It was back in May when Tan Chong Motor (TCM) announced a partnership with SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) to distribute Wuling cars in Malaysia – merely three days before the first public appearance of the Proton eMas 5 at the Malaysia Autoshow 2025. A lot was already known then – that the brand’s official name in the country would be TQ Wuling (TQ standing for trust and quality), that the debutante would be the Bingo and that it would be locally-assembled (CKD) at TCM’s Segambut plant, which meant it could be priced under RM100k. The wait is finally over, as the TQ Wuling Bingo has been officially launched in Malaysia in Pro (RM67,800) and Max (RM72,800) variants, OTR before insurance. The first 500 buyers get a RM5,000 rebate, an eight-year/120,000 km EV battery warranty, an eight-year/160,000 km drive motor warranty, monthly instalments as low as RM625, a free 7 kW home charger, a free three-pin charger, solar tint and 17 insurance benefits plus EV coverage, which TQ Wuling says is altogether worth over RM12,000. Factor in the RM5,000 rebate and the prices become RM62,800 for the Pro and RM67,800 for the Max. The booking fee is RM50. Its competitors are the RM100k (before an early-bird package) BYD Atto 2, RM95k Seres 3, RM80k Perodua QV-E and RM57k-70k Proton eMas 5. The Bingo is very likely the smallest new EV you can buy today in Malaysia (the Microlino is yet to launch, while the Renault Twizy and Mitsubishi i-MiEV are now history). Measuring 3,950 mm long, 1,708 mm wide and 1,580 mm tall, with a 2,560 mm wheelbase, the Bingo equals the eMas 5 in height and wheelbase, but is 185 mm shorter and 97 mm narrower. Put simply, it’s sized between an Axia and a Myvi. Styling wise, the Bingo is cute but hardly original – we’re sure you’ve seen many a blobby Chinese EV in your lifetime. That ‘X’ lighting signature does stand out, though, and it’s replicated at the back, too. Those 15-inch steel wheels are well concealed by flower-shaped hubcaps, and the tyres are 185/60. The interior is a breath of fresh air, helped by that bright two-tone caramel latte scheme, curvy design and egg-shaped air vent surrounds with Mercedes-style turbine vents. Seems the screens are the only straight lines in the cabin! The leather steering wheel is only tilt-adjustable, there are fold-away bag hooks under the central air vents and the absence of a centre console helps with space. You’ll find only two rear seatbelts at the back, so this is strictly a four-seater, but because of that, the 50:50-split back seats can be made rather wide. They also have adjustable headrests and are individually contoured as opposed to a flat bench, which would be less comfortable on long trips. The boot floor is in two pieces; remove these for 395 litres of space. Fold the back seats down as well and you get 1,240 litres. There is no frunk. Whatever the variant, the little tyke is motivated by a front-mounted 68 PS/150 Nm electric motor (11 PS less but 20 Nm more than the eMas 5 Prime), but the Pro has a 31.9 kWh battery while the Max has a slightly bigger 37.9 kWh one. TQ Wuling has chosen to communicate CLTC ranges of 333 km and 410 km respectively, but the WLTP ranges are 273 and 337 km. Both LFP units can be DC-charged at up to 50 kW (30-80% in under 35 minutes) and AC-charged at up to 7 kW (0-100% in 4.5 hours for the Pro and 5.5 hours for the Max). WLTP ranges should be slightly better than the Proton eMas 5’s 225 km and 325 km. Turning radius is 5.1 metres. Batteries aside, both variants have the same kit – auto head and tail lamps, DRLs, rear fog lamps, frameless wipers, power-folding wing mirrors, glossy ceramic with soft leatherette panel interior trim, perforated leatherette upholstery, dual 10.25-inch screens, four speakers, a rotary gear selector, a six-way powered driver’s seat, a one-touch up/down driver’s window and four drive modes (Eco+, Eco, Normal, Sport). There’s also keyless entry and start, passive cruise control, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, TPMS, a reverse camera, blind spot warning, ISOFIX on the outer rear seats, seatbelt reminders for all seats, and six airbags (when Indonesia and Thailand only get two). How does the Bingo compare to the eMas 5? On paper, its ranges are slightly better (even with WLTP against WLTP) and it does have a powered driver’s seat, which no eMas 5 has. But the Proton fights back with ADAS (Premium variant), a powered tailgate (Premium variant), a frunk and faster DC charging (30-80% in 21 minutes regardless of variant). You can have your Bingo in Neon Blue, Milky White or Lavender Purple; the last colour is exclusive to the Max variant. The roof can be had in any colour as long as it’s black. Warranties? Five years/150,000 km on the vehicle, eight years/120,000 km on the EV battery and eight years/160,000 km on the drive motor. TQ Wuling Bingo EV as previewed in Malaysia in May (made in Indonesia for Thailand) 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 Grab PayLater or Shopee SPayLater.