New Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max vs Toyota Fortuner – Which offers better value for money

Chery has introduced a new all-wheel-drive version of its Tiggo 8 Pro Max series, which is positioned as the flagship of the range at a starting price of R731,900.
The new SUV is competing in one of South Africa’s most popular segments and has a price that is nearly identical to one of the best-selling cars in the country – the Toyota Fortuner.
In fact, the Tiggo 8 has a price tag that is just R1,200 shy of the Fortuner’s 2.4GD-6 4×4 model, making for an interesting comparison regarding what the newcomer has to offer compared to the top dog in its category.
Performance
The Chery draws its power from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which generates 187kW and 390Nm.
This is transmitted to each axle using a seven-speed automatic gearbox, which returns an average fuel consumption of 8.7l/100km.
The Toyota, meanwhile, is driven by a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel unit which has noticeably less power at 110kW but roughly the same amount of torque at 400Nm.
It relies on a six-speed automatic shifter and has a lower fuel consumption of 7.6l/100km thanks to its preference for diesel.
Both cars have traction and stability control as well as hill assist and hill-descent control, while the Fortuner gets a limited-slip differential, a low-range transfer box, and a rear diff lock.
The Tiggo also boasts a ground clearance of 203mm compared to 279mm for its rival.
Features
Both the Chery and the Toyota are seven-seater SUVs, and the former has space in the boot for 117 litres when all the seats are up, and 739 litres with the rear bench folded, while the latter can accommodate between between 200 and 716 litres.
Both vehicles come standard with keyless entry and start, front and rear park-distance control, and an infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto.
Items unique to the Fortuner include an 8.0-inch media screen, partial leather upholstery, manual aircon, cruise control, a reverse camera, a multi-info driver’s display, and six speakers.
The Tiggo, in contrast, has a much longer spec sheet that includes two 12.3-inch driver and infotainment displays, dual-zone climate control, a fragrance system with three scents, a 10-speaker Sony stereo, 64-colour ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, quilted leather seats with heating and ventilation, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic congestion assistance, intelligent evasion assist, a 360-degree camera, a driving view recorder, and a smart driver monitor.
Pricing
The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0TGDI Executive AWD has a South African starting price of R731,900.
This includes a 5-year/150,000km warranty, a 7-year/90,000km service plan, a 5-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance plan, and a 10-year/1-million-kilometre engine warranty.
The Toyota Fortuner 2.4GD-6 4×4 has a local starting price of R733,100.
Each purchase comes with a 3-year/100,000km warranty and a 9-service/90,0000km service plan.