
Perhaps, in a year’s time, we will be driving to a Chery dealership to get our own brand-new Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T and I’ll see Lester singing Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amor” to it. Unless, of course, he insists on getting the “other” Tiggo 8 Pro that we were able to test drive – the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) variant – instead. But then, that’s another story…
Specifications
Model: 2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro 1.6T
Price: P1,645,000.00
Classification: 5-door mid-size SUV
Engine type: 1.6 TGDI liquid-cooled turbocharged inline-4 DOHC 16V
Maximum power: 195 hp @ 5500 rpm
Maximum torque: 290 Nm @ 1750-4400 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed DCT
Length: 4722 mm
Width: 1860 mm
Height: 1745 mm
Wheelbase: 2710 mm
Ground clearance: 167 mm
Curb weight: 1565 kg
Fuel tank capacity: 51 liters
Maximum load space volume behind 1st row – 1179 liters
Maximum load space volume behind 2nd row – 414 liters
Contact Details
Chery Auto Philippines
United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (UAAGI)
728 A. Bonifacio Avenue, Balintawak, Quezon City
Tel. Nos.: (+632) 8442 4076 to78
