Verdict
For a Malaysian family able to charge at home or work, the Tiggo 8’s 18.3-kWh battery, 90-km EV range and 40-kW DC charging bring a usefully different ownership case from the petrol-only CX-8. Its road tax is RM120 a year against RM830, and it adds blind-spot monitoring, autonomous braking and steering lane-keeping. The Mazda counters with a 220-mm longer body, 220-mm longer wheelbase and 209-litre boot, giving it the stronger case for carrying people and luggage. Both are locally assembled seven-seat, front-wheel-drive SUVs on 19-inch wheels.
Pick the Chery Tiggo 8 if you can use its 90-km electric range and want the lower RM120 annual road tax plus a longer seven-year/150,000-km vehicle warranty.
Pick the Mazda CX-8 if third-row family space and luggage capacity matter more, as its 2,930-mm wheelbase and 209-litre boot beat the Tiggo 8’s 2,710 mm and 193 litres.
Key differences
- Powertrain: Tiggo 8 has a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid with a 201-hp, 310-Nm motor; CX-8 has a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with 192 hp and 258 Nm.
- Electric driving: Tiggo 8 has an 18.3-kWh battery, 90-km EV range, 6.6-kW AC and 40-kW DC charging; CX-8 has no battery or EV range.
- Road tax: Tiggo 8 is RM120 per year; CX-8 is RM830 per year.
- Size: Tiggo 8 is 4,725 mm long with a 2,710-mm wheelbase; CX-8 is 4,900 mm long with a 2,930-mm wheelbase.
- Cargo and fuel tank: Tiggo 8 has a 193-litre boot and 60-litre tank; CX-8 has a 209-litre boot and 72-litre tank.
- Safety assistance: Tiggo 8 has blind-spot monitoring, autonomous braking and steering lane-keeping; CX-8 has none of these listed.
Tiggo 8
- 90-km EV range with 40-kW DC charging
- RM120 annual road tax
- Eight airbags and active safety assistance
- 193-litre boot is 16 litres smaller than the CX-8’s
- 2,710-mm wheelbase is 220 mm shorter than the CX-8’s
- Tyre repair kit instead of the CX-8’s space-saver spare
CX-8
- 209-litre boot and 72-litre fuel tank
- 2,930-mm wheelbase in a 4,900-mm body
- Sliding, reclining second row and automatic rear climate control
- RM830 annual road tax versus RM120 for the Tiggo 8
- No listed blind-spot monitoring, autonomous braking or lane-keeping assistance
- Five-year/100,000-km vehicle warranty versus seven years/150,000 km
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM159,800✓ | RM165,360 |
| Body type | SUV | SUV |
| Segment | D-Segment | D-Segment |
| Assembly | CKD | CKD |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM120✓ | RM830 |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 16-valve DOHC with Turbocharger, Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing with Plug-in Hybrid Assistance | 16-valve DOHC, Naturally Aspirated with Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing |
| Capacity | 1,498 cc | 2,488 cc |
| Horsepower | 139 hp at 5,500 rpm | 192 hp at 6,000 rpm✓ |
| Torque | 215 Nm at 1,750 rpm | 258 Nm at 4,000 rpm✓ |
| Cylinder Arrangement | Inline 4 | Inline 4 |
| Fuel | Petrol Plug-in Hybrid | Petrol |
| Bore × Stroke | 77 mm × 80.5 mm | 89 mm × 100 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 9.5 | 13 |
| Number of Motors | 1 | — |
| Motor Horsepower | 201 hp | — |
| Motor Torque | 310 Nm | — |
| Battery Capacity | 18.3 kWh | — |
| EV Range | 90 km | — |
| Charging Rate (AC) | 6.6 kW | — |
| Charging Rate (DC) | 40 kW | — |
| V2L | 3.3 kW | — |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Single Ratio Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | DHT | SkyActiv-Drive 6-speed Automatic with Manual Shift Mode |
| Gears | — | 6 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | — | Mazda |
| Driveline | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| Rated Economy | — | 7.9 L/100 km |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,725 mm | 4,900 mm |
| Width | 1,860 mm | 1,840 mm |
| Height | 1,705 mm | 1,730 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,710 mm | 2,930 mm |
| Weight | 1,916 kg | 1,781 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 60 litres | 72 litres |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Seats | 7 | 7 |
| Boot Space | 193 litres | 209 litres✓ |
| Front Tyre | 235/50R19 | 225/55R19 |
| Rear Tyre | 235/50R19 | 225/55R19 |
| Spare Tyre | Tyre Repair Kit | Space Saver |
| Factory Tyres | Continental PremiumContact C | Toyo Proxes R46 |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Malaysia (CKD) | Malaysia (CKD) |
| Front Suspension | MacPherson Strut | MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link | Multi-link |
| Front Wheels | 19" Alloy | 19" Silver V-spoke Alloy |
| Rear Wheels | 19" Alloy | 19" Silver V-spoke Alloy |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | — | G-Vectoring Control Plus |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | 8 (Driver and Passenger, Front Side, Front Center Airbag, Driver's Knee Airbag, Curtain Airbags) | 6 (Driver and Passenger, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain) |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | ✓ | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for rear doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 7 Three-point | 7 Three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | — |
| ISOFIX | Available for two outer middle row passenger seats | Available on 2 Outer 2nd Row Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes | — |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | No |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | — |
| Seatbelt Reminder | Front Seats Only | All Seats |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | Automatic LED Projector with Auto High Beam | LED Projector |
| Taillamps | Full LED | LED Combination |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | — |
| Front Foglamps | — | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | 6-way Power Adjustable Driver's Seat with 4-way Power Adjustable Passenger Seat, Ventilated Front Seats | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Side Lumbar Adjustment and Memory Function |
| Rear Seats | 60:40 Split-folding Middle Row, 50:50 Split-folding Last Row | 60:40 Split-folding, Sliding and Reclining 2nd Row, 50:50 Split-folding 3rd Row |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Rear Air-con | Rear AC Vents | Single-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front, 1 Wireless Charger, 2 USB Front, 2 USB Second Row | 1 Front, 1 Boot, 2 Front USB, 2 2nd Row USB, 2 3rd Row USB |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights & Ambient Lighting | Map Lights |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Middle Row, 2 Last Row | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Audio | 15.6" Touchscreen with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10-speaker Sony Sound System | Mazda Connect Infotainment System with 8" Touchscreen, Commander Control Knob, Voice Control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 6 Speakers |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless (Depress Brake Pedal) | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation, with Proximity Sensor Auto Lock/Unlock | Keyless Operation with Walk-away Auto Lock |
| Auto Start/Stop | — | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control | Passive Cruise Control |
| Tiptronic | — | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Remote Control Activation | Powered with Contactless Operation |
| Parking Sensor Front | 4 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 4 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, with 360-degree Camera | Yes |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Digital/Analogue |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | 150,000 km✓ | 100,000 km |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 7 years✓ | 5 years |
| Warranty Notes | 8-year/160,000 km battery and drive unit warranty | 5-year/100,000 km Free Service |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used Tiggo 8 & CX-8 for sale
Tiggo 8 vs CX-8 FAQ
Is the Chery Tiggo 8 or Mazda CX-8 better?
The Tiggo 8 is the better fit for drivers who can charge regularly, with 90 km of EV range, RM120 road tax and more listed active safety systems. Choose the CX-8 for its 220-mm longer wheelbase, 209-litre boot and 72-litre tank.
What is the price difference?
The Chery Tiggo 8 costs RM159,800 and the Mazda CX-8 costs RM165,360, so the Mazda is RM5,560 more expensive.
Which has the longer warranty?
The Tiggo 8 has a seven-year/150,000-km vehicle warranty, plus an eight-year/160,000-km battery and drive-unit warranty. The CX-8 has a five-year/100,000-km warranty with free service.
