How to use an automotive product to meet the consumer preferences of the non-market segment? I believe that "derivative models" have become the best solution to this problem, and unlike the international practice of using performance versions, travel versions, and cross-border versions to form groups, in recent years, independent brands seem to be more inclined to use emerging concepts such as "PRO" and "PLUS" to give subdivision models a more accurate market positioning, and the Tiggo 8 PRO I tested today was born for this purpose.
Whether it is Tiggo 8, Tiggo 8 PLUS, or the Tiggo 8 PRO in front of us, we can intuitively perceive subtle positioning differences from their styling design, such as the Tiggo 8 PLUS shape is relatively stable, by many middle-aged groups, and Tiggo 8 PRO has added the more popular sports + technology elements, closer to the car demands of young families after the Pan-90s.
Compared with Tiggo 8 PLUS, the new "time and space matrix" design language makes the visual effect of the front of the Tiggo 8 PRO more three-dimensional, but also more dynamic, according to the designer, the inspiration for the contour and structure of the network comes from the battleship and armor in the science fiction movie, while combining the through-type chrome decoration and the internal lines of the light group, as well as the original two-stage daytime lamp, further strengthens the overall visual width and longitudinal sense of support, as a whole, which is very in line with the aesthetic preferences of young people at this stage.
The side is very similar to the Tiggo 8 PLUS, with a wheelbase of 2710mm, but the length has been slightly improved to 4745mm. According to the test drive model on site, the top model of the 1.6T and 2.0T models are equipped with 19-inch two-color wheels, and the tire model is also 235/50 R19.
In order to unify the overall style, the rear of the car also tries to get closer to the front of the car in the details, the most obvious change is the use of mainstream through-type taillights, and the light group is integrated into the matrix light strip similar to the headlights, and the sense of science and technology is obviously improved. In particular, the Tiggo 8 PRO has also redesigned the high brake lights, cleverly extracting the initials of "TIGGO", and the illuminated "T" shape should be more recognizable.
The interior part integrates the previous traditional layout, simplifies the air conditioning panel and redesigns the barrier area, in addition, the Tiggo 8 PRO is also equipped with a 24.6-inch curved large screen, the core part of which is equipped with a new generation of domestic high-performance AI chips, with equivalent computing performance of more than 5 trillion times per second, in the actual experience, even high-frequency operation is very smooth, and there is no obvious Caton phenomenon.
It is worth mentioning that the Tiggo 8 PRO has also added some pleasing configurations, such as 10-speaker SONY audio, W-HUD head-up display function, Xiaoqi intelligent car butler, safe driving detection, and a very practical 360 ° panoramic image + transparent body.
The 7-seat layout was still continued, and considering the wheelbase limitations, the designers set up a 260mm front and rear adjustment stroke for the second row of seats, which not only provided excellent space performance for the 5-seat ride, but also brought a lot of benefits to the utilization of the third row of seats. Through actual measurements, under the premise of ensuring that the second row has a reasonable space, the third row of passengers still has a margin of about two fingers in their legs.
In terms of power, 1.6T and 2.0T are available, and the book data is in the first echelon, of which the 2.0T engine has a maximum power of 254Ps and a maximum torque of 390N·m, while the model with the tail mark of 290T is equipped with a 1.6T engine, which can provide a maximum horsepower of 197Ps and a peak torque of 290N·m, and both engines are matched with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. In addition, Tiggo 8 PRO will also launch a DHT hybrid version in the later stage, and the official revealed that this new powertrain will bring hundreds of achievements within 5s.
The overall driving texture of Tiggo 8 PRO is still a familiar taste, including steering feel, brake force, transmission matching, all in line with the definition of "easy to open" of a family car, the only deficiency is that the initial throttle adjustment is not linear, especially in the initial stage, which requires subtle control of throttle opening.
In normal mode, the transmission will be kept below 2000 rpm as much as possible to balance the power needs of everyday driving and fuel economy. Although the low-revs range is a little bit more subtle, when the rpm exceeds 2000 rpm, the acceleration you expect will arrive as expected. At this time, if the pressure on the throttle continues, the gearbox will not rush to upshift, but will intelligently push the speed all the way to about 4500rpm, trying to show the torque platform to the extreme. Therefore, the conclusion is that this powertrain is better at mid-range power, and the corresponding power connection will become more linear and smooth with the increase of rotational speed.
In fact, as for the clichéd double clutch, there is no need to worry too much, although it did not show much athletic talent during the test drive, but if measured by the standard of daily driving, its smoothness will even be better than some joint venture brand models.
The chassis adopts a relatively eclectic adjustment idea and does not show obvious movement or comfort tendencies. The intuitive sense of roading is clearer, but it will produce excess jumping when dealing with larger impacts. The good news is that compared to the same class, the rear section of the suspension provides enough support in the driving of the mountain road, its roll is completely within the controllable range, the body quality is not awkward, and even gives the driver a certain confidence in the corners, which is commendable.
Rejuvenation has undoubtedly become a compulsory course for independent brands, so that the Tiggo 8 car series, which has always shown a conservative image, has also quickly followed up and made new attempts at the level of design and human-computer interaction. According to manufacturers, the Tiggo 8 PRO will be officially launched at the end of April, and the Kunpeng DHT hybrid version that will be launched later is more worth looking forward to.
The author of this article is Kick Car Gang Geng An