Car of the Year: Chery Tiggo 8
“Almost too good to be true”
"Chery’s debut to the UK market could hardly be more impressive. The Tiggo 8 is one of those cars that seems almost too good to be true - it’s a premium-feeling SUV with loads of space for seven occupants, a cutting-edge hybrid system, all the luxury kit you could want… yet it costs about the same as a European hatchback. If a Chinese car was ever going to conquer the market, it should be this one - it’s unbeatable value and feels like so much more than a budget family bus." - Mat Watson, Car Review Expert
The Chery Tiggo 8 has come out of nowhere to take the top spot in the Carwow Car of the Year Awards 2026, but when you look at the space and quality this seven-seat SUV offers at such an affordable price you can see why its spot atop the podium is completely justified. The highlight is the interior – nothing else that costs this little has such a high-quality cabin, while the infotainment system is crystal clear and loads menus as fast as the latest tablets. There’s loads of space, too, which is good news for families.
You have a choice of a petrol or plug-in hybrid engines, but it’s the latter that really impresses. It has a good all-electric range, which helps keep fuel bills low, but even more important is the fact it’s over £10,000 cheaper than equivalent seven-seat hybrid SUVs – and there’s very little in the way of compromise as a result. Okay, so it’s not the most satisfying car to drive, but for families looking for space and quality with a heavy dose of value for money, the Tiggo 8 ticks all the right boxes.