Experience luxury on a budget

WHEN Chery was introduced back into the country only a few years ago, many raised their eyebrows following their first cheap and nasty offerings.

- WILLEM VAN DE PUTTE

But there has been a paradigm shift in its perception as South Africans embrace the brand, placing the Chinese manufacturer in the top half of the sales chart.

They provide very decently manufactured, technologically advanced vehicles, and there's no need for any extras because they simply have them all. Most importantly for budget-conscious South Africans, they provide fantastic bang for buck.

They’re also involved in a number of sponsorship and supplier agreements and CSI projects, making them part of the broader South African community.

I hadn’t driven one of their products for a while and was again reminded why they're so popular when the seven-seater Chery Tiggo 8 290T Pro Executive arrived in the driveway.

Exterior

From the front, it’s a striking design with what they call a reinterpretation of the “galaxy full of stars” or the “warp speed grille” adorned with the Chery logo.

At the back, the light clusters are connected by an LED light bar that lights up from the centre to the lower edges of the taillights when the car starts up.

It stands on attractive 18-inch alloy wheels that highlight the bold side view as well as the satin silver roof rails.

Engine

Under the bonnet, it has its 1.6-litre turbocharged T-GDI engine that delivers 145kw and 290Nm coupled to a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission driving the front wheels, but more on that later.

Interior

It’s the interior, though, that impresses, and you wonder how they manage to make it look and feel so premium at the price.