New budget EV fast approaching

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Tim Gibson

News Journalist

2 min read

A new budget EV hatchback could be coming soon. 

Chery has filed an application to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for its QQ3 hatch, according to publication Autohome

As yet, there is no official word on whether the QQ3 will come to Australia but a hatchback has been on the agenda for Chery down under.

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It's potentially an affordable option in the EV space, taking on the likes of the GWM Ora and MG4, starting prices for which range in the mid-$30k bracket.

The BYD Dolphin would be another of the QQ3's rivals, with a sub-$30,000 starting price.

According to Chery's Chief Operating Officer in Australia Lucas Harris, the brand will continue to target new market segments, which means the QQ3 could be Oz-bound.

“So where we are now certainly isn’t the limit and the reality is if we want to be a serious contender in the market, volume-wise, then we need to be in more segments than just SUV,” Harris said in December 2025.

2026 Chery QQ3 (Image: Autohome)
2026 Chery QQ3 (Image: Autohome)

“We’re still advocating really heavily with the factory for a small hatchback and a medium to large sized sedan.”

The Chinese brand already offers a wide range of SUVs down under, some of which have made serious sales impressions, such as the Tiggo 4 Pro small SUV, with more than 20,000 finding homes here last year.

The Tiggo 7 mid-sizer and C5 small SUVs have also been popular options. 

2026 Chery QQ3 (Image: Autohome)
2026 Chery QQ3 (Image: Autohome)

Right now the E5 small SUV, the electric version of the C5, is the brand’s only EV in Australia.

The QQ3 debuted at the Chengdu Auto Show last year, but so far there is little information available on the new hatch.

We now know it will have a single electric motor for its Chinese home market, producing 58kW and powered by a lithium-iron-phosphate battery.

Other details include optional front and side parking sensors as well as a front camera.

The car has a bubble-like design in keeping with other Chery models, while there are also blacked out elements such as on the door mirrors and wheel arches. 

The QQ3 was last seen in 2022 as a tiny city car, with petrol and electric variants, this will be the third-generation version of the nameplate.

Photo of Tim Gibson
Tim Gibson

News Journalist

One of Tim’s earliest memories of cars is sitting in an Aston Martin at a car lottery in Heathrow Airport as a child preparing to come back to Australia after a holiday. He dreamed of being a journalist from early high school and worked as a football match reporter for his local association in the Illawarra before moving on to bylines at Football New South Wales and Football Australia. After working on radio at ABC Illawarra during university, Tim joined CarsGuide as a News Journalist to tackle the latest motoring news.
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