Graphic | Qin Fanghui
Design | microcosm
Perhaps it is that the thinking gene of "Science and Engineering Man" is too deep, or the product concept has always been conservative and cautious, as chery ace Tiggo 8 car series, all the time exudes the "honest man" duty image.
According to data, 56% of Tiggo's 8 users are over 36 years old, most of whom are middle-aged mature family men living in third-, fourth- and fifth-tier cities. The luxury advanced Tiggo 8 PLUS model, the proportion of users over 36 years old still reaches 40%.
Focusing on the moderate, stable and pragmatic product route, although the Tiggo 8 family won the 2020 and 2021 Chinese brand medium-sizeD SUVs and 7 SUV sales crowns, and sold well in Egypt, Peru, Chile, Brazil and dozens of other countries. However, in the face of the new track of rejuvenation that will win the future, the competitiveness of the Tiggo 8 family needs to be improved urgently.
"Some post-90s and post-95 users, although they recognize the product strength of Tiggo 8, but because of their lack of dynamic and fashionable tone, they have chosen Tiggo 7 or other brand models." Chery brand insiders said so.
Test drive Tiggo 8 PRO fashion debut
Led by young styling and fashion technology, the Tiggo 8 PRO, which is positioned as the "flagship of global power technology", was born to break the game.
While inheriting the advantages of Tiggo 8 family's surging power, wide space, intelligent technology, reliable quality, etc., Tiggo 8 PRO caters to the needs of users, through the product lineup covering the global power architecture, the breakthrough space-time matrix appearance design, and the diversified configuration of the main future intelligence, to create an avant-garde travel experience for the pan-90s young family who advocate a new life of science and technology.
On the eve of the launch, the "Auto Review" conducted a detailed evaluation of the Tiggo 8 PRO 2.0T two-wheel drive comfort version, whether it can bring a refreshing car experience, let us find out in the test drive.
Unlike the Tiggo 8 PLUS, which is more inclined to high-end and business style, the Tiggo 8 PRO boldly innovates at the design level, bursting out many ideas that meet the preferences of young people who have grown up in the era of technology.
In the front part of the face, the horizontal brand strip extends to both sides like a time and space travel, and the vertical fog lamp is perfectly combined with the dimensional bumper profile of Zhang Chi, bringing horizontal width and vertical volume support.
The X-starship grille and space armor matrix mesh bring a strong visual impact and are very futuristic.
The double waistline matches the backward body design of the center of gravity to create a posture of readiness, stability, stretch and dynamic volume.
The tail is shaped by a penetrating taillight, and the exhaust design of a total of four out of the two sides is adopted, suggesting the strong strength of the "Kunpeng".
In terms of interior, lion 5.0 smart cockpit meets the needs of young people for simple beauty and scientific and technological atmosphere, and the curvature of the 24.6-inch surround screen reaches 3000R, which has become the visual center of gravity in the cabin. The all-around touch is covered with leather soft cladding, wooden panels, metal panels, and the luxurious texture is more prominent.
Tiggo 8 PRO has dimensions of 4745mm, 1860mm and 1745mm, with a wheelbase of 2710mm, and the front two rows of seating space are consistent with the Tiggo 8 PLUS for spacious comfort, and the seat wrapping and softness are remarkable.
The test drive is a seven-seat layout, and the third row is still only suitable for short-distance emergencies.
It is commendable that compared with the "three-screen linkage" of the previous Tiggo 8 family, the new car simplifies the air conditioning operation interface into the car machine, and can also be intuitively adjusted through voice assistants and touch buttons, avoiding the pain points of the third screen surface that is easy to fall gray and blind operation.
The W-HUD head-up display is the first application to clearly display key information including speed, entertainment, navigation, ADAS assisted driving, and more.
Users can also choose a second row of shared entertainment smart screens, which are essentially a Huawei tablet that connects with in-car functions in real time through hotspot connections and apps.
Although the test drive is a test car, which does not fully represent the quality of the mass production model, we still want to point out that the way the tablet computer and the front seat are fixed needs to be improved, and the existing screen bracket is prone to shaking and abnormal noise when the road surface is bumpy, affecting the sense of quality.
In terms of power, Chery's signature 2.0TGDI "Kunpeng Power" engine is impressive, with a maximum power of 187 kW (254 hp) and a peak torque of 390 N·m, which is matched by a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.
In everyday driving, thanks to the absolutely outstanding power parameters, even if the transmission downshift is not positive, the Tiggo 8 PRO can still achieve a surging acceleration sensation on call.
Rapid power will not be the culprit of soaring fuel consumption, in the author's test drive of more than 300 kilometers, including 30% of urban roads, 30% of highways, 40% of urban expressways, Tiggo 8 PRO achieved an average fuel consumption of 7.9L/100km.
Cruising at high speeds of 100km/h can even be as low as 6.6L/100km.
It is worth looking forward to that the "Kunpeng DHT" plug-in hybrid model is expected to be launched in the second half of the year, which will be the only 3 physical gears of the Chinese brand and the only dual motor drive in the industry. Zero hundred acceleration (four-wheel drive) only takes 4.9 seconds, the whole series of pure electric endurance is 100km, and the comprehensive fuel consumption of 100 km is 1.0L.
In the fierce driving, the chassis of the vehicle is still very good even if the comfortable orientation is adjusted, its handling level is still good.
Compared with the Haval H6 that was test-driven not long ago, the Tiggo 8 PRO has stronger lateral support, and it is easier to hold the lane in the corner, and the ESP will intervene in time with a slight "loud tire" trend.
Tiggo 8 PRO is also equipped with L2.5 intelligent driver assistance system, including lane keeping, full-speed ACC adaptive cruise, lane change assist, traffic congestion assist system, speed limit sign detection level active reminder, lane departure warning, front and rear collision warning, etc.
On the road of product rejuvenation, Chery finally woke up and tasted the true meaning.
In the inheritance and upward, the arrival of the Tiggo 8 PRO can be seen as a high-level work in the field of technology and intelligence of Chery Automobile at this stage.
Through the test drive, it can be significantly realized that this new car has embodied a strong determination to change, and has made comprehensive upgrades in key areas such as fashion appearance, technology configuration, and comfort experience, and has formed a strong positioning distinction with the previous Kunpeng version/PLUS.
The strongest lineup of 1.6TGDI, 2.0TGDI and Kunpeng DHT hybrids in the same class, the new car has the potential to impact the sales of the group's "big single product".