BMW 118i vs Chery Tiggo 8

What's the difference?

The 118i has restored my faith in entry-level models from premium brands. Could it do with more standard gear? Absolutely, especially at $50K, and given what you could get in a higher-grade variant from a mainstream manufacturer, like the Mazda3 or VW Golf.

But the 118i is a cut above the mainstream hatchbacks in terms of performance, driver engagement and how the car makes you feel. 

If value is the priority, look elsewhere. But if your budget stretches this far and you can live without some of the luxo features, there’s little to complain about with the 118i hatch.

A bargain price, clever hybrid system, and a spacious interior with useful third row is a rare and potent combination which should continue to catapult Chery into a successful future.

Sure, the dull driving dynamics, sometimes befuddling software, and over reliance on touchscreens could and should be addressed, but at this price and with these ownership terms, the Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is a tough proposition to argue with.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Since the first-generation model arrived on the scene in the early 2000s, the 1 Series has had a slightly awkward design, partly due to the rear-wheel drive underpinnings. But this latest third-gen model, that debuted in 2019, is by far the most sleek and stylish yet. 

This is helped by the slimline tail-lights, rising shoulder line and well-executed front-end design with the signature BMW quad headlights and wide 'kidney' grille. 

In Australia the 118i comes as standard with 'M suspension' that lowers the ride height by 10mm, which gives it even more of a hunkered down look. The 'Black Sapphire' paintwork of the test car also upped the sexiness of the little hatch.

The 1 Series, and its competitors from Benz and Audi, are all visually appealing in different ways, ensuring they will each appeal to different buyers. 

The interior design is unmistakably BMW, which hasn’t evolved significantly for about 15 years. Although new-generation models like the iX and the soon-to-launch X1 SUV prove that BMW can evolve.

BMW’s overall dash design and layout isn’t a million miles away from the edgy angular look of the new Audi A3 - and that’s no criticism.

The mixed synthetic leather and cloth trim on the seats has a cool blue cloth motif to break up the grey and add a small splash of colour to the cabin. Matching blue stitching on the dash and doors is a nice touch.

Unlike some of its rivals in this space, the Tiggo 8 has a fairly generic boxy SUV design. It’s not as interesting as many of its rivals, but it also strays away from being controversial.

The derivative grille design and light signatures make it blend into traffic nicely, making it an ideal SUV for someone who intentionally doesn’t want to stand out, at least not in quite the same way as something like the BYD Sealion 6.

There’s also nothing that looks proportionally off about it, and the strong lines and spoiler piece over the rear give it a (very) faint air of toughness.

Inside this plug-in hybrid version gets a significantly different interior compared to the combustion Tiggo 8 that launched in 2024. The design is much more contemporary, dominated by the huge central touchscreen which is much bigger than the one in both the Tiggo 7 and the combustion Tiggo 8, and there’s new switchgear for the indicator stalk and for the steering wheel buttons, too.

Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of the climate shortcut panel which remains in the Tiggo 7. Instead, you’re forced to navigate through new software which has a dedicated climate zone.

Still, it’s a glitzy looking interior with big screens and interesting material choices, particularly at this price. The Tiggo 8 even manages to avoid some of the blatant Mercedes-Benz worship as seen in the smaller Tiggo 7, and the synthetic seat trim is also distinct from the rest of the Chery range. In this plug-in Tiggo 8 it’s a kind of sturdy-feeling neoprene finish which looks a little bit like suede. It’s weird, but I don’t hate it.

Up front the 118i’s sports seats offer unbelievable levels of lateral support, and despite the bolsters being adjustable, it might be a little too snug for some. It’s expected for a pricey hot hatch but not the lower grade 1 Series. And given how much side support there is, it could do with a touch more under-thigh padding. The driver’s seat is power adjustable while the front passenger has to adjust their seat manually.

The typically chunky BMW M leather steering wheel looks and feels expensive and offers good grip. The minimal steering wheel controls are well labelled with text or clear icons. I appreciated the analogue air conditioning controls instead of them being buried in a multimedia screen menu.

The multimedia system menu is unfussy and while it’s not as tech heavy as some other systems, I don’t see that as a negative. It just means there are fewer functions you’re forced to remember. You can control the system via the 'iDrive' controller in the centre console or it can be used as a touchscreen. I like the way users are given both options. The 10.25-inch screen is nice and wide but quite narrow. Overall, BMW’s operating system is easy to use and functions well.

In terms of devices, the 118i has a wireless charging pad, as well as a USB-A and USB-C port, and a 12-volt charger up front.

It has a smallish central bin, but it’s fine for a number of smaller items. Tall bottles fit easily in the door storage bin and there’s a secondary slot for other items. The 118i comes with a decent sized glovebox, and two front cupholders with a nook for phones just behind it.

The 118i is more spacious than anticipated, especially in the second row. The back of the front seats are scalloped, allowing for a little extra knee room, but there is a good amount of legroom generally, and plenty of headroom, despite the lower roofline. 

The rear seats are on the flat side but still comfortable, and there are ISOFIX points on the two outboard seats.

Rear seat occupants have access to map pockets, two more USB-C ports, and storage for big bottles in the doors (just), but there are no rear air vents. The seats fold 60/40 and there’s no central armrest.

Open the hatch and you’ll find a reasonably sized boot that can swallow 380 litres, expanding to 1200L with the rear seats stowed. There is plenty of under-floor storage because there’s no spare tyre on account of the run-flats favoured by BMW. There are, however, a couple of tie-down anchors and shopping bag hooks.

The Tiggo 8’s cabin is enormous and has had various upgrades since the combustion car launched that make it both easier and less easy to use.

For example, the centre console redesign is more contemporary, offering pride of place to the wireless phone charging bay, offering two larger bottle holders off to one side. Some key driver functions appear on the right-hand side, including a drive mode selector dial and a handful of shortcuts for the most basic climate functions, like an auto AC button and front and rear defoggers.

This means the shifter has moved to the column on the right-hand side, with a multifunction stalk for the indicators and wipers on the left instead.

The armrest console box is an overcomplicated split opening design, but offers plenty of room inside. There are two large bottle holders and pockets in each front door, too, and there’s a large pass-through area underneath the bridge-style console which will be great for a handbag or something.

The seating position is quite adjustable, but you sit unusually high in the car, which makes it feel as though you’re peering down on the instruments.

As already mentioned, the full array of climate functions can only be controlled through the touchscreen, with no physical buttons outside of the handful on the centre console. Would it be so hard just to have a temperature and fan speed dial you don’t have to take your eyes off the road?

The software itself is typical of many Chinese cars at the moment. It looks good, but isn’t as functional or easy to use as you’d like. Some core functions are still buried in confusingly labelled sub-menus, particularly things like active safety features. It’s not the worst I’ve used (the Leapmotor C10 springs to mind), but it should be better given the massive screen is such a focal point of the cabin.

At least the Tiggo 8 doesn’t feel cheap in other areas, with generous soft-touch materials throughout the cabin. It might be fake leather and suede, but it does a good enough job of making the cabin feel plush and comfortable for longer journeys.

The second row is impressive. I had leagues of room in all dimensions behind my front seat position at 182cm tall. The generous amount of soft trims continue and the seat bases are comfortable enough, too. Storage comes in the form of seat-back pockets and large bottle holders in each door.

Maybe the most impressive feature is the third row. While I felt squashed into the rear row of the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Tiggo 8 offers just enough space for an adult to travel in some form of comfort. Access isn’t the easiest, but there’s so much space in the second row the the seat can slide forward to allow sufficient room for my legs. My head touches the roof, however.

There’s not much in the way of amenities back there, with a bottle holder and storage tray for third-row occupants, as well as a 12-volt outlet in the boot.

The boot itself seems large enough, although at the time of writing there was no official boot figure. For context, the combustion version offers 479 litres with the third row down, or 117 litres with it up, and this plug-in doesn’t seem significantly different to my eye.

Unfortunately though, the placement of the battery and DC inverter under the boot floor leaves no room for a spare. There’s only an inflator kit.

The Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is also super affordable. With a price of just $45,990 drive away, it’s a terrible day to be the product planner for Mitsubishi’s upcoming Outlander PHEV facelift which used to be one of the only options in the space.

In fact, it’s bad news for any mid-size SUV, whether they’re combustion powered, hybrid, or previously good value.

For context, the outgoing Outlander PHEV started from $57,290 before on-roads, and even MG’s five-seat-only plug-in hybrid HS costs from $52,990. You can have the BYD Sealion 6 for less, at just $42,990 for a base essential, but it is also just a five-seater.

If it’s just a plug-in hybrid you want and you don’t need seven seats, the smaller Tiggo 7 bests them all, starting from a new low of $39,990 drive-away.

Regardless, the low price and big hybrid battery (we’ll talk more about this later) don’t stop the Tiggo 8 from being packed with standard gear. 

Highlights on the entry-level Urban spec include 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and DRLs, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 50W wireless charger, synthetic leather seats, ambient interior lighting, six-way power adjust for the driver’s seat, a 360-degree parking camera, and even an acoustic windscreen.

Not only is this impressive equipment, but the Tiggo 8 is more than just a seven-seat version of the Tiggo 7, with a larger touchscreen and some standard kit like the 360-degree parking camera and wireless charger, which don’t come on the most basic version of its sibling.

The top-spec Ultimate, which costs $49,990 drive-away, adds heated and ventilated front seats, two additional speakers (bringing the total to 12), a head-up display, a panoramic opening sunroof, privacy glass, illuminated scuff plates, and a message function for the front passenger.

It’s hard to see how the Tiggo 8 isn’t good value full stop, and it's a plug-in hybrid!

The 118i is powered by a three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, offering up 103kW of power and 220Nm of torque. It’s the same unit found in the Mini Cooper, albeit uprated by 3kW for the BMW.

It is front-wheel drive and the engine is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

BMW says the 118i can cover the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.5 seconds.

If you’re after a quicker 1 Series, then the 180kW i28ti or 225kW Mi35i xDrive could be a better pick.

Chery’s Super Hybrid system is a little different from other plug-ins on the market. It pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine (105kW/215Nm) with a ‘dedicated hybrid transmission’ (DHT). This is a transaxle which contains a large electric motor (150kW/310Nm) and uses a set of clutches and gears to blend the power sources.

The end result of this is a drivetrain that feels a bit like a CVT but isn’t the much derided rubber-band-on-a-cone set-up. To Chery’s credit, it almost feels like driving an electric vehicle, such is the relatively smooth power delivery and seamless blending of the power sources depending on speed.

Just don’t expect to tow much more than a tinny as capacity is limited to just 750kg.

According to BMW, the 118i consumes 5.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. During my week of mixed driving with the hatch, I recorded a much higher average figure of 10.8L/100km. This was exacerbated by the fact I did my main test drive shortly before returning the car. It was much more efficient around town.

It has a 50-litre fuel tank and does require premium 95 RON petrol. In terms of CO2, the 118i emits 135g/km.

The Tiggo 8 has a headline electric driving range of 95km, although this is rated to the more lenient NEDC cycle. Usually you can expect more like 75km in the real world, but these plug-ins tend to vary greatly from their official figures for better or worse, so stay tuned for a longer test to see what the real-world figure is.

Regardless, it draws this range from a 18.3kWh battery pack, that is capable of charging up on both DC and AC, which is rare for a plug-in. On the faster DC chargers, it is capable of topping up at a maximum rate of 40kW for a claimed 30 to 80 per cent charge in 20 minutes. Combined range, using a full tank of fuel and full charge can have the vehicle travel up to a claimed 1200km.

The overall fuel efficiency is 1.3L/100km, a somewhat useless figure. The actual figure will depend entirely on how you use the car. Have a short commute and charge at least at one end of it? It may as well be zero.

What’s particularly clever though is how Chery has put significant work into the software map of the hybrid transmission to keep it as efficient as possible, even when the battery is drained. 

The vehicles we tested on the launch were all hovering around the mid-5.0L/100km mark, even with the batteries long drained to their reserve level. The brand’s engineering people say the software map is specifically designed to achieve less than 6.0L/100km even when the battery is dead.

Again, not every plug-in hybrid can claim the same.

To be honest I wasn’t particularly hopeful of an engaging driving experience with the 118i given I have been underwhelmed by the base Mercedes-Benz A-Class. But after a week with the 1 Series, I reckon it might well be the pick of the premium players in this segment.

The 118i is also a much more enjoyable car to drive than the entry-level version of the outgoing X1 SUV with which it shares a powertrain. If you don’t need the extra cargo space or the ride height of the X1, then please test drive the 118i just to see what you’d be missing if you opted for the X1.

BMW has always excelled when it comes to building punchy powertrains for driver’s cars, and that continues to be true, even for its smallest internal combustion unit.

The 103kW/220Nm turbocharged three-pot is smooth yet responsive, offering linear power and torque delivery and acceleration that will bring a smile to your face.

Obviously it’s not as quick as its sportier 1 Series siblings, but make no mistake, you can still have fun in a 118i.

There’s a little bit of lag when taking off and some hesitation from the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission during shifts, but neither are deal-breakers.

That obsession with driver engagement has paid off with the steering which is quick and direct.

The suspension is geared towards dynamism and as a result of that, and the sharp steering, you’ll be seeking out the nearest twisty section of road every time you get behind the wheel. It’s planted in corners with excellent road-holding characteristics.

Unfortunately that dynamic tune, and the low-profile tyres, means the ride is on the firmer side and a little jiggly around town, but it settles at speed. 

In terms of visibility, the 118i has huge B- and C-pillars, small rear side windows and a narrow rear windscreen, so you’ll be relying on the parking sensors and camera. The 11.4m turning circle feels large for a small car, too. 

The cabin is well insulated from some outside noise but coarse chip roads will make their presence felt.

The Tiggo 8 leans into the traits on display in the smaller Tiggo 7. This means a too-high seating position trading driver ergonomics for visibility, a vague steering tune defined far too much by software, and an overly soft ride quality.

There are various trade-offs here, but it’s about the opposite of a driver’s car. The steering lends hardly any feel to what’s going on at the wheels, and the floaty ride conspires with the tall seat base to feel a bit disconcerting when cornering at high speed.

However, the positives include ease of use and relative comfort. The steering is light enough to make the Tiggo 8 pretty manoeuvrable at low speeds, and the soft ride has the Tiggo 8 floating over road imperfections with relative ease.

It’s also quick, with the electric motor providing urgent acceleration, but this is somehow not very engaging or fun regardless. Plus, slamming the accelerator down, particularly in Sport mode, will overwhelm the front tyres.

This car maintains over 20 per cent of its total battery capacity in reserve, in order to have a large buffer to draw from in hybrid mode to facilitate the smooth electric driving, but this also allows more room to store regenerated energy from idle time or braking compared to a plugless hybrid.

It seems to drive as an EV most of the time, although it lacks a true one-pedal driving mode despite having three levels of regenerative braking.

The cabin is impressively quiet, particularly at lower speeds. It’s genuinely hard to tell when the combustion engine is on to assist the electric driving functions, and the standard acoustic glass keeps most of the nasty ambient noise out. However, at speeds above 80km/h, road noise eventually finds its way into the cabin.

There are many rivals that provide an overall better balance of driving dynamics and handling with comfort, but this Tiggo 8 shoots for a more comfort-oriented family buyer who just wants a quiet and fuel-efficient SUV.

There’s plenty of safety kit for the Tiggo 8 with nothing left to options or based on grades.

The key stuff is present, including auto emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and braking, traffic jam assist, door open warning, a speed limit information system, and driver monitoring.

I bet you want to know if they’re well calibrated? After all, Chery’s Omoda 5 was slammed on its arrival for an infuriating lane assist system and overbearing driver monitoring, two of the most frequently offending systems for interfering with the drive experience.

I am pleased to report though these systems have been toned down significantly. Oddly, I found the driver monitoring system was fussier in the Tiggo 8 than the Tiggo 7, verging on being annoying, but it could have been the different road conditions we were on. The lane system on the whole was pretty tame, and the traffic sign alert was easy enough to tone down to a barely noticeable audible warning.

However, the lane centring software on the adaptive cruise was a bit frustrating, strongly tugging on the wheel if it disagreed with your interpretation of the centre of the lane.

It’s far from one of the worst systems in recent memory, and nice to see Chery take on the feedback and improve the cars with each release.

Plug-in hybrid versions of the Tiggo 8 are yet to be rated by ANCAP, but the combustion car was rated a maximum five-stars to the 2023 standards. The Tiggo 8 is equipped with nine airbags, however it is worth noting there is no child seat mounting system in either of the third-row seats. 

BMW continues to offer a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for its models, which is disappointingly a couple of years off most rivals these days.

The German giant also does things a little differently when it comes to servicing. Instead of service schedules, it has ‘condition-based servicing’, which is when the vehicle’s computer will inform you when the car needs a service. 

BMW’s Service Inclusive pre-paid plan runs for five years or 80,000km for the 1 Series, and costs $1700 up front when you buy the car. That averages out to about $340 per service, which isn’t bad for a premium marque.

The Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is covered by seven years and unlimited kilometres of warranty, seven years of roadside assist, and seven years of capped-price servicing, following the successful formula of once-underdog Kia.

The servicing price varies year on year according to the capped-price schedule, between $299 and a particularly expensive service at the 90,000km mark which costs $1291.31.

The average yearly cost works out to $453.45 if you keep the car for the full seven-year duration. Not the cheapest we’ve ever seen, but all things considered, it’s pretty good.