Chery Tiggo 8 PRO MAX News

It broke the ice, unveiling the first Chinese passenger car to hit the Aussie new car market when its city-sized J1 hatch arrived here in 2011.

Chinese carmaker Jaecoo has confirmed its J5 small SUV will go on sale in the United Kingdom paving the way for the small SUV’s entrance to Australia.The J5 looks very much like the J7 mid-sized SUV only smaller, measuring 4.3m in length, and rivalling the Kia Seltos, Mitsubishi ASX and Mazda CX-30.The J5 will debut in the UK with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.In the UK the five-seater SUV will go on sale in two trim levels: the Pure and the Luxury.Coming standard on the Pure will be a six-speaker stereo, power adjustable front seats and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Stepping up to the Luxury will add a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats and wireless phone charging.Jaecoo is the luxury-focussed sub-brand of Chery and currently has two SUVs on sale in Australia - the mid-sized J7 and the J8 large SUV.The J5 will definitely be making its way to Australia as well, but as to when this will happen is unknown. Recently Jaecoo Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer, Roy Munoz, confirmed the J5 is headed to Australia to CarsGuide, but didn't reveal timing.Pricing for the J5 hasn't been announced in the UK nor Australia, but buyers can be certain it will be less than the J7 and the J8.As a guide the J7 starts at $34,990 drive-away and the entry grade J8 is $49,990.Jaecoo doesn't have any electric vehicles on sale currently in Australia with both the J7 and J8 using petrol engines, but the J7 is also available with plug-in hybrid power.Jaecoo is a very new brand to Australia having only arrived in May this year and follows its parent company Chery, which launched its vehicles here in 2023.Currently Chery has several models on sale in Australia including the petrol powered C5 small SUV and its E5 electric twin, while there’s three hybrid SUVs also available: the small Tiggo 4, the mid-sized Tiggo 7 and the large Tiggo 8. 

Chery sticks it to its key Chinese rivals with ultra-affordable plug-in hybrid versions of its two mid-size SUVs

Chery Australia has confirmed it’ll introduce plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology this July with the updated Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 SUVs.

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max has been given a facelift, a new transmission and a reshuffled line-up in China alongside a few modest technology upgrades.

The Australian new-car market is going through a massive shift with new brands and nameplates launching at a more rapid rate than ever.

Two new three-row family-friendly SUVs from China have been awarded five stars in ANCAP safety testing. The GWM Tank 500 frame-based large three-row SUV and Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max monocoque seven-seater both scored maximum stars. GWM’s off-roader was given extra praise for its record 93 per cent score in the strict 2023-2025 Child Occupant Protection criteria thanks to its direct child presence detection system. More than just weight on a seat or cameras, the system is said to be able to detect physical and respiratory movements to warn if an occupant has been locked inside the vehicle. It can either beep or send a notification to your phone if that's the case.“Our protocols encourage the fitment of direct child presence detection systems in an effort to reduce instances where children are inadvertently left in a car,” said ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg. “The CPD system fitted to the GWM Tank 500 is one of the more advanced systems assessed by ANCAP so far, and it's great to see manufacturers implementing this potentially life-saving technology,” Ms Hoorweg added.In the remaining categories, the GWM Tank 500 scored 85 per cent in Adult Occupant Protection, 81 per cent in Vulnerable Road User and 84 per cent in Safety Assist. The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max was also awarded five stars with consistent results across the board. It joins Chery’s already five-star Tiggo 7 Pro medium SUV and Omoda 5 small SUV.“Chery’s latest offering adds to their current five-star SUV line-up, with safer options for buyers,” said Ms Hoorweg.And it’s no surprise the 7 and 8 were rated the same, as the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max was given its score on ANCAP’s partner program. This is when mechanically related vehicles share a score. Twins under the skin like the Kia Rio/Stonic fall under this program.This is despite the Tiggo 8 Pro Max having a 50mm longer wheelbase, 207mm longer body and two extra seats compared to the Tiggo 7 Pro. ANCAP told CarsGuide that the only additional test was for pedestrian impact safety.The Tiggo 8 Pro Max scored 88 per cent in Adult Occupant, 87 per cent in Child Occupant, 79 per cent in Vulnerable Road User and 86 per cent for Safety Assist. ANCAP’s literature lists 10 airbags , the same number as in the Tiggo 7 Pro. Those are dual frontal, side chest-protecting, side head-protecting (1st & 2nd row) airbags, a driver’s knee and centre airbags. We observed that the Tiggo 8 Pro Max’s side curtain airbags did not appear to offer full third row coverage, however. There are no top tether anchors in the GWM Tank 500 or Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max’s third rows, and ANCAP recommends that “these seating positions are therefore not suitable for transporting young children".