Chery Tiggo 8 CSH Urban 2026 Review

There are two models in the 2026 Chery Tiggo 8 CSH Urban (or Chery Super Hybrid) line-up: the $45,990 drive-away Urban we’re testing here, and the $49,990 Limited.

This is stellar pricing for a seven-seat SUV and remains a key Tiggo 8 CSH attribute.

The dilemma for legacy brands becomes obvious when you consider the Kia Sorento PHEV, a logical rival on size, seat-count and powertrain, which starts at $71,130 plus on-road costs.

The Mitsubishi Outlander and Mazda CX-60 PHEVs get closer on price but are still not on parity. The Nissan X-Trail e-Power starts closer again to Tiggo 8 but is a plugless range extender.

The incoming BYD Sealion 8 is priced from $56,990 plus on-road costs.

Of course, if you’re not into PHEVs, Tiggo 8 pricing starts as low as $41,990 drive-away for the petrol Urban.

With inoffensive slab-sided and guppy-mouthed exterior styling, PHEV powertrain and interior essentials shared, only equipment separates the two Tiggo 8 models.

The Limited alone gets heated and ventilated front seats, driver’s headrest speakers, a head up display, a panoramic slide and tilt sunroof with shade, privacy glass, a massage function for the driver’s seat and illuminated scuff plates.

The equipment they share includes 19-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, hidden doorhandles, a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, a separate 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection, a 50W phone charger, embedded satnav, 10-speaker Sony audio, dual-zone climate control, a powered driver’s seat, synthetic leather seat trim and ambient lighting.

The safety equipment list is extensive, including a huge suite of driver assist systems, a bank of camera views and nine airbags, including curtains that provide head protection to all three seating rows. There is no ANCAP rating yet for the PHEV variant, although the petrol-powered Tiggo 8 models carry a five-star score based on the performance of the related Tiggo 7.

The 2026 Chery Tiggo 8 CSH Urban comes in a choice of five colours, four of which are premium finishes that cost an extra $600.

It also comes with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre battery warranty, up to seven years of roadside assistance when serviced through a Chery dealer, and seven years of capped-price servicing.

Service intervals cost an average of $453.45 every 12 months or 15,000km. The major sting comes at the sixth service, which is priced at $1291.31.

We’ve already talked about two key assets of the 2026 Chery Tiggo 8 CSH Urban and they are its low pricing and high equipment levels.

But the positives go beyond that. Let’s start with the clever, frugal petrol-electric powertrain.

This comprises a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (105kW/215Nm), an e-motor (150kW/310Nm), a one-speed transmission and an 18.4kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack.

While a combined output isn’t given, the system drives the front wheels of the Tiggo 8 along quite briskly.

At 1916kg it’s relatively light for a 4724mm SUV, and its acceleration backs that up. Low-speed torque from the e-motor is strong, with the petrol engine joining in smoothly at higher speeds.

However, the front wheels can squeal and misbehave if too much power is applied, especially on a wet road.

You can tune the character of the powertrain through three drive modes – eco, normal and sport – but the differences aren’t dramatic. Sport adds a bit more surge, but that’s about it.

What is more noticeable is impressive fuel consumption rated as low as a fanciful 1.3L/100km. In the real world, running in hybrid mode, it was more like 6.0L/100km on the recommended 95 RON fuel. Still very good for a seven seat SUV.

In electric vehicle (EV) mode fuel consumption was zero, until the battery state of charge dipped to 25 per cent. The engine would kick in quite seamlessly to recharge the battery and sometimes drive the wheels. The EV+ mode can also be used to turn engine off while using the battery’s reserves.

The EV range is up to 100km depending on conditions, and with an official consumption claim of 15.4kWh/100km, that figure stacks up. The total combined claimed range is 1200km, but that feels optimistic in the real world.

Of course, if you keep the battery’s state of charge topped up – easily done via a 240V connection overnight – and you’re only commuting locally, it’s possible to drive for weeks, if not months, without using any fuel. If you install a wall charger, you can AC-charge at up to 6.6kW, while maximum DC charging is a modest 40kW.

After a while though, a tank of petrol will need to run through the system to preserve the mechanicals.

Only then do you find that the Tiggo 8 is actually quite a pleasant drive. Apart from some tyre roar and a bit of wind noise – partly because the cabin is otherwise very quiet – it’s a hushed place to travel in.

And while it’s not premium in handling or ride, letting some inputs penetrate the cabin on rough surfaces, it’s still a big step forward from when Chery returned to Australia.

The Tiggo 8 CSH shows just how far and how quickly Chery has come in figuring out stuff such as independent suspension tunes and electric-assist steering weights. Again, there are multiple modes to tune through for dynamics including both braking and steering.

Inside, perceived quality is strong for the money, helped by pleasant trims (fake leather, faux wood, plenty of soft-touch plastics).

Space is excellent in the first two rows, and storage up front is generous: a chilled bin, a dual-level centre console, cupholders, door bins and dual phone pads (one doubles as a charger). USB ports sit annoyingly low, but moving the shifter to the steering column frees up extra console space.

The infotainment screen is bright and crisp, with excellent camera clarity. Leave it on the home screen and it displays a peaceful outdoor scene with a crackling fire – oddly relaxing in heavy traffic.

Row two gets sliding, reclining seats, its own vents, USBs, storage and a fold-down armrest. The third row depends on how much space you can borrow from row two; it’s fine for kids or taller passengers on a short trip.

The boot is basic but spacious. Chery doesn’t quote local figures, but South African data lists 494L in five-seat mode and 1930L as a two-seater; the seven-seat figure will be small.

While the 2026 Chery Tiggo 8 CSH Urban is undoubtedly better calibrated than Chery's that have come before it, there are still niggling issues.

There’s no physical volume or audio button on the centre stack, which is genuinely annoying. You can adjust it through the swipe-down menu (or the steering wheel), and that menu also lets you disable things like lane-keeping – far too intrusive for my liking – but oddly, driver monitoring isn’t in there.

The broader issue is that so many functions require diving into the touchscreen.

Even simple tasks like adjusting the air-conditioning take too many taps, and the number of settings borders on excessive – you can even tweak wiper sensitivity.

The screen can also be unresponsive at times, which only adds to the frustration. Sadly, this isn’t just a Tiggo 8 or Chery problem; it’s becoming an industry trend.

Funny enough, the brand will add a physical volume roller in the cheaper five-seat Tiggo 7 CSH. Go figure.

The other screen, the instrument cluster, doesn’t get away scot-free either.

Some numerals – like the cruise control speed – are so tiny they’re basically unreadable, and the whole display is too busy with messages fighting for attention.

Access to the third row is another miss.

The flip-and-slide function is on the driver’s side which is a baffling decision. It sends kids straight into passing cars, and that’s simply not good enough. There are also no top-tether or ISOFIX mounts back there, so child seats are limited to row two.

For a family SUV, a manually operated tailgate also feels like a real oversight. With kids and shopping bags, a powered tailgate (ideally with a kick function) should be standard.

The lack of a spare tyre is a broader industry trend, but it still counts against the Tiggo 8. And if you plan to tow, note it’s limited to just 750kg unbraked.

The 2026 Chery Tiggo 8 CSH Urban is imperfect for sure but it’s a hell of a lot less imperfect than Chery's being sold in Australia just a couple of years ago.

Anyone on a budget who is in the market for a seven-seat family transporter needs to check it out.

Hey, if you’re not on a tight budget, check it out anyway. That powertrain is world class.

Zoom out to the bigger picture, and there are caveats beyond the annoyances this vehicle possesses.

Chery is a young brand in Australia, and we just don’t know how its vehicles will stand up to local rigours, nor how well the dealer network will provide back-up.

The 2026 Tiggo 8 CSH Urban is assuredly a tempting proposition, just go in with your eyes open.

2026 Chery Tiggo 8 CSH Urban at a glance:
Price: $45,990 drive-away
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 105kW/215Nm (electric motor: 150kW/310Nm)
Combined output: Not provided
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Battery: 18.4kWh lithium-iron phosphate
Range: 95km (NEDC)
Energy consumption: 15.4kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel: 1.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 30g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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