Which Chery Tiggo 8 should you buy? We compare the cheapest version to the most expensive – there’s £8,500 between them

It’s fair to say that the Chery Tiggo 8 surprised us. Lots of cars from new Chinese brands have been pretty average so far, but we were so impressed with the Tiggo 8’s blend of practicality, poshness and jaw-dropping value that we named it our Car of the Year for 2026.

But there are a couple of options within the Tiggo 8 range that are worth considering before you place your order. If you end up with the wrong engine or trim level then you could be disappointed.

So I’m going to compare both ends of the Chery Tiggo 8 range. At the entry level, we have the Aspire version, powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine. At the top, there’s the Summit model with the ‘CSH’ plug-in hybrid. There’s a price difference of a whopping £8,500 between these two models – what do you get with each, and which one’s better?

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Cheapest vs most expensive Chery Tiggo 8: engines, performance and running costs

Let’s start with what’s under the bonnet. There are only two engine options for the Chery Tiggo 8, so it’s pretty easy to pick between them depending on your needs.

The base model comes with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It produces 147hp and officially returns 36.2mpg. It’s really nothing special – it’s quite thirsty, not particularly powerful and feels quite rough. It comes paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard, which just like the engine is ‘fine’ – smooth enough, but nothing to write home about.

The plug-in hybrid is more interesting. It’s badged CSH or ‘Chery Super Hybrid’, which means it’s more biased towards the electric motor than the petrol engine. Most of the time, the powerful electric motor will drive the wheels and the 1.5-litre petrol engine will act as a generator, though if you put your foot down you’ll get power from both sources at once. Doing that you’ll get 204hp, making for better performance than the petrol.

Driving on electric most of the time means the Tiggo 8 CSH feels very smooth and responsive, and it’s much quieter than the petrol model too because the engine is usually just ticking over and generating power in an unstressed way. The official fuel economy figure is over 200mpg, which is ridiculous, but on a long trip without charging the battery you’ll see around 50mpg – which is much better than the petrol model.

The trump card is that the CSH is a plug-in hybrid. Top up at home on cheap electricity and you’ll be able to pootle about for around 50 miles without using any petrol at all – or, you can charge up before a long journey to improve your touring economy.

The hybrid model is considerably more expensive to buy than the petrol – there’s a £5,000 price difference. However, it totally transforms the car – it’s so much better that it’s a must-have option in my book.

Cheapest vs most expensive Chery Tiggo 8: interior and standard equipment

The cheapest trim level for the Chery Tiggo 8 is called ‘Aspire’, or you can pay £3,000 extra to upgrade to ‘Summit’ trim instead. Both models look visually identical, which is nice because it doesn’t obviously mark out the cheaper trim. And both versions do come extremely well-equipped.

Aspire versions feature 19-inch alloy wheels, hidden door handles and LED lights all round, so they look pretty smart. On the inside you get a power-adjustable driver’s seat, synthetic leather upholstery with heated front seats and a huge 15.6-inch touchscreen display in the middle that controls almost all of the car’s features.

There’s wireless phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, climate control, a 360-degree camera that can even ‘see’ under the car, and a full suite of electronic safety and driver assistance aids. It’s a kit list that many much more expensive cars would be quite jealous of.

With all that as standard, stepping up to Summit trim for £3,000 might seem pointless. However, it does bring a whole lot of extra equipment. The passenger seat gets electric adjustment and a massage function, both front seats get ventilation and the second row of seats get heating too. A panoramic sunroof brings some more light into the cabin, while you also get ambient lighting, a head-up display, an electric tailgate and a 12-speaker Sony sound system.

In Summit trim, the Tiggo 8 really rivals some luxury limos with its kit list. Don’t expect it all to be as refined as on more expensive cars – the upgraded stereo is still easily outgunned by posher systems, the electric seats don’t get adjustable lumbar support and the touchscreen infotainment system is quite clunky compared to the best. But if your priority is maximum luxury for minimum money, it’s an impressive list.

Cheapest vs most expensive Chery Tiggo 8: my final verdict

So, that’s £5,000 extra for the hybrid engine and £3,000 extra for ‘Summit’ trim – you can also add an extra £500 for optional paint. But which version of the Chery Tiggo 8 offers the best value for money?

Well, there’s no question in my mind that you should pay £5,000 extra for the CSH plug-in hybrid model. It’s not the lower running costs – though you’ll certainly see the benefit at the pumps compared with the thirsty petrol – it’s the improvement in driving dynamics. The petrol engine is noisy, clunky and underpowered, but the plug-in hybrid is smooth and relaxing to drive. It transforms the car and it’s worth every penny.

As for the range-topping trim level, I’m not so sure it’s worth the money. The equipment list is impressive, but everything extra – the massaging seats, the head-up display, the ambient lighting – is something I could live without. And Aspire trim still feels posh enough that you won’t feel shortchanged.

So I would spend £33,545 on a Cherry Tiggo 8 CSH in Aspire trim – and then add £500 for paint to avoid the washing-machine white that comes as standard. That would get you a pretty great example of our reigning Car of the Year.

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