What's the difference?
If you’re in the market for a seven-seat SUV these days, you really are spoiled for choice.
Of course, you always have your obvious options like the Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Honda CR-V, but what if you’re a big family on a relatively small budget.
Well, Chinese player Chery has just introduced its Tiggo 8 Pro Max into the seven-seat mid-size SUV space. I’m guessing the name means if you’re a professional, maximum-sized family, then it’s designed to be the best option for you.
But does it have what it takes to challenge such established seven-seat rivals? We tested one at its Australian launch to find out.
The Duster is finally in Australia! Anyway, moving on…
Dated Top Gear reference aside, Renault has just launched its version of the boxy Duster small SUV in Australia.
Badged as a Dacia in Europe, the Renault Duster features different badging, as well as more noise insulation to create a quieter interior.
This is the first new Renault passenger model to launch in Australia for a while now, following the Megane E-Tech electric SUV and updated Arkana ‘coupe’ SUV in 2024.
Balancing a fine line between the bland-looking Subaru Crosstrek and the hardcore Suzuki Jimny, is the Renault Duster worth considering? Read along to find out.
This mid-sized seven-seat SUV segment is dominated by just a handful of nameplates, and it’s easy to see how some of them might be under threat by something like the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max.
There are a few areas where it could use some fine-tuning, but these are mainly restricted to being pedantic about the drive experience. There are no dealbreakers here as there often can be for low-cost alternatives, and so long as you’re primarily putting kids in the back seats, this Tiggo is well equipped, comfortable, plush, and surprisingly refined.
With a robust ownership proposition as well, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t consider one of these if you’re shopping in the seven-seat SUV space - and that's why this could be Chery's shot at the big leagues.
The Renault Duster looks set to put the French carmaker back on the map here in Australia.
While there will likely be general appeal thanks to its cool looks, it holds special appeal for us off-road enthusiasts as a new, cost-affective option that’s filled to the brim with character and charisma.
While it may not be perfect, it also doesn’t matter. In fact, this makes me like the Duster even more.
The manual AWD feels like the purest and most correct way to experience the Duster as it’s so smile-inducing. However, this isn’t to discredit the automatic FWD version as it’s arguably more liveable day-to-day.
Pick your poison. You’re bound to love it no matter which way you go.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max just looks like a mid-size SUV. Perhaps if you calculated the average design cues of every mid-size SUV on the market, this would be what you end up with.
Of all the Chinese automakers currently in the market though, the Tiggo range of SUVs are the least controversial. There’s no weird theme to the design, there’s no bizarre light fittings or controversial angles. You could stick a badge on this car from any Korean or Japanese brand and you wouldn’t think twice about it.
It doesn’t say much for innovation, but I think it will very much work in this car's favour. It provides a much more globally appealing look when compared to the controversial design of BYD products, the crazy grilles and badging on GWM products, or the derivative style of the MG range.
For this reason it won’t turn heads at the school drop-off, but that’s perfect for families who want to run incognito and would normally buy a conservative mainstream SUV from Toyota or Mitsubishi.
Inside things get a bit more interesting. The Tiggo 8 has a contemporary design, complete with a high-riding bridge-style console, and the dual-screens are encased in a single housing that spans half the length of the dash.
It’s ambitious too, with generous amounts of soft-touch surfaces and synthetic leather finishes. Clearly, it’s inspired by others in the industry. The dual-screen layout is very Hyundai or Kia via Mercedes, while the Benz influence extends to the wood grain-look plastic inserts and even the little silver finishes covering the speakers up. Rather than a naff knock-off though, the Chery interior genuinely feels its own space.
The only areas that you can see through the facade to a car built-to-a price is in a handful of places. The steering wheel buttons, for instance, feel a bit cheap, and when it comes to those big screens, the resolution isn’t as high as you might expect, and the processing isn’t as fast as it could be, leading to a slightly laggy experience.
Still, the same can be said for many mainstream manufacturers, and at least Chery’s native software has been localised and is easy to navigate. Also, none of this stops the Chery from feeling properly plush on the inside. It was also seemingly pretty well put together, free of rattles, switchgear with too much play, or nasty hollow plastics.
First impressions are good.
When you see a Renault Duster parked up or on the road, you’ll instantly be able to tell what it is.
This small SUV is essentially a rebadged Dacia for international markets and the design changes are minimal.
The most noticeable departure is the front grille has ‘Renault’ badging written out instead of a Dacia badge. It’s a departure from any other current Renault model on offer locally and gives the car a tough, unique presence.
There are also Y-shaped LED daytime running lights that look cool and modern.
Depending on the Duster version you opt for, the lower section of the front bumper looks different. All-wheel drive (AWD) versions sit higher to improve the approach angle and ground clearance.
Around the side there’s plenty of plastic cladding to drive home that this is a tough all-terrain machine and not your everyday crossover. I prefer it to the glossy and chrome accents on rival SUVs as it's no-nonsense.
The black body cladding around the wheel arches and along the door sills is recycled and has a fleck throughout it. There’s also a recycled icon near the side mirrors which is a touch too on the nose for my liking.
Towards the rear there are angular haunches that make the Duster look tough, as well as hidden rear door handles on the C-pillar.
At the back there are even more angles that make the Duster stand out. The most obvious is the triangular tail-lights which look funky and cool.
There’s little else to note about the rear design besides a subtle Renault badge and Duster written out on the bottom of the tailgate. I appreciate how clean the rear is because some carmakers can go over the top with badging.
Inside, the Duster defies its budget roots with a high-tech and modern-presenting design. The Y-shaped air vents continue the motif from the headlights, while the 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system is mounted prominently on the dash and is smartly tilted towards the driver.
After spending some time behind the wheel, however, you start to notice a lot of the Duster’s finishes inside are hard, scratchy plastics. It’s most noticeable on the dashboard.
Depending on which version you opt for, the door armrests are also finished in hard plastic. The top-spec Techno gets a softer padding on top, however.
While there is a lot of hard plastics, it’s nowhere near as noticeable as a Suzuki Jimny.
The interior is also thoughtfully designed, but it needs to compete with user-friendly cars like the Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail in this segment.
The front occupants are treated to a reasonably spacious cabin, which for the driver is quite adjustable, although the design of the dash means it sticks out into the front passenger’s knee area. Head and shoulder space is impressive, and everywhere you put your arms or knees there’s a soft-clad finish rather than hard plastic to greet you.
As already mentioned, the software isn’t half bad when it comes to ease-of-use, however the lack of tactile toggles or dials for the climate unit is a bit of a miss. It has its own dedicated set of touch controls below the screen itself, but they provide no tactile feedback, so are a little hard to use while on the move.
Storage is great, with large pockets and bottle-holders in the doors, a further two bottle holders in the centre console, a wireless phone charger, and a neat little set of drive mode buttons and a digital shift lever within easy reach.
The bridge-style console also offers a large pass-through area underneath for the storage of larger items, and there’s a deep centre armrest console box, too.
The second row is quite versatile, offering rail adjustment for the base, so you can maximise the room available to the third row if need be.
Second-row occupants (with the seats set to a decent position for myself at 182cm tall) have plenty of knee room and plenty of headroom, and the doors open nice and wide for the loading of objects or people.
Storage includes large pockets on the backs of the front seats, a bottle holder in each door, and a further two in the drop-down armrest. There is a set of adjustable air vents on the back of the centre console, with both a USB-A and USB-C port for power delivery.
The third row is a bit more challenging. I had to contort myself to get in with the second row seat either slid forward or folded flat. Once I was in there, I was surprised to find I fit, but only just.
My knees were hard up against the seat in front, while my head was touching the roof. Mercifully, I had enough room to slide my feet under the seat in front, otherwise it would’ve been too tight. It’s passable for adults then, but only in a pinch, and you wouldn’t want to be back there for long. No problem if you’re just putting kids back there though.
The third row gets air vents on either side with an independent fan speed controller on the mid-grade Elite and top-spec Ultimate, and there’s a useful storage tray, and small bottle holder on each side. You don’t get USB ports, but there’s a 12 volt outlet available just behind the rear seats in the boot.
On the topic of the boot, it is not as large as I was hoping, but then neither is the car itself.
The boot measures 479 litres with the second-row up, or just 117-litres with all seven seats deployed. It’s smaller than some mid-size rivals, but not enough for it to be a dealbreaker. We’ll get it back for a longer test to see what does and does not fit.
The floor is quite high to facilitate those fold-flat rear seats, and there’s a small under-floor storage tray where you can hide the retractable luggage cover on the Urban and Elite variants. Unfortunately the Ultimate gets a subwoofer here.
All variants get a space-saver spare wheel mounted outside underneath the car, so at least you don’t need to deal with a tyre repair kit.
In terms of practicality, this is one small SUV that punches above its weight.
Up front both the seats are manually adjustable, which is expected at this price point. There’s nothing wrong with this as they still allow you to find your desired seating position.
The entry-level Evolution comes with cloth upholstery which feels nice to touch and allows for decent breathability, whereas the top-spec Techno has a premium textile that almost feels like neoprene (wetsuit material). I’m thankful there’s no leather upholstery option in this car because it wouldn’t suit its character.
Ahead of the driver is a leather-wrapped steering wheel which feels more premium than you’d expect. It feels lovely in the hand and is complimented by the squared-off shape.
Another reason why I like this steering wheel is it offers a generous amount of tilt and reach adjustment. This means people of all different sizes and statures will be able to find a comfortable driving position.
There’s a nice smattering of physical buttons on the steering wheel for critical things like the cruise control and changing the content on the digital instrument cluster, though if you want to change the volume or track, you need to interact with the stubby stalk behind the steering wheel.
This is a classic Renault quirk that’s been in a number of its cars for years. It takes a bit to get your head around, but once you do it’s second nature.
Behind the steering wheel is a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster which looks a little small in its housing. Clear analogue dials for the rev counter and speedometer would have been better and likely more timeless.
As standard, however, there’s a big digital speedometer readout that’s easy to read, as well as a few layout styles and informative pages to cycle through.
I wish the digital rev counter was featured on more of the page layouts and it also had more numbers denoting the rev counter markings, rather than simple lines. This is particularly annoying in the manual.
Moving across, the 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system is clear and bright. It also helps that the native interface is simple and easy to navigate.
There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the line-up which is fantastic to see and almost expected now. Complimenting this is a standard wireless phone charger at the base of the centre tunnel.
Additionally, if you opt for the Techno, you get a phone mount on the dashboard. I still haven’t decided whether this is helpful or not given there’s already wireless phone mirroring and the phone mount doesn’t provide charge as standard.
Unlike many newer cars, the Duster retains plenty of physical switchgear up front so key functions like the dual-zone climate control and drive modes.
In terms of storage up front there are two cupholders, a handy shelf for stowing things above the wireless charger, a big centre console box, as well as a deep glove box.
Moving to the second row there’s plenty of headroom, though legroom is minimal for adults above (183cm) six feet. You have to remember this is a small SUV so it’s actually not too bad.
The second-row bench seat is laid back, allowing you to get comfortable on longer drives. Two adults can easily fit back there, though pushing it to three would make it squishy.
Second-row amenities include air vents and two USB-C ports. There’s also a special connector on the back of the centre console which allows you to fit a wide range of optional 'YouClip' accessories. These include a cupholder, light or hook.
In the same vein, you can also add a phone or tablet holder to the back of the front-seat headrest. The configurability is to your heart’s content.
A downside of the second row, however, is there’s no fold-down centre armrest. This also means there are no rear cupholders as standard, which is disappointing.
At the back the entire Duster line-up has a manual tailgate, which is fine for the price point.
The boot space itself is decent as there’s no load lip, but if you’re wanting a larger space overall, it’s best to opt for the front-wheel drive (FWD) versions as they have 472L with the rear seats upright. AWD versions, on the other hand, have 358L with the rear seats up.
The Techno 4x2 in particular has a two-tier floor which allows you to stow things underneath the main boot floor, or you can create a partition to stop things moving around.
Boot-related amenities include a light, hooks and a 12V socket. There are also extra YouClip points, including one on the tailgate. This allows you to add extra lights or hooks.
As standard, all Duster variants get a full-size spare wheel, which is fantastic given this type of vehicle may be spending a lot of time out on the open road.
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max needs to be keenly priced to compete, but you might be surprised to find it’s not the most affordable option in this category. For slightly less money than the Tiggo 8 Pro Max, you can get into the Mahindra XUV700 or the LDV D90, but Chery says it is aiming to provide a little more than just a low price-tag.
Still, thanks to its keen national drive-away prices, the Tiggo 8 does manage to undercut its prominent Japanese competition. The price starts from $41,990 for the base Urban, moves to $43,990 for the mid-grade Elite, and tops out at $47,990 for the all-wheel drive Ultimate.
If you’ve been shopping around this space, you’ll note these prices, once you get the car on the road, will manage to undercut the likes of the Nissan X-Trail (from $40,290), Mitsubishi Outlander (from $39,540) and the Honda CR-V (from $46,800).
Keep in mind that this is very much a mid-size SUV offering too. At 4720mm long, 1860mm wide, and 1705mm tall, the Tiggo 8 Pro Max isn’t competing with the Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Kluger, or Kia Sorento, which are seven-seaters in the medium-to-large segment a full category up.
Like other Chinese challenger brands, Chery aims to dazzle on the specification front. Even the base Urban scores a comprehensive list of standard inclusions like 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, synthetic leather interior trim, dual 12.3-inch screens in the cabin, as well as relative luxuries usually unheard of in base cars like heated and ventilated front seats with power adjust, a 360-degree parking camera, and wireless phone chargers.
You also score an eight-speaker audio system, an air purification system, dual-zone climate, keyless entry with push-start ignition, built-in navigation, a voice command system, power folding exterior mirrors, and ambient LED multi-colour interior lighting.
It’s a lot of stuff for a base car, and yet the Elite manages to add a power tailgate, heated exterior mirrors, a built-in dash-cam (nice touch), third-row air vents with independent fan speed control, illuminated door sills and a retractable cargo blind.
Finally, the top-spec Ultimate scores all-wheel drive with additional drive modes, 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, a 10-speaker Sony-branded audio system, tinted rear windows, puddle lamps, and the option to choose an alternate brown theme for the synthetic leather interior trim.
All variants get all the active safety equipment - check out the full list in the safety section of this review.
In Australia the 2026 Renault Duster is being offered in two trim levels with two powertrain options.
Pricing starts at $31,990, before on-road costs, for the Duster Evolution 4x2 automatic and extends to $37,990, before on-roads, for the Duster Techno 4x4 manual.
This is competitive pricing for the small SUV segment, especially when you consider the rugged and considerably smaller Suzuki Jimny costs similar.
As standard the Duster Evolution comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger, dual-zone climate control, an electric park brake, as well as black and grey cloth upholstery.
Stepping up to the Techno gets you larger 18-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, privacy glass, modular roof rails, keyless entry and walk-away locking, push-button start, a smartphone holder, as well as black and grey premium textile upholstery.
While the entire Duster line-up has LED low-beam headlights, the high-beams are only halogen, which is a disappointing cost-cutting move.
Despite this, there’s still plenty of standard equipment, even from the base Evolution trim.
If that’s not enough, however, you can further personalise your Duster with a wide range of optional accessories. There are clip-on cupholders, lights, hooks and tablet holders inside, as well as Rhino Rack and Thule accessories outside.
There is only one engine option in the Tiggo 8 Pro Max range, a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit that produces 180kW/375Nm.
No matter which variant you choose, it’s also mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Urban and Elite variants are front-wheel drive, while the Ultimate scores a Borg-Warner-sourced all-wheel-drive system with additional off-road drive modes.
The outputs are more than competitive with a lot of rivals, but there’s no fuel-saving hybrid option in the line-up just yet. It’s something Chery wants to add in the future.
Especially for Australia, the folks at Chery also made sure to get the Tiggo 8 Pro Max certified to tow. It can do that at up to 1300kg braked, or 750kg unbraked.
As noted earlier, the Renault Duster is offered with two different powertrains.
The most affordable option is a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which produces 113kW of power and 270Nm of torque.
This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive sent to the front wheels only. It’s worth noting this is the same powertrain that propels the Renault Arkana and Captur, as well as certain entry-level Mercedes-Benz models.
Renault claims this version of the Duster can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.2 seconds.
The second powertrain option is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol with 48V mild-hybrid assistance which produces 96kW and 230Nm.
This is less powerful than the four-cylinder petrol but it’s mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.
Renault claims the AWD Duster can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 11 seconds. That’s not very fast at all…
Claimed top speed for the entire Duster line-up in Australia is 200km/h.
Unfortunately there’s no automatic AWD Duster available globally yet so if you want to maximise your all-terrain capability, you’ll need to opt for this mild-hybrid manual powertrain option.
All versions of the Renault Duster have a braked towing capacity of 1500kg, though it’s worth noting the towball download limit is only 75kg. This could prove to be a hassle if you’ve got a towball-mounted bike rack and you put a hefty e-bike on it as this could easily send it over this threshold.
The 2.0-litre turbo engine has an official/combined consumption rating of 8.1L/100km for the front-wheel drive variants, or 8.7L/100km for the all-wheel drive Ultimate.
On our drive route for the day which took place on curvy country roads and expressways, my Ultimate all-wheel-drive test example produced a figure of 9.5L/100km which seems reasonable.
Unfortunately the engine also requires mid-shelf 95RON unleaded fuel, so this will push your running costs up slightly.
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max has a 57-litre fuel tank, indicating an estimated maximum cruising range of 703km for FWD variants.
Renault claims the four-cylinder, FWD Duster consumes 6.5L/100km, whereas the three-cylinder, AWD is claimed to consume 5.7L/100km, both on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle (ADR 81/02).
The former has a 50L fuel tank and requires a minimum of 91 RON regular unleaded petrol, while the latter has a slightly larger 55L fuel tank but requires higher quality 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.
We didn’t get a chance to properly get as-tested fuel consumption figures during this initial first drive, but the FWD Duster has a theoretical range of 770km and the AWD Duster extends that to 965km.
Cars from Chinese brands often fall short of expectations when it comes to the drive experience, but the Tiggo 8 Pro Max moves everything in the right direction, and importantly it doesn’t add any deal-breaking characteristics along the way.
Visibility is great out of the cabin, with large windows all-round. The wing mirrors are great, but the centre rear-vision mirror is a quirky piece with a wide viewing angle. In a way this is great for parents, because with one glance you can see both out the rear of the vehicle and the rear seats to keep an eye on kids, but it does mess with your depth perception a bit.
On multiple occasions I felt like the car behind was tailgating, only to peer in the side mirrors to find that it was actually quite far back. Odd!
The steering is very light, and a bit disconnected as a result. While this sounds like a negative, I actually think suburban buyers who often negotiate with shopping centre parking lots, apartment towers, and school drop-offs will love it. It makes a big SUV feel really easy to steer and position.
Sure, it feels a bit doughy out on the open road, meaning it's hardly a confident corner-carver, but that’s not really the point of this car.
The engine on the other hand has loads of poke. Power of 180kW sounds like a lot because it is (once upon a time not so long ago this was well into V6 territory) and actually for the front-wheel-drive versions it might be a little bit too much power. It will readily spin the front wheels with slightly too much throttle input, which brings us nicely to the dual-clutch automatic which is responsible for communicating that power to the ground.
Dual clutches rightly raise a bit of a red flag for some because they can be particularly jerky from a standstill and have some pretty questionable gear shifts once you’re rolling. For the most part though, the Tiggo 8’s dual-clutch unit is pretty good. The brand stressed that it had done significant software tuning to this transmission to try to iron out nasty characteristics, and while it's still occasionally caught off-guard, I’ve certainly driven worse. It will occasionally produce a bucking feeling rather than a full second of lag like some rivals, but its enthusiasm to deliver power to the ground quickly gives the front-drive versions that slightly skittish feel.
It is one of those rare occasions when it’s worth splashing for the all-wheel drive. I found the Ultimate to be much more sure-footed and confident on the road, able to handle the engine’s relatively mountainous torque with ease.
On the open road I was impressed by the Tiggo 8’s level of refinement. The amount of sound entering the cabin in both variants was low, with minimal tyre roar or wind noise. Thuds from the suspension and roar from the engine under load were also pleasingly distant, even at freeway speeds.
When it comes to the ride it’s built to a certain cadence. It’s soft and comfortable, matching the semi-luxurious cabin feel nicely, but it can be a bit springy and lose a bit of body control over undulations and corrugations. Again, it’s not exactly an athlete, but then for most people, it won’t have to be.
Importantly, it filters out sharper bumps like potholes, road imperfections, and speed bumps with relative ease. It’s even better in the 2WD versions thanks to larger tyres and smaller alloy wheels.
Mercifully, the active safety systems don’t intrude on the driving experience either. Chery has apparently learned some hard lessons after the feedback it received on the overbearing lane assist equipment on the smaller Omoda 5, and applied those learnings here in the Tiggo 8.
The lane systems are still there, but they only intervene when they really have to, while warning chimes from things like the traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, and driver attention alert are, at worst, background. It’s a good thing too because of all the systems, the driver attention alert is the one that triggers most often as you look away from the road to adjust the touch-based climate systems.
Where does that leave us? Actually pretty impressed. The Tiggo 8 Pro Max might not have the balancing act between ride quality and performance quite as well tuned as some of its Japanese and Korean rivals, but this is a comfortable, quiet, and refined SUV that, importantly, feels very normal. There’s no deal-breaking safety bugs, or a terrible transmission or frustrating software that takes away from the experience. Chery is learning, and it’s learning fast.
Depending on which version of the Duster you opt for, they’re rather different beasts. The most ‘normal’ version is the FWD auto.
This powertrain combination with the 1.3-litre turbo four-cylinder and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic immediately feels familiar if you’ve driven a current Arkana or Captur.
There’s enough power underfoot to get moving along briskly, though you won’t be breaking the land speed record anytime soon. There’s also a wealth of torque allowing the engine to feel like it’s not working hard.
It’s fun to listen to the turbo spool up during moderate acceleration, though the four-cylinder engine note doesn’t necessarily inspire you.
For the most part the seven-speed dual-clutch operates smoothly, though it can get caught out during low-speed manoeuvres. It’s also clearly tuned for economy as it likes to shift up to the next gear quickly.
The AWD Duster, on the other hand, is where the fun and true character of this quirky SUV shines. With the three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and the manual transmission, it’s far from the quickest vehicle out there. It’s faster than a Suzuki Jimny, though.
While progress may be relatively docile, the gruff three-cylinder engine note is addictive. There’s also plenty of torque on tap, so you don’t need to downshift to get things moving.
The manual selector feels chunky in the hand and the clutch biting point is easy to get your head around. Unlike some petrol-powered manual cars, this one’s hard to stall. Even if you do, once you put your foot back on the clutch, the car restarts automatically.
Where the AWD Duster gains extra character points is by having a 48V mild-hybrid system. It doesn’t do anything to drastically alter the driving experience apart from adding a tiny boost to acceleration and extending and smoothing the engine idle stop-start system.
During our launch drive program we had the opportunity to drive the front- and AWD Duster off the beaten path, as well. While you’d expect the latter to be good, the former surprised me in terms of just how far it could go. It’s clear the platform is set up for all-terrain capability, no matter the powertrain configuration.
For added peace of mind off-road, however, the AWD has a higher ground clearance (212mm vs 174mm), as well as a range of terrain modes, including a ‘Lock’ setting that splits torque evenly between the front and rear axles.
The AWD Duster is pretty unstoppable off-road. It’s not quite a Jimny tamer in terms of outright off-road-ability, but I estimate the Duster could do 80 per cent of what a Jimny could do.
While the Duster mightn’t be an outright off-road beast, it well and truly makes it up with on-road finesse. The most noticeable element is the suspension. It feels supple, balanced and controlled no matter the surface. Sure there’s some body roll in the bends, but this isn’t trying to be a sports car.
There are some differences between the front- and AWD Duster when it comes to the rear suspension. The former has a torsion beam set-up, while the latter has a multi-link arrangement. In practice, however, it’s hard to tell any difference between the two.
The steering is direct and on the lighter side which helps with manoeuvrability, though there’s a general lack of feel. It’s considerably better than the Jimny’s vague steering, though.
In terms of parking the Duster has a tight turning circle. Rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are standard in the Evolution, though the Techno adds front and side parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera.
The camera systems in this car are poor. They’re mushy-looking with poor resolution and horrible colour balance. It’d be great to see higher quality units installed, especially because the multimedia screen is so high-resolution.
Forward visibility from the driver’s seat is fantastic through the rather upright windscreen. You also get a good view of the muscular-looking bonnet.
Side visibility is great, which helps make checking blind spots easier, plus the rear envelope is sizable.
The safety systems in this car are largely easy to live with, though the lane-keep assist can grab at the steering wheel a bit too much on roads with tight lanes or poor lane markings.
Thankfully there’s a button on the dashboard that turns this, and any other safety system that annoys you off, so you can keep on motoring without safety nanny intrusion.
Lastly in terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the Duster is impressively quiet at low speeds. You can even travel at 60-80km/h along gravel roads and in the cabin it sounds like you’re on a sealed surface.
Once you get out on the open road at highway speeds there’s noticeable road and wind noise, but I’ve experienced much worse in small SUV rivals at a similar price point.
Every Tiggo 8 Pro Max gets the full array of active safety gear, including auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear auto braking, traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert, and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist.
It also scores the expected array of traction and brake controls, as well as a 360-degree parking camera, and dual ISOFIX positions on the outboard rear seats.
The airbag total seems to come to 10 with dual front, dual curtain, quad side, a front centre airbag, and a knee airbag, although from what we can tell the curtain and side airbag coverage unfortunately still doesn’t manage to extend the full length of the third row. Worth keeping in mind if you plan on regularly putting people back there.
At the time of writing the Tiggo 8 Pro Max was yet to get an ANCAP safety rating.
The Renault Duster hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP just yet, though the Dacia Duster did receive a three- out of five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2024.
As standard there are six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
Stepping up to the Techno gets you blind-spot monitoring, front and side parking sensors as well as a surround-view camera.
Notably absent from the entire line-up is rear cross-traffic alert, as well as adaptive cruise control. There’s only standard cruise control on offer.
There are two ISOFIX points, as well as three top-tether child seat anchorage points on the rear seat bench.
Chery offers its line-up with seven years and unlimited kilometres of warranty, seven-years of capped-price servicing, and seven years of roadside assist.
The roadside assist is topped up on a 12 monthly basis so long as you service with Chery. At the time of writing, Chery was yet to provide costings for its capped-price servicing program, but if it follows the same scheme as the Omoda 5 and Tiggo 7, it will be competitive.
The Renault Duster is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assistance.
Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 30,000km, which is mainstream for the commercial vehicle segment, but incredibly rare for a regular car. These long intervals are handy for those who travel long distances.
The first five services have capped pricing. All up these cost $2685 for FWD Dusters or $2475 for AWD Dusters. These average out to $537 and $495, respectively, per service.
Alternatively, you can purchase a five-year, pre-paid service plan for $2150 for FWD Dusters or $2100 for AWD Dusters. This is a saving of over $500, depending on the version, compared to pay-as-you-go.