Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid 2025 Review

Priced from $45,990 drive-away for the Urban and $49,990 for the range-topping Ultimate, the 2025 Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is the most affordable plug-in hybrid seven-seat SUV you can buy new in Australia right now.

There’s a significant margin between this and its closest rivals too, but mostly because there aren’t many. For a seven-seat Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, prices start from less than $70k, while the Kia Sorento PHEV kicks off from $84,660.

If you can wait until early 2026, BYD is set to launch the Sealion 8 seven-seat plug-in hybrid, which is all but certain to be much closer in price to the Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid.

For the price, equipment levels in the Tiggo 8 are great. The base Urban rides on 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Continental rubber, and features LED headlights, taillights and daytime running lights (DRLs), dynamic indicators, puddle lamps, flush exterior door handles, nine airbags, a 360-degree camera, and leather-appointed upholstery with a six-way powered driver’s seat.

Other equipment includes a 15.6-inch central display, 10.25-inch driver’s instrument cluster, wireless phone charging and a 10-speaker sound system. The range-topping Ultimate adds heated and ventilated front seats, an in-built headrest speaker for the driver, panoramic sunroof and tinted windows.

Like the related Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid, the powertrain consists of a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (105kW/215Nm) mated to a 150kW electric motor. Both SUVs are exclusively front-wheel drive, with power sent via a single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission.

One difference is the Tiggo 8’s slightly larger 18.4kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack, which is said to offer up to 95km (NEDC) of electric-only driving, just a little more than the Tiggo 7.

Meanwhile, a combined driving range (from a full battery and fuel tank) is around 1200km, says Chery, while the battery pack can be recharged from 30 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes (40kW DC charging).

As per the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid, the Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is covered by Chery’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and services are due every 12 months or 15,000km; those will cost $947 or $1595 in the first three and five years, respectively.

The sixth service (72 months or 90,000km) is listed at a whopping $1291.31, with the first seven years of services totalling a little more than $3100.

There’s a real wow-factor to the 2025 Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid’s interior, thanks to a mix of premium materials and a huge central touch-screen that dominates the dash. Leather-appointed seats are nicely cushioned and soft-touch, as are most of the touchpoints around the cabin.

That huge central touch-screen is mostly intuitive in terms of layout, with great graphics and resolution, but it does take some practice locating different vehicle controls, many of which are done through the screen.

The good news is, there’s plenty of customisation options, as well as a drop-down menu that brings easy access to key controls (you can save your favourites). The bad news (for some) is there’s very little in the way of physical dials and controls, meaning you’ll have to take your eyes off the road to dig into the screen.

Otherwise, there’s little distraction behind the wheel and like the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid, it’s clear Chery has significantly improved the calibration of its driver assistance aids, which are much better in both new SUVs than its previous attempts.

It’s mostly good news from the driver’s seat too, with a plush and compliant ride that manages to disguise most road imperfections and rougher B-roads. The hushed cabin also seems to mute much of what’s going on beneath you, although there are hints of road noise as soon as you hit coarse-chip surfaces, but nothing major.

The ‘Super Hybrid’ system here is just like the Tiggo 7 PHEV’s – albeit with a 0.1kWh larger battery pack – and delivers a similarly positive experience. The transition between petrol and electric propulsion is all but imperceptible, and there’s a level of confidence brought about by the electric motor, which is always on hand, ready to deliver a surge of power where needed.

In terms of efficiency, the plug-in Tiggo 8 also seems well sorted. We saw an average fuel consumption of 4.3L per 100km, on a test car that’d had several different drivers and travelled around 200km. That’s a bit off Chery’s claim of 1.3L/100km, however, impressive for a seven-seater.

Speaking of, if you’re buying this with the intention of using the third row often – as opposed to just using it as a five-seater with a large boot – you’ll be glad to know a pair of adults will fit relatively comfortably back there, so long as those in the second row are happy to sacrifice some of their leg space.

Think of it more like a 5+2 seater, rather than a proper seven-seater.

There’s no denying the 2025 Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid’s outstanding value proposition, but like most things, it comes with compromise.

There are some sore points here that mirror the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid, including the fact there’s no spare tyre (only a repair kit) and you must fill it up with premium 95 RON unleaded, rather than cheaper 91 RON petrol that many competitors can use. That’ll cost you a little more at the pump.

There’s also no top tether or ISOFIX child seat anchorage points for the third row. So, if you plan on putting small kids back there, they need to have graduated from their child seats.

Another minor qualm we had was accessing the third row. It could be because the car we drove was basically brand new and still a bit stiff, but the seat fold mechanism on the second row was difficult to operate; we can’t imagine children being able to do it without the help of an adult.

As mentioned, up front, there aren’t many physical, dials or buttons surrounding the touch-screen and while the ‘Hello Chery’ voice control feature makes tasks like changing the air-con temperature or fan speed much easier on the move, there are lots of things it can’t help with, such as switching off any driver aids you may wish to.

There’s also no obvious physical volume control for front passengers. The driver gets volume controls on the steering wheel, however, if the person in the front passenger seat wants to change the volume, they’ll have to swipe down on the touchscreen and use a slider bar to control the volume.

As for the driving side, expect steering that lacks any real feel or feedback and a little body roll (especially if you drive with any semblance of enthusiasm) when cornering. Speaking of enthusiasm, you’ll likely be met with a fair bit of wheel spin if you plant the throttle, even on the move. Some may long for the surety of an all-wheel-drive system.

All in all, it’s an easy daily commuter, if not a little bland.

The 2025 Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid hits a sweet spot for families wanting a plug-in hybrid SUV without the premium price tag.

In fact, it’s the most affordable plug-in seven-seat SUV on the market today. It can’t match the polish or badge cred of rivals like Mitsubishi or Kia, yet it makes up for it with generous equipment levels, arguably more modern tech and a cabin that feels impressively well-finished for the price.

Its electric-only driving range is useful for daily commutes, while a surprisingly refined driving experience (for the most part) is another tick.

If you can look past compromises like those third-row restrictions and the fact it’s front-wheel drive, the Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid is well worth a closer look for buyers wanting efficient and family-friendly transport for less than $50k.

2025 Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid Ultimate at a glance:
Price: $49,990 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 (NEDC)
Fuel: 1.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 30g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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