KUALA LUMPUR: Chery Auto Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of the China-based brand in Malaysia has officially launched its seven-seater Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda 5 sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

The Tiggo 8 Pro is available in a single variant and has been priced on-the-road without insurance at RM159,800 while the smaller Omoda 5 comes in an entry-level C-variant at RM108,800 and a range-topping H-variant at RM118,800.



The company has effectively reset the country's warranty standards with an unprecedented seven-year warranty which includes a five-year free service.

Meanwhile, for the first 3,000 customers, a 10-year or one million-kilometre engine warranty is available.

For colour options, the Tiggo 8 Pro can be had in either Khaki White or Dark Black while the smaller Omoda 5 C gets to be draped in Khaki White, Dark Black or Phantom Grey.

The higher-specced H variant is further differentiated by the addition of red body stripes matched with two-toned (polished black with red stripes) alloys and is also provided with an exclusive Khaki White and Black body colour combination.



The Omoda 5 SUV - effectively being the brand's first global vehicle, weighs in at 1,495kg (kerb) and has a 2,630mm wheelbase while measuring 4,400mm-long, 1,830mm-wide and 1,588mm-tall.

A 1.5-litre turbocharged engine gets its fuel from a 51-litre petrol tank to produce 156hp and 230Nm of torque which is delivered to the front wheels by a continuously variable transmission with nine virtual gears.



Although the Omoda 5 rolls on 18-inch wheels with 215/55 series tyres, it does the century sprint (0-100kph) in 9.9 seconds before reaching a top speed of 191kph when in Sport-mode. Eco-mode is the other selectable drive mode and is activated upon start-up.

As standard, the Omoda 5 comes fitted with front MacPherson struts and a rear torsion beam for its suspension while LEDs are used for the main headlights, daytime runners and rear light clusters.



Inside, the cabin gets faux leather and fabric combination upholstery, as well as dual-zone climate controls, keyless-entry with push-start button, remote-start engine functionality, a 15W wireless charger and a 10.25-inch touchscreen head unit with six speakers.

Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included as standard.



Another 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster makes the list of standard items and is accompanied by other amenities which include an automatic dimming rearview mirror, dynamic parking lines, front armrest cooler box and heated external mirrors.

The higher H variant builds on the C variant's specs with an eight-speaker Sony Premium Audio system while adding on a powered sunroof, exterior lighting effect and six-way powered driver seat.



At the front and rear, the vehicle will display a special lighting sequence to welcome its driver upon unlocking while being equipped with sequential turning LEDs, illuminated welcome lights, a 360-degree camera system, front ventilated seats and a powered tailgate.

For safety, the Omoda 5 has been fitted as standard with six airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist system with brake over-ride system, electronic stability programme, hill-start assist, tyre-pressure monitoring system and hill-descent control.



Further bolstering safety is the use of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) which include lane departure warning, blind spot detection, emergency lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, front collision warning with vehicle detection, autonomous emergency braking system, automatic headlights, lane departure prevention and traffic jam assist.

The H variant gets extra goodies such as a six-way powered driver seat, ventilation for the front seats, red-striped wheels, front and rear Ceremonial lighting system, welcome lights, hands-free powered tailgate, powered sunroof and sequential turn signals before adding on speed limit assist traffic sign assist and a 360-degree camera system.



The Tiggo 8 Pro, with its seven-seater arrangement, uses a larger 57-litre fuel tank for its 1,998cc turbocharged direct-injected engine to punch out 256hp and 390Nm of torque while a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission manages output to its front wheels.

With 19-inch alloys wearing 235/55 series tyres, it sprints from 0 to 100kph in 8.4 seconds before reaching a top speed of 200kph for this 1,711kg (kerb) SUV with a 2,710mm wheelbase and measuring 4,722mm-long, 1,860mm-wide and 1,705mm-tall.



In Eco mode, this SUV has been rated to consume 7.4 litres per 100km, while also providing other drive modes such as Normal and Sport.

Standard equipment includes LEDs for its welcome lights, front automatic headlights, daytime running lights and rear light clusters.



Also included are roof rails, auto-folding powered exterior mirrors with auto-fold function and integrated turn signals, remote engine-start functionality with cooling function and a powered panoramic sunroof, among others.

The interior is also fitted with a multi-colour ambient lighting system along with dual-12.3-inch unified screens paired with a 540-degree panoramic camera system that provides dynamic guidelines when reversing.



Other notable mentions comprise powered front seats with ventilation and memory function, keyless entry with push-start button, remote engine-start system with cabin cooling function, dedicated third-row climate controls, hands-free powered tailgate, voice assist function and a 50W wireless charger.

In the safety department, the Tiggo 8 Pro comes with all of the Omoda 5 H's standard and ADAS safety features with the only difference being the addition of a door open warning system thrown into the mix.



At present, there are over 30 sales and service outlets located nationwide. The company aims to increase this number to about 70 outlets by the end of next year.

The company also plans to launch the Omoda 5 electric vehicle and Tiggo 7 Pro next year as well.

Present at the event were Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, InvestKL chief executive officer Datuk Muhammad Azmi Zulkifli,  Chery International vice-president and Chery Malaysia president Shawn Xu, and other VIPs.



"Chery strongly believes that the prospects of the Malaysian automotive market are highly potential and the company is committed to growing together with it," said Xu.

Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul said Asean's electric vehicle (EV) market was forecasted to grow by almost 33% per annum to US$2.7bil (RM12.6bil) by 2027.

He praised Chery's plan to invest an initial capital of RM170mil for their expansion into the country and introduce its Omoda 5 EV next year.



"Mass electrification from the automotive sector fits in well with our national ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) along with a net-zero agenda from the manufacturing industry’s perspective," said Tengku Zafrul.

He added that the introduction of Chery's EV would support the country's efforts to decarbonise the economy while contributing to the growth of the country's EV market.

"We are also proud that Chery has chosen Malaysia as the regional hub for right-hand drive vehicles for their Southeast Asian and Oceania markets," he said

The minister added that the company's expansion here would help provide 4,000 high-paying and high-skilled jobs for Malaysians over the next five years.

For more information, log on to www.chery.my.

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