Chery, one of China’s biggest carmakers, has indicated that it’s considering a small electric hatchback for the Australian market, called the Q.
At an event in Wuhu, China, the company showcased the hatch to media from Australia and New Zealand, featuring a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) powertrain.
Although local specs are yet to be confirmed, international market specs indicate that the almost 4.2-metre-long hatchback will be powered by a 90 kW rear-mounted motor and deliver up to 115 Nm of torque.
Powering the motor is a 42 kWh battery pack that delivers up to 420 km on the NEDC range, which translates to just over 300 km on the locally used WLTP cycle.
On the inside, the car is fairly well equipped, coming in with:
- Flat-bottom steering wheel
- Instrument panel behind the steering wheel
- 15.6-inch centre screen
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip
- Ambient lighting
- Wireless phone charger
Given the size of the car, there is plenty of boot space, coming in at 375 L when rear seats are up, but it can be extended up to 1,450 L with those seats down.
The Chery Q was officially unveiled as the QQ3 at the 2025 Chengdu Auto Show in August last year. Since then, it has built up a bit of a following, having received tens of thousands of orders in China.
Now this quite a successful model is heading into overseas markets and is expected to compete with models like the upcoming Geely EX2, the recently launched MG4 Urban and the long-standing BYD Dolphin.
Pricing for international markets, including ours in Australia, has yet to be revealed, but in China, the Q’s top-spec version is priced from just over $A16,000.
Having briefly driven the model at a test course recently, it was surprisingly roomy and fun, especially around the slalom section of the track. We look forward to getting behind the wheel of the Chery Q and spending more time to see what it’s like on various roads.
In the meantime, it’s great to see more smaller models entering the Australian EV market, offering a superb choice for those wanting to buy their first EV.
See The Driven’s detailed EV sales data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026; by model and by brand.
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Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.