Chery Tiggo 8 vs Gac Aion V

What's the difference?

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.

Candidly, I questioned the logic behind GAC entering the Australian market, especially now given the seemingly non-stop influx of other brands. How could it really hope to stand a chance against so many similarly priced and similarly equipped rivals?

Well, the answer is by providing a better product. The Aion V is simply a better package than many of its rivals, Chinese and otherwise, at least based on our initial impressions.

It combines value and practicality but also adds a level of driving comfort and manners its Chinese rivals can’t match.

Is that enough to guarantee success? Not at all, but it’s a strong foundation to start with and at least gives GAC a fighting chance to not get lost in the crowd.

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

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.

One of the most notable elements of the Aion V design is the absence of a ‘GAC’ badge on the front. That’s because, while all GAC models in Australia will be sold under the one name, in its native China there are several different sub-brands. GAC Aion is the ‘new energy vehicles’ brand, focused on electric vehicles (EVs), while the smaller Emzoom SUV is part of the more mainstream Trumpchi brand that offers internal combustion engine models.

It means the three cars sold initially, and even as the brand moves forward with its expansion plans, there will likely be stark visual differences between models because they are effectively different brands. In the same way Holden ended up with a mixture of Opel, Chevrolet and GMC products in its final years.

Having said all that, the Aion V itself is an inoffensive design. It’s not as generic as some of its rivals, with some design character around the headlights and silhouette, so overall it cuts a likeable figure without being particularly memorable.

Like so many modern cars, the Aion V has a very simplistic layout inside, with more screens and less physical buttons and switches to reduce cost and complexity. There’s an 8.8-inch digital instrument display and a 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen in the centre on the dashboard.

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.

In terms of practicality there’s a handy space for a wireless smartphone charging pad, and that previously mentioned heated or cooled centre console box. Oddly, though, there is no traditional glove box. Instead there are just a pair of bag hooks ahead of the front seat passenger.

Space is good for a mid-size SUV, with a roomy front and respectable space in the second row. It would comfortably accommodate four adults, so would be a good option for families with older children.

As for the boot, it’s a generous 427 litres and has multiple adjustable floor heights available. Disappointingly, even though it has space for a spare, potentially even a full-size one, it only has a tyre repair kit. That might be fine in some markets around the world, but in the vastness of Australia, that is not the best option. Even a space-saver spare would be a better bet.

Starting with the basics, the Aion V is a five-seat electric SUV priced from just $42,590, before on-road costs, for the entry-level model.

Now, not too long ago an all-electric SUV for under $45K would be a revelation and would have made an impact on this market. But there are plenty of alternatives to choose from these days at similar money, including the Geely, Leapmotor and the BYD Atto 3.

Even so, at $42,590 for the entry-level Premium and $44,590 BOC for the more-premium-than-Premium Luxury variant, that’s still very competitive pricing.

For that money you get a well-appointed mid-size SUV, with even the base model equipped with LED headlights and tail-lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control and a nine-speaker stereo.

Stepping up to the Luxury adds partial genuine leather seats, massaging front seats and a box in the centre console that can act as a fridge and a warmer, depending on your needs.

While neither the cheapest EV nor the best-appointed, the Aion V does a nice job of offering a compelling value proposition in its competitive set.

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.

Both the Aion V Premium and Luxury are powered by a 150kW/210Nm electric motor, which drives the front wheels. 

Aion doesn’t claim a 0-100km/h time, but it wouldn’t be quick, at least not in EV terms. If you’re looking for a ludicrously powerful electric car - this ain’t it. It’s a perfectly fine powertrain for the job at hand, but it won’t blow your socks off with its performance and will take more than eight seconds to run 0-100km/h.

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.

The battery is 75.2kWh lithium-phosphate type, which provides a claimed range of 510km. Importantly, that figure is on the WLTP cycle, not the more lenient Chinese (CLTC) test protocol, so you could reasonably expect close to that target in the real world.

GAC claims it can accept up to 180kW charging speeds, which will get the battery from 10-80 per cent in just 24 minutes. 

It also has vehicle-to-load functionality, so you can draw power from the battery for tools or appliances if you need it.

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.

This is perhaps the area where the Aion V surprised the most. One of the most consistent qualities of these new Chinese-developed models is their incompatibility with Australia’s unique road conditions. They have a tendency to lack comfortable, controlled suspension and well-weighted and consistent steering.

That’s not the case with the Aion V, with GAC clearly taking the benefits from the partnerships it has with Toyota and Honda to learn what international markets prefer. Is this a clear standout, class-leading SUV dynamically? No. But it is above-average in the way it rides and handles.

The suspension is well resolved and feels comfortable to live with, while the steering is nice and direct, which will make navigating the cities, suburbs and open roads more easy and enjoyable. 

There is still some fine-tuning that could make it better, but overall the Aion V leaves a positive first impression. 

GAC is offering the same safety equipment across both models, which is a nice touch to avoid any need to compromise.

This includes full airbag protection for all occupants, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system. 

There’s also a lengthy list of driver assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition, emergency lane keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert and door opening warning.

These systems could benefit from some real-world testing and calibration, because while better than some, they were still intrusive and annoying at times - most notably the driver attention monitoring.

ANCAP has not yet tested the Aion V, but it has received a maximum five-star rating from Euro NCAP, which typically carries over to the local body.

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.

The Aion V is covered by an eight-year, unlimited kilometre warranty which is well ahead of the mainstream pack, typically sitting at five years, unlimited km. The drive battery is also covered for eight years, 200,000km and roadside assist is included for five years. Recommended service interval and costs are still to be confirmed.

But one of the biggest challenges for all these new car brands is finding space in the Australian market - literally. If you want to sell a lot of new cars you need a lot of new car showrooms and if you want to keep customers happy, you’ll need enough service centres to keep cars on the road as much as possible.

GAC has plans to have as many as 100 dealerships in the next five years, but right now it has reportedly less than a dozen. That will make servicing problematic if you do not live in close proximity to a service centre. This isn’t the work of a moment either, with so many new brands fighting for dealership real estate and staff there are only so many places GAC can set up shop.