Chery is wading into the budget electric city car segment occupied by the likes of the Proton eMas 5, BYD Atto 1, Wuling Bingo and Firefly with the Chery Q, which is making its ASEAN debut at the ongoing Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS). The hatchback, called the QQ3 in China, harks back to the infamous QQ – a blatant copy of the Daewoo Matiz. The company is so smitten with the letter Q, in fact, that it has even called the three variants the Qool, Quint and Qlick. Estimated prices range from “4XX,000 to 5XX,000 baht” (around RM55,000 to RM65,000), with those who book the car at the motor show receiving a 20,000 baht (RM2,400) rebate. Measuring 4,195 mm long, 1,811 mm wide and 1,573 mm tall, the Q is among the larger models in the class, being 60 mm longer, six millimetres wider and seven millimetres lower than the eMas 5. Its 2,700 mm wheelbase is also 50 mm longer. Power comes from a single rear motor producing 79 PS (58 kW) and 90 Nm of torque, with a 29.48 kWh LFP battery providing a range of 310 km on the CLTC cycle; expect a WLTP figure somewhere around 250 km. Higher-end models gain a more powerful motor churning out 122 PS (90 kW) and 115 Nm, as well as a larger 41.28 kWh battery for a CLTC range of 420 km (around 340 km WLTP). In terms of charging, the Q supports up to 85 kW of DC fast charging power, with all models taking 16.5 minutes to top up the battery from 30 to 80%. It will also accept up to 3.3 kW or 6.6 kW of AC charging, depending on the variant. The Q’s styling is very much in the vein of other Chinese city EVs, with rounded head- and taillights with dual horizontal light guides, organic forms, flush pull-up door handles and a cut D-pillar for a “floating roof” look. Buyers can choose between 16-inch “blade” or 17-inch “star shield” wheels, both of them alloys. Inside, the Q again takes after class norms, sporting cutesy pill-shaped elements such as the dashboard, air vents and door armrests. There’s an 8.8-inch instrument display and a large 15.6-inch centre touchscreen, but in stark contrast to other Chery models, there are physical air-con controls on the centre console. There are also threaded connectors to attach accessories such as a phone mount, similar to the Proton X50. Other available features include a power-adjustable, heated and ventilated front seats, a 50-watt Qi wireless charger, a 360-degree camera system, park assist and a powered tailgate. Speaking of which, the boot measures a decent 375 litres and can be expanded to 1,450 litres with the rear seats folded; there’s also 35 litres of rear under-seat storage and a 70 litre front boot. Safety-wise, the Q is available with six airbags and a whole host of driver assists. The latter include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert with auto brake, a front departure alert, a door opening warning and auto high beam. With Chery already assembling cars in Malaysia, the Q could very well be sold here as a rival to the aforementioned eMas 5 and Bingo. Would you buy this car if it ever arrives? Let us know in the comments. Compare prices between different insurer providers to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services. Many payment method supported and you can pay with instalment using Atome, Grab PayLater or Shopee SPayLater. Use the promo code 'PAULTAN' when you checkout for 10% discount!