While Chery’s stand at the Malaysia Autoshow wasn’t exactly a hubbub of activity (the real action for the company was happening elsewhere), the Chinese brand still had something to show at the event. As promised, it debuted the plug-in hybrid version of the Tiggo 8 Pro, the e+, albeit only as a preview and in left-hand-drive form.
At the heart of this particular Tiggo 8 Pro sits the Omoda 5’s 156 PS/230 Nm 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, here paired to twin electric motors integrated into the three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). Total system output is rated at 326 PS and an impressive 545 Nm of torque.
In China, the Tiggo 8 Pro e+ is available with two battery sizes – the smaller one delivers a pure electric range of 42 km on the WLTP cycle, while the larger 19.27 kWh unit stretches this to 80 km. All models support up to 29 kW DC fast charging and up to 6.6 kW AC charging; the bigger battery also enables a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function at up to 3.3 kW.
Chery says that its PHEV has nine operating modes – single-motor pure electric, dual-motor pure electric, series and extended range mode, direct engine drive mode and parallel drive mode. Despite differentiating between single- and dual-motor operation, the Tiggo 8 Pro e+ is resolutely a front-wheel-drive vehicle.
The other four are related to energy recovery – parking and charge mode, driving and charge mode, single-motor brake energy regeneration and dual-motor brake energy regeneration. This is par for the course for PHEVs, with the exception of the aforementioned single- and dual-motor modes.
There’s little that differentiates the e+ on the outside, unlike in China where it gets an entirely new front end. That means you’ll still find a massive Audi-style “galaxy” front grille, trapezoidal LED headlights with twin L-shaped daytime running lights, chrome door and window strips and full-width taillights. Even the 19-inch two-tone alloys are identical to the petrol version’s.
Just three items are actually different – the charging port door on the front left fender, the blue ring around the fuel filler cap and a new diffuser that dispenses the real quad exhausts for twin fake ones. That’s not surprising, given that you also see this on the Omoda 5 with the same engine.
The same can be said about the interior, which carries over the seven-seat layout, Mercedes-inspired dashboard (replete with a widescreen display panel with twin 12.3-inch screens) and even the black-and-brown colour scheme. The only visible difference is the blue trim on the electronic gear selector.
No details about local availability have been revealed, only that the car will arrive in CKD locally-assembled form. The car was initially scheduled to arrive early this year, and that deadline has long since passed, so your guess as to when it will actually come are as good as ours. Are the specs good enough to tempt you into one when it eventually arrives here? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
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