Brian Kelly Tests the Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid in NZ, Real World Fuel Consumption Over 1,000km
13 February, 2026
February 2026.
I love a challenge, so when Evan Campbell from Ingham Tauranga called and issued me with the Tiggo 8 challenge, as I have called it, I grabbed the steering wheel of the impressive SUV with both hands. Evan invited me to take the new Chery Tiggo 8 on a roadie of around 1200ks across real world New Zealand driving conditions to test its economy and driving comfort. The challenge reminded me of the days of the Mobil Economy Runs back in the 70s and 80s, where various cars were driven from Auckland to Wellington to test their economy. I was fortunate enough to take part in a couple of those, and they were very interesting and a lot of fun.
The Chery Tiggo 8 is a large seven-seater family SUV from the Chinese manufacturer that offers space, comfort and all the premium features that have become the norm for the Tiggo range, and at exceptional value for money.
The Trip – Real World NZ Driving Route
Our trip would take us from Tauranga to Gisborne on day 1, spending a couple of nights touring the Gisborne region then heading to Hawkes Bay, with a night in Napier and then onto Martinborough where we would spend three days enjoying the Wairarapa region. The challenge was to evaluate the economy of the Tiggo 8 and see how far a full charge and a full tank of gas would take us.
Our trip would take us from Tauranga to Gisborne on day 1, spending a couple of nights touring the Gisborne region then heading to Hawkes Bay, with a night in Napier and then onto Martinborough where we would spend three days enjoying the Wairarapa region. The challenge was to evaluate the economy of the Tiggo 8 and see how far a full charge and a full tank of gas would take us.
The drive from Tauranga to Gisborne took us through the Waioeka Gorge. Fortunately the weather was dry and sunny and the Gorge was open. As you know it’s a very winding road and can be a challenge to drive, but we arrived safely at our Gisborne destination and I have to say the Tiggo handled the winding road brilliantly, offering plenty of power when needed, and from both the driver and passengers point of view, incredibly comfortable. At the end of our Gisborne leg, after touring the region, we had done 356.3 kilometres with 780 kilometres of range remaining.
Gisborne to Napier, Hybrid Fuel Economy on Winding Roads
Another fairly windy, hilly road down the East Coast with a lunch break at Wairoa. This large family SUV handled the windy roads superbly and at times when passing a slower vehicle was required, there was power to spare. We overnighted in Napier and with the ODO showing 539km of fuel remaining it was time to head to the Wairarapa via Highway 50 which brings you back out onto SH 2 just out of Norsewood. This road was flat and far less challenging than the run down the East Coast, and with the Tiggo in cruise control it was a pleasure to drive.
On our final day in Martinborough, the fuel warning flashed informing us the fuel was low and the electric motor was taking over. No panic, there was 16km of battery life remaining. In total, we had done 1010 kilometres on a tank of gas and at refuel, we had 11km remaining on the battery. We refuelled, taking on 57 litres ready for the long return trip to Tauranga. Across this New Zealand road trip covering highways, hills and town driving, we averaged 4.7L per 100km.
At journey’s end, back in the Bay, we had 491km of fuel remaining. I did notice that at one stage on our trip home, between Turangi and Taupo our fuel reading was down as low as 2.5L per 100km. Pretty impressive.
All up we found the Chery Tiggo 8 an exceptional SUV to drive, bearing in mind it’s a large, seven-seater that is designed as a family-friendly vehicle. It’s spacious and comfortable with modern styling. Not only was it great to drive on the open road but it felt equally at home around town. As I have mentioned in previous Tiggo reviews, Chery spares no expense on the interior with a large screen and a heads-up display for the driver plus all the usual apps.
On returning the 8 to Ingham Tauranga, they had just taken delivery of the Chery Tiggo 8 all-wheel drive petrol model and suggested I take it for a spin. Being all-wheel drive and petrol only it was incredibly responsive and handled exceptionally well, but the most outstanding feature, well one of many, was its price. How’s this… $45,000 plus on-roads… for a brand new seven-seater family SUV with a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Amazing value for money.
The Chery Tiggo 8 is most definitely worth a test drive.