Chery Tiggo 8 2026 review: Ultimate Super Hybrid long-term | Part 2

Two months into the long-term test of the Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid now and I know this car so well it could put me down as a referee next time it applies for a job. 

So here’s the reference so far, and while this large plug-in hybrid SUV is excellent in many ways there are a couple of personality traits you’d want me to tell you about. 

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What’s a petrol station?

The catch, as with all plug-in hybrids, is you have to charge it regularly. I found if the charge in the battery fell below 40 per cent the fuel consumption started to climb fast as the engine worked to keep the battery charged and drive the wheels.

This month we drove 510 kilometres with half a tank left - I refilled to full and put in 27.7 litres. That works out to be 5.4L/100km. So while I didn’t break any long distance personal bests, I probably would have, had I driven it more. 

The reason I didn’t drive it further is because in the past week I’ve been testing the Toyota GR Yaris which is so fun to drive I chose it over the Tiggo 8 for every trip we did. And that brings me to the first not-so-great thing about the Tiggo 8 - the way it drives.

It’s the destination not the journey

The Tiggo 8 isn’t bad to drive, it’s just not great, if that makes sense. I will say it’s comfortable but to the point where the suspension is so soft and ‘bouncy’ that there are times when the SUV doesn’t feel as planted as it should be. This is especially noticeable in bends with mid-corner bumps where it can become unsettled. 

Acceleration can overcome traction, too, causing the tyres to squeal just because you didn’t dab the accelerator with the pressure of a feather. This takes some getting used to but it’s not a deal breaker.

The driving position might be a deal breaker for you, though. The driver’s seat is too high, even on the lowest setting. I think this might be to do with the battery under the floor eating into the cabin space.

But I think the worst characteristic of the Tiggo 8 is the gear shifter which requires so much force to be placed on the brake pedal when shifting from Drive to Reverse otherwise neutral is engaged. The number of times I’ve been half way through a three-point turn and holding up traffic because I keep rolling back in neutral is beyond a joke.

Always conveniently ready

It’s not all bad, I promise. Actually it’s mostly all good - especially the way Tiggo 8 unlocks itself, opens the door handles, switches the LED headlights on and turns the climate control on as it detects the key but before you even reach the car. The reverse goes for when you leave the car - it locks itself automatically. No need to get the key out or even touch the door handle. 

The boot’s hands-free ‘foot-sweep’ gesture control function also works really well. Even today with my hands full of grocery bags I didn’t have to put them down to open the tailgate.

Space ship

This month the Tiggo 8 has been hauling a variety of cargo from large boxes to grocery shopping. I’ve been impressed constantly by its boot capacity and even the space behind the third row is excellent.  

The design of the floating centre console is outstanding with storage underneath and wide open area on top to charge your phone. There’s nothing worse than cars which have hidey holes for phones to charge, making them hard to retrieve.

People space is also great and having the option to move the front passenger seat forward from the rear row using controls mounted on the seat is so helpful as a parent trying to get small children into their own seats.

Well, that’s it for this month - this next instalment you read will be the last and hopefully I’ll be able to drive enough to get my 869km from a single tank. 

Acquired: December, 2025

Distance travelled this month: 510km

Odometer: 8267km

Average fuel consumption this month: 5.4L/100km (measured at the pump)