Car Review: What makes Chery's Tiggo7 a truly dynamic offering

'Tis the season of holidays and festivities, and several businesses are ramping down operations as we approach the new year. But plenty is happening in the automotive industry, with launch parties, product displays, and drive events being organised one after the other. Here’s a quick look at a few of those motoring events and announcements made recently.

Chery launches all-new Tiggo8 and Tiggo7 SUVs

Another day, another new Chinese vehicle! Just last week we were at the launch event for yet another range of SUVs from the Far Eastern country. This time, it was the all-new 2024 Chery Tiggo8 Pro Max, Tiggo8 Pro PHEV, and Tiggo7 Pro Max. The big reveal was organised at Cars Café and the adjacent Dubai Autodrome facility.

The all-new Tiggo8 Pro Max is the brand’s flagship SUV built on Chery’s T1X platform which is connected to internationally renowned suppliers Bosch and Benteler. The mid-size SUV has been designed to look more handsome than what its price tag indicates, thanks to a bold grille (with an optical-illusion-like design), LED lights, and rear luminaries reminiscent of a certain German luxury vehicle.

This theme is shared with the Tiggo8 PHEV and the Tiggo7 Pro Max as well. Motivating this SUV is a 2.0TGDI engine, which earned a spot in "China Best Ten Engine" category. It puts out a claimed output of 254 horsepower and a peak torque of 390Nm, helping it run to the ton in 7 seconds and eke out the most for an optimistic fuel economy figure of 7.39l/100km. The plug-in hybrid Tiggo8 is equipped with a 1.5TCI motor, which allows an impressive total 100 km EV range and will touch 900 km overall. It is also capable of a respectable 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.6 seconds or thereabouts. The smaller Tiggo7 Pro Max gets a turbocharged 1.6-litre motor, making 197 horses and 290 Nm of torque. All three models use a 7-speed DCT to multiply torque that sends power to all four corners.

The models showcased had leather-clad interiors with an impressive list of features like the two seamlessly integrated 12.3-inch screens (that add up to 24.6 inches), a 10-speaker Sony speaker system (8 units for the Tiggo7), and a 64-hue ambient lighting system. The 50W wireless fast charger, the Queen’s passenger seat (in the Tiggo8), which raises the calf cushions for a true lounging experience and the surprisingly obedient voice control capabilities caught our attention.

We did get to sample the SUVs on a short section of the Dubai Autodrome track. The Tiggo8 Pro Max was sufficiently quick for what it was worth, but the hybrid wasn’t vibing to our input as much – nothing to mess with its family-hauling intentions, though. Between them, it was the Tiggo7 that emerged the most dynamic of the bunch.

Prices for the Tiggo8 and Tiggo7 models start at Dh98,500 and the Dh82,500, respectively.

Santa Claus chauffeurs are coming to town

Santa might just be driving you and your friends to your destinations this festive season. Lucky customers of Zofeur, the Dubai-based startup and the world’s first “Pay-per-minute” chauffeur app, have the opportunity to be driven around by exclusive “Santa Claus chauffeurs” dressed in the famous red and white costumes during evening hours of the Christmas period. Some may even be gifted festive candies and chocolates, regardless of whether you were naughty or nice, throughout the year. The select chauffeurs will be conducting rides from 6 pm onwards from December 20-25 in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

For those who don’t know, Zofeur allows individuals to commission chauffeurs to drive their personal vehicles to their desired destinations safely and conveniently. This will certainly come in handy for those departing for or returning from family gatherings, date nights, or parties after an evening of indulgence. Customers can access on-demand chauffeurs through the Zofeur mobile app and for a short while have the chance of being driven by Santa as well.

Zofeur’s chauffeur-hailing service now also includes one-way trips between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which means you don’t have to book the return trip if you wish to access the service. Additionally, every trip is meant to be worry-free as Zofeur’s chauffeur-driven trips are fully insured at no extra payment, adding to your peace of mind.

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