The Chery Tiggo 8 PLUS Kunpeng e+ proves the company is a long way from its roots.
Chery is one of the many Chinese car brands that are selling millions of vehicles each year without many Malaysians even knowing of their existence. Just last week, the company released a new plug-in hybrid version of their Tiggo 8 SUV. This plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is called the Chery Tiggo 8 PLUS Kunpeng e+. While the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, it rolls off the tarmac from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds and that alone should be enough to get some car enthusiasts interested.
While the standard Chery Tiggo 8 Pro came with a 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine, this Chery Tiggo 8 PLUS Kunpeng e+ (I’m going to keep calling it that) is equipped with a 1.5-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine AND two electric motors. These motors are at the front and rear axles and with the petrol engine allow for a total output of 326 horsepower and 510Nm of torque. European NEDC measurements put the vehicle’s fuel efficiency at 1L per 100km.
Chery has also programmed loads of driving modes into the Tiggo 8 Plus Kunpeng e+. These include medium and low speed, elevated, high speed, long-distance, overtaking, mountain road, high-speed steering, start, red light, congestion, ice, snow, mud, sand and intelligent mode. If that wasn’t enough, there are also modes for controlling the behaviour of the powertrain – Normal, EV and HEV-Sport.
The electric elements of the Tiggo 8 Plus Kunpeng e+ get their power from a fairly large 19.27 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. On a full charge, this battery pack enables pure electric driving up to 100km, which is extremely impressive. For context, a Volvo PHEV like the S60 T8 can deliver less than half of that EV range on a full charge. With the petrol and electric motors working together, the Chery Tiggo 8 Plus Kunpeng e+ gets from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds! That’s faster than the base model Porsche 718 Boxster accelerates! What’s even MORE impressive is the price that of this Chery Tiggo 8 PLUS Kunpeng e+. In China, it costs just 151,800 yuan, which is just over RM100,000 before taxes and duties!
Now, at this point, the Chery Tiggo 8 PLUS Kunpeng e+ (that’s right, there are actually two ‘plusses’ in its name) sounds like a steal. But you haven’t even heard the half of it. This vehicle is loaded to the brim with equipment you’d only expect from the best premium brands out there. The interior has a triple screen floating infotainment system with a 7″ LCD for the driver’s instruments, a 12.3″ LCD screen for the entertainment and an 8″ LCD for the climate controls.
The rest of the interior is pleasant with grey and black making up much of the cabin and a 3-spoke steering with a flat bottom being another standout element. The outside looks a lot like the Tiggo 8 Pro, but with a new grille-coloured bumper accent to make the face look a little more pronounced.
