Hyundai Kona vs Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Includes an archived model

Current and archived cars are compared side by side. Archived models keep their verified historical specs, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Kona
Hyundai Kona in South Africa

Hyundai Kona

1.0T DCT Executive Petrol Automatic Archive reference
ZAR 565,900 last listed
No longer sold new Specs stay visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 15.5 km/l
VS
Chery Tiggo 8 Pro in South Africa

Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

Executive Plus 1.6T TGDI Petrol Automatic
ZAR 529,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 145 kW 🔧 290 Nm ⛽ 13.9 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

⚡ Performance Tiggo 8 Pro
⛽ Fuel Economy Kona
🛡 Safety Tiggo 8 Pro
📦 Practicality Kona
🔑 Ownership Kona
Kona starts ZAR 529900 cheaper Kona from ZAR 459,900 · Tiggo 8 Pro from ZAR 529,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Kona Tiggo 8 Pro
Engine Power 88 kW 145 kW
Torque 172 Nm 290 Nm
Engine Size 998 cc 1.6 cc
Claimed Mileage 15.5 km/l 13.9 km/l
Ground Clearance 165 mm 207 mm
Boot / Load Bay 466 l 117 l
Airbags 6 Multiple airbags
Kerb Weight 1460 kg 1590 kg
Seating Capacity 5 7
Warranty 5 5 Year / 150 000 km

= leads in this spec

Archived models stay fully comparable. Verified specs remain visible; historical fields that were not source-confirmed are marked Not confirmed instead of being guessed.

The Bottom Line

Both Kona and Tiggo 8 Pro are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tiggo 8 Pro +19 pts
Efficiency Kona +6 pts
Safety Tiggo 8 Pro +2 pts
Practicality Kona +6 pts
Ownership Kona +10 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Kona

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • More practical for daily use
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less comprehensive safety features
Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency Family Usage
🏆 Overall Winner

Tiggo 8 Pro

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger safety package
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less practical in daily usage
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving

Which One's Right for You?

Kona

  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Tiggo 8 Pro

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Kona Tiggo 8 Pro
Model Introduced Year 2018 2023
Generation Second generation Kona on Hyundai's K2 GEN platform; the design is more conservative than the first gen but better resolved Current South Africa Tiggo 8 Pro range
Facelift History Second generation launched globally in 2023 and brought to SA; softened styling compared to the sharper first gen, improved interior quality and tech Current South Africa version listed by official source
Facelift Launched Since 2023 2023
Facelift Version Ending Discontinued - exact end year not confirmed Current
Body Style Not confirmed SUV
Model Year Not confirmed 2026
Production Status Not confirmed active
Segment Not confirmed SUV
Vehicle Type Not confirmed SUV
Spec Kona Tiggo 8 Pro
Ground Clearance 165 mm 207 mm
Wheelbase 2660 mm 2710 mm
Length 4355 mm 4720 mm
Width 1825 mm 1860 mm
Height 1570 mm 1705 mm
Kerb Weight 1460 kg 1590 kg
Seating Capacity 5 7
Boot Space 466 l 117 l
Load Bed Length 466 l 117 l
Load Bed Width Not confirmed -
Number of Doors 5 5
Boot Volume 466 l 117 l
Doors 5 5
Seats 5 7
Fuel Tank Capacity 50 l 51 l
Ground Clearance Max 165 mm 207 mm
Ground Clearance Min 165 mm 207 mm
Ground Clearance Mm 165 mm 207 mm
Height Mm 1570 mm 1705 mm
Length Mm 4355 mm 4720 mm
Loadbox Length Mm 466 l 117 l
Loadbox Width Mm Not confirmed -
Cargo Volume 466 l 117 l
Tare Mass Kg 1460 kg 1590 kg
Width Mm 1825 mm 1860 mm
Gross Vehicle Weight Not confirmed 2142 kg
Towing Capacity Not confirmed -
Front Track Width Not confirmed 1582 mm
Rear Track Width Not confirmed 1604 mm
Turning Radius Not confirmed -
Front Legroom Not confirmed -
Rear Legroom Not confirmed -
Front Headroom Not confirmed -
Rear Headroom Not confirmed -
Front Shoulder Room Not confirmed -
Rear Shoulder Room Not confirmed -
Boot Space Seats Folded Not confirmed 739 l
Max Payload Not confirmed -
Gross Vehicle Mass Kg Not confirmed 2142 kg
Payload Kg Not confirmed -
Turning Circle Not confirmed -
Turning Circle M Not confirmed -

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Tiggo 8 Pro leads by 1 points

Both Kona and Tiggo 8 Pro are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 66 /100
Lead 1 points
Data 74% confidence
66
#1 Winner

Tiggo 8 Pro

74% data confidence 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Efficiency 54
Performance 59
Efficiency 54
Safety 94
Practicality 61
Ownership 55
Leads by 1 points
65
#2

Kona

88% data confidence 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Performance 40
Performance 40
Efficiency 60
Safety 92
Practicality 67
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tiggo 8 Pro +19 Efficiency Kona +6 Safety Tiggo 8 Pro +2 Practicality Kona +6 Ownership Kona +10

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Tiggo 8 Pro

Performance 59/100
Efficiency 54/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 61/100
Ownership 55/100

Kona

Performance 40/100
Efficiency 60/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 67/100
Ownership 65/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro wins with 66 pts vs 65 pts for Kona

In structured scoring, Tiggo 8 Pro emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Kona may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Other Comparisons Worth Checking

See how similar cars go head-to-head — you might find a better fit than you expected.

Kona
Kona
VS
XUV700
XUV700
Kona vs XUV700 →
Kona
Kona
VS
Duster
Duster
Kona vs Duster →
Kona
Kona
VS
Scorpio-N
Scorpio-N
Kona vs Scorpio-N →
Kona
Kona
VS
HR-V
HR-V
Kona vs HR-V →
Kona
Kona
VS
ALCAZAR
ALCAZAR
Kona vs ALCAZAR →
Kona
Kona
VS
Taigo
Taigo
Kona vs Taigo →
Tiggo 8 Pro
Tiggo 8 Pro
VS
XUV700
XUV700
Tiggo 8 Pro vs XUV700 →
Tiggo 8 Pro
Tiggo 8 Pro
VS
Duster
Duster
Tiggo 8 Pro vs Duster →

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Kona
Kona
VS
Tiggo 4 Cross
Tiggo 4 Cross
Kona vs Tiggo 4 Cross →
Kona
Kona
VS
Tiggo 4 Cross HEV
Tiggo 4 Cross HEV
Kona vs Tiggo 4 Cross HEV →
Kona
Kona
VS
Tiggo 4 Pro
Tiggo 4 Pro
Kona vs Tiggo 4 Pro →
Kona
Kona
VS
Tiggo 7
Tiggo 7
Kona vs Tiggo 7 →
Kona
Kona
VS
Tiggo 7 PHEV
Tiggo 7 PHEV
Kona vs Tiggo 7 PHEV →
Kona
Kona
VS
Tiggo 7 Pro
Tiggo 7 Pro
Kona vs Tiggo 7 Pro →

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Tiggo 8 Pro edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Kona 60 vs Tiggo 8 Pro 54. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Kona 92, Tiggo 8 Pro 94. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Kona 65, Tiggo 8 Pro 55. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Kona 67, Tiggo 8 Pro 61. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Kona 40, Tiggo 8 Pro 59. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Tiggo 8 Pro edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Tiggo 8 Pro scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Kona and Tiggo 8 Pro in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Kona scores 40 vs 59.

Efficiency: Kona scores 60 vs 54.

Safety: Kona scores 92 vs 94.

Practicality: Kona scores 67 vs 61.

Ownership: Kona scores 65 vs 55.

Final structured scoring gives Tiggo 8 Pro the advantage in this comparison.