Chery QQ3 Reviews

A few weeks ago we looked at the wrong cars that arrived at the wrong time.The likes of the Holden Commodore ZB, Range Rover Evoque Convertible and Tesla Cybertruck that flopped and were always destined to flop.This time around we’re being more positive and taking a look at those cars that have arrived at precisely the right moment. We’ve also kept it more relevant, with several recent arrivals making our list - plus a few old favourites.Let us know in the comments or on social media if we got it right or if you think we missed some obvious examples of the right car at the right time.MG4 UrbanFew cars have launched at such an optimum time as MG’s latest. This small hatch costs less than a Toyota Corolla Hybrid but is all-electric, meaning you’re saving money on the purchase price and then (in theory) on the running costs.Hitting Australian roads the same month petrol prices started to spike and interest in electric vehicles (EVs) surged, MG may have given Australian customers exactly what they want.It’s too early to tell if it will be a sales success or not, so we may end up looking wrong in hindsight, but all signs point to it being a prime example of the right car at the right time.BYD Shark 6To many observers the idea of a plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute was a foolish one. The ute market is dominated by diesels and BYD’s radical concept was going to fall flat on its face.It turns out those observers were dead wrong. The Shark 6 has proven to be an immediate sales success, as ute buyers have embraced its combination of electric and turbocharged petrol power.Its early success was helped by fringe benefit tax breaks, but its on-going popularity suggests there has been a shift in the buying habits of Australian ute customers.Chery Tiggo 4 ProWe didn’t say this was a list of the ‘best cars’, because the Tiggo 4 Pro has its flaws, but it is another prime example of a car brand filling a gap in the market at precisely the right moment.The diminutive SUV has become a runaway sales hit for the Chinese brand for one key reason - value. It may not be perfect, but with a starting price of $23,990 drive-away it is one of the most-affordable new cars you can buy.At that price it doesn’t have to be flawless, and Chery has had no trouble finding buyers that have been priced out by the likes of Toyota, Hyundai and Ford, looking for their first new car.Holden Commodore VBRising oil prices driving petrol prices to new heights and creating a surge in demand for smaller, more efficient models - sounds familiar, right? I’m not talking about 2026, I’m talking about the 1979 energy crisis and the arrival of the then-new Holden Commodore.Smaller and more fuel-efficient than the Kingswood it replaced, the Commodore was just what Australian buyers were looking for at that point. The original VB Commodore became an almost-immediate sales leader for Holden, setting the legacy that continued for more than four decades.Ford Ranger (T6)When Ford launched the new, Australian-developed Ranger in 2011 the sales charts were dominated by small cars. The Mazda3 was the best-seller that year and the Toyota Corolla, Holden Cruze and Hyundai i30 were all amongst the top six.We didn’t know it then, but the T6 Ranger was about to radically alter the Australian automotive landscape. By 2013 it was inside the top 10 sellers and within five years it was locked into the top five most popular models.It has since gone on to topple the beloved Toyota HiLux, not only as Australia’s favourite ute, but as Australia’s favourite new vehicle.Whether Ford predicted it or not, the more refined, family-friendly Ranger was just what people were looking for. The Ranger effectively replaced the Falcon in Ford Australia’s line-up (and likely in plenty of driveways) as the ute evolved from workhorse to family favourite.

Actions speak louder than words and the fact Chery has lined up a QQ3 at one of its proving grounds a stone's throw from its Wuhu HQ suggests the small hatch will be announced for our market shortly.Priced in China from the equivalent of just $A14,000, in Australia we think the QQ3 will cost the same as a BYD Atto 1 ($23,990 plus on-road costs), which is remarkable as the much-bigger Chery offers the space of a Toyota Corolla, plus a far longer range, compared to other cheap EVs.Throw in pleasing rear-wheel drive handling, brisk acceleration and class-leading in-car tech and the new Chery QQ3 has all the makings of a big hit. That's if Chery Australia chooses to import it.As it pours with rain, the poor all-electric hatch has already suffered at the hands of other journos, with multiple cone strikes having already made their mark, but the odd minor dent here and there doesn't take the shine off one of Chery's most appealing designs so far.Paying homage to the first-generation Chery QQ, that was little more than a rip-off of the pint-sized Daewoo Matiz, the new curvy QQ3 gains oval-shaped LED lamps, smooth door handles, a floating roof and slanted C-pillars.Measuring in at 4195mm long, 1811mm wide and standing 1569mm tall, the QQ3 has a relatively long 2700mm wheelbase for plenty of space within.For reference, that's 95mm shorter, 41mm wider and 1mm shorter than the BYD Dolphin, with the same wheelbase.Boot space is 375 litres, with a useful 70-litre frunk tucked up under the bonnet. Inside, there's also said to be a further 38 storage areas dotted around the light and spacious cabin, including a 35-litre compartment under the rear seats.Six exterior hues are available with further optional finishes for the roof, the youthful exterior is reflected within and the entry model Chery's cabin surprisingly comes with some advanced big car kit, despite its low price.Headline equipment includes an 8.8-inch instrument cluster and a huge 15.6-inch central multimedia screen which runs a punchy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip for faster, smoother reactions.The tech includes an AI-powered voice assistant and standard Apple CarPlay. As an added bonus, our car also came with ventilated and heated front seats and vehicle-to-load charging (V2L), with the latter able to top up domestic appliances like laptops or e-bikes.In China, two powertrains are available – one with 58kW and 90Nm of torque and another with 90kW and 115Nm of torque.Battery options include a 29.48kWh and a 41.28kWh powerpack, with even the baby powerpack delivering 310km of range. The bigger battery, meanwhile, sees the QQ3 drive up to 420km, but both of those figures are on the more lenient Chinese CLTC test cycle, so expect a big drop off when evaluated using the more stringent WLTP testing.Plug into a DC fast charger and Chery says the QQ3 takes 16.5 minutes for a 30-to-80 per cent top up, with no claim for the more common 10-to-80 per cent charge.Further big car tech includes an optional adaptive cruise that follows the navigation, lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, plus auto parking and 360-degree surround view.We didn't get to experience either, as we only had an extremely limited time behind the wheel, but can report that off the line the 90kW version offers plenty of performance, while a tight and twisty course reveals the rear-drive QQ3 offers enough agility to be fun on a country road.Grip levels and braking performance were impressive, considering the wet conditions.

Year-to-date registration data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) show ‘electrified’ passenger and light commercial vehicles have crossed a significant tipping point to become a more popular choice than traditional diesel and purely petrol-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) options in Australia.To the end of April, sales of battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles stood at 50,976 units, a 79.2 per cent increase on the same four-month period in 2025 (28,448 units).At the same time, sales of ICE vehicles (including light commercials but not heavy trucks) have dropped 35.9 per cent from 64,991 in 2025 to 47,813 units this year.Tellingly, sales of pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have grown by just over 100 per cent, with key players BYD up 110.8 per cent (25,243 vs 11,974) and Tesla 49.9 per cent year-on-year (8485 vs 5660).Individual (higher volume) stand-out BEV models include the BYD Sealion 7 and Dolphin, Geely EX5, Kia EV3, Tesla Model Y and Toyota bZ4X.And when it comes to hybrids, thanks to better supply of the new-generation version, the ever-popular Toyota RAV4 has come up to its more usual monthly sales rate and has been joined by its big-brother LandCruiser 300 Hybrid.Add in other relatively recent hybrid arrivals like the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid joining now established disrupters like the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha and hybrid sales are set to expand even further. Clearly, April 2026 marked a historical moment in time for the Aussie new vehicle market.

Chery has just dropped a huge hint on what the name for its incoming plug-in hybrid diesel ute might be.Currently codenamed ‘KP31’, the brand has whittled down 20,000 submissions to a shortlist of nine potential names for the ute. This list includes Bushwalker, Ironbark, Longreach, Mate, Orca, Outrider, Ridgeback, Stockman and Terra.It has trademarked all nine of the names in line with Australian regulations, but none of them have been officially registered yet. Orca stands out of from the rest because it was filed for trademark back in June 2025, while the rest of the names were filed over the past few weeks of 2026. This was part of the brand’s standard process of reserving potential names for future vehicles, according to Chery Australia. Orca has been filed for trademark by Chery under the SUV and pick-up truck category, showing the brand's desire to use the name for a ute for about a year.An orca is another name for a killer whale and the brand said it is one of the most powerful predators in the ocean, mightier even than the shark - a reference perhaps to the BYD Shark 6.Could a filing of a name nearly a year ago and its subsequent appearance on the shortlist be more than a coincidence?Voting on the name of the Chery ute will close on the 19th of May.The KP31’s official launch remains on track for the fourth quarter of this year, with the petrol plug-in hybrid variant expected to join the lineup later on next year. A name for the petrol PHEV ute has not been confirmed yet, meaning it could get an entirely different name to its diesel sibling. Chery’s diesel PHEV was revealed earlier this year, featuring a segment-changing 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and electric motor duo.Chery claims it will have a 1000kg payload as well as a 3500kg braked towing capacity, which matches many of its diesel-only competitors. These figures also trump the base variants of the BYD Shark 6, although there is a new Performance variant of BYD’s ute capable of towing 3500kg. It will join an increasingly busy Chinese electrified ute segment. This includes petrol PHEV rivals such as the GWM Cannon and Cannon Alpha, as well as the recently-announced JAC Hunter.

LDV is set to muscle in on the rapidly-expanding plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) ute segment in Australia with a two-pronged strategy covering all bases and budgets.Unveiled in Beijing late last month, the T70 PHEV and Terron 9 PHEV are both expected to land locally sometime next year, though importer Ateco Automotive has yet to confirm this.The cheaper of the two will be the T70 PHEV. As a substantial update of the existing, 10-year-old T60 ute (it may retain the old name for Australia), it is expected to match and even undercut other similarly-electrified dual-cab utes also from China.These include the just-announced JAC Hunter PHEV that starts from $50,000 before on-road costs, the GWM Cannon PHEV that is due in Australia from August with pricing yet to be confirmed, as well as the as-yet-unnamed Chery ‘KP31’ that is being prepared for launch in a few months.Meanwhile, the Terron 9 PHEV will be the more-premium choice, taking on the BYD Shark 6 PHEV that kicks off from $57,990 before on-road costs in Premium grade (though a recently-released Cab Chassis version costs $2000 less).GWM’s larger second ute option, the Cannon Alpha PHEV that starts from $61,490 drive-away in base Lux guise, as well as the coming Nissan Frontier Pro PHEV, may also be in the larger LDV PHEV’s crosshairs.In contrast, Australia’s best-selling vehicle over the past two years, the Ford Ranger, is not even in the hunt against these Chinese alternatives, with the PHEV (imported from South Africa instead of Thailand like the rest of the range) commencing from $71,990 before on-road costs in XLT specification, soaring to $86,990 for the Stormtrak flagship.Despite anticipated sharp pricing, the LDV’s powertrain promises to be advanced, combining a petrol engine and an electric motor to offer both mechanical and electric four-wheel-drive capability.Other PHEV details, including powertrain outputs, battery size and range, will be revealed at a later stage.So, what are the other changes to the latest, facelifted T60/T70 series?More than just a makeover, it appears that almost every exterior panel is new from the windscreen forward and the rear window-back, including the sheetmetal and nose cone.And while the basic centre section carries over, the interior has also come in for a complete redesign, with its restyled dashboard incorporating a sizeable central touchscreen/instrumentation display, mimicking that of the Terron 9.Speaking of which, the latter is also set to donate its 163kW/520Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine to the smaller ute, replacing the 160kW/500Nm 2.0-litre unit as found in the existing T60 in Australia. Whether the same power and torque outputs also carry through is not known at this stage.The coming PHEV is not the first electrified LDV ute to be sold in Australia.The existing T60 has gone down in history as the first ute to offer a battery electric vehicle (EV) option as the eT60 back in 2022.But stratospheric pricing (from nearly $100,000), rear-drive only (so no 4x4 availability) and low carrying capacity scuppered any chance of success, leading to the EV's discontinuation in 2024. That failure seems to have also delayed the eTerron 9 EV indefinitely.LDV is unlikely to make the same mistakes with either the Terron 9 PHEV or T60/T70 PHEV if/when they get the green light for Australia.Watch this space.

Fresh from confirming Lepas (Q4 2026), iCaur (Q2 2027) and Freelander (est 2027) would be landing in Australia in the near future, Chery Auto has been forced to defend its position of rolling out yet more sub-brands.Chery's response? The one-size-fits-all approach historically used by legacy car-makers is outdated.Zhang Guibing, President of Chery International, addressed complaints of potential customer confusion by comparing his carmaker to the fashion industry that has also spun off niche brands tailored for different consumers."When you look ten years ago at Toyota or Volkswagen, with one model they could sell many units. But today it is very difficult for one model to have the same meaning," said Chery's president."Today the customer is different. Even if the clothes are very beautiful, when too many people buy them, customers say they don't like to buy ."We are trying to use sub-brands to appeal to different customer groups," claimed Guibing, shortly after Chery announced that both the Lepas and Freelander brands would be introduced to Australia, where more than 68 different carmakers already operate.When asked if any of the Chery brands risked cannibalising each other’s sales, Guibing accepted there might be some overlap with Chery, Omoda or Jaecoo buyers but it was limited at best, because of the way the sub-brands were positioned."I couldn't say completely that there is no conflict."The brands understand the customers, their habits, the language they use and really understand what think. In this way we use the sub-brands to cover different customers," the Chery boss claimed, suggesting that each offering was unique, while the alternative price structures also helped prevent any poaching of sales within the group.Last year in Australia, sales of Chinese-made cars reached unprecedented highs after more than 250,000 were sold for the first time, ahead of Thai-built cars and utes, but despite some rival brands making bold statements of sales growth, Chery's regional boss Lewis Lu said that wouldn't be the Chinese carmaker's approach Down Under."Volume is not the first consideration," claimed Lu."We need to find a way to look after our customers, for a long-term perspective to help us get the right reputation."

Chery’s resurgence in the Australian market has been the product of intense model launches and booming sales to match, and it looks like the Chinese car brand will stay in Australia for good this time. Chery first launched in Australia in 2011, before making a swift exit around four years later, but since it returned Down Under in 2023, it has not looked back. Models such as the Chery Tiggo 4 have been a consistent feature of the best-selling cars in Australia recently, and are up more than 80 per cent for March 2026 compared to the same month in 2025.Part of Chery’s success is down to the affordable nature of many of its models. The Tiggo 4 is priced from $23,990 (drive-away), which is nearly $10,000 less than the Hyundai Kona – a key rival. Chery is putting down more roots in Australia by introducing a series of other brands under its ownership.Omoda Jaecoo has already launched in Australia, and the pair have several models on offer.The recently launched Jaecoo J5 EV has had a flying start to life in Australia, amassing more than 1100 sales so far in 2026, having gone on sale at the start of the year.The Chery family of brands is about to get significantly more crowded in Australia, with plans to introduce Lepas – a youth-focused brand – before the end of 2026. In 2027, the Freelander brand, spawning out of a partnership between Jaguar Land Rover and Chery will also come to Aussie shores. But with many of Chery’s brands sharing the same platforms and set-ups among vehicles, are styling tweaks enough to differentiate products?For example, the Chery Tiggo 4 and the newly announced Jaecoo J5 petrol share the same platform, engine and much of the same equipment, with Chery’s model $2000 cheaper than the Jaecoo. Omoda Jaecoo Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz said the brand will need to ensure it maintains its specific appeal to the market.“We are positioned in what I call a ‘mastige’ market,” Munoz said.“Being able to provide premium technology, comfort at a price point which is never before heard of.“We need to stay focused on our own brand values and make sure we connect with our customers and communicate those values and find our consumer base that way.”Munoz said Chery’s capacity to deliver rapid product cycles and diversity in powertrains enables it to keep things fresh across products in the group.He said the Omoda Jaecoo’s relationship with Chery has been an effective one so far. “Internally, we find our own synergies working together. Certainly there are shared functions and there are completely separated ones as well,” he said“It works well. We’ve got the much-needed support, which is required from shared functions and departments, but also enough delineation that we can position our brands in different points of the market where we can talk to different types of customers.“We’re not going to get everything right, but we can remain open-minded, and we have agility in our organisation.”

More than a quarter of a century since the Land Rover Freelander was pensioned off, the SUV nameplate has returned with the Freelander 8, a rugged SUV developed by both Chery and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).The first of six SUVs to be launched in the next five years as part of the Anglo-Sino partnership, the new Freelander 8 has already been confirmed for right-hand-drive markets, opening the door to Australian sales.Sold under the new Freelander sub-brand, Freelander 8 sales will initially begin in China as soon as late this year, before export sales kick off later.Created to be an all-electric mid-to-large six-seat SUV rival for the Toyota Kluger, the Freelander 8 comes with powerful 800-volt electrics for ultra-fast DC charging.Later on, the Freelander 8 will adopt both a range-extender hybrid (REEV), as well as the plug-in hybrids more commonly found in Europe.Freelander has confirmed that the REEV will bag CATL's latest Freevoy battery, which is capable of 6C charging, that translates into rapid DC peak charging speeds of 360kW.Ensuring it is as capable as any other Land Rover, the Freelander 8 features an electronic limited-slip differential, which is combined with a virtual central locking differential, plus a height-adjustable dual-chamber air suspension.Following on from the well-received Freelander Concept 97, the 8 borrows plenty visual cues from both the old Freelander and current Defender.While the Freelander 8 was styled by the British 4x4 brand, plenty of its advanced new tech has been sourced from its Chinese partner, including its curved screen that stretches from pillar-to-pillar.A large central floating infotainment is present, as well as a limited number of physical switches and a large rotary dial.Coming with a 2+2+2 seating configuration, the second row gets a pair of zero-gravity seats for a limo-like level of comfort.Fresh tech includes extra-bright 8000-pixel projection headlamps, and Huawei's latest-gen 896-LiDAR that helps the Freelander SUV support the tech giant's new Qiankun ADS 4.1 driver assistance system, which provides Level 2+ driverless tech.The same advanced autonomous driving aids are also thought to help boost the Freelander 8's capability off-road, offering up to nine terrain modes.When it lands in Europe, the Freelander 8 has been engineered to achieve the full five stars for protection in EuroNCAP crash tests, which bodes well for a decent showing in future evaluations by ANCAP.Built at a Chery-Land Rover plant in Changshu, close to Shanghai, the Freelander does without both Chery or Land Rover badging and will operate as an independent brand that is completely separate from Chery, Exeed, Omoda, Jaecoo, Lepas, Luxeed or the iCaur (iCar).It's not yet known, when launched in markets like Europe or Australia, if the Freelander will be rebadged and sold through Land Rover dealers.

If you need a large family SUV, but lust after a more rugged and flexible dual-cab ute, the Chery Tiggo V that's just been unwrapped at the Beijing motor show might be the answer.Created to be "one vehicle for all scenarios", the Chery Tiggo V follows on from the T1TP show car that made its debut last year, with the concept updated for production for the Beijing motor show.Unlike the Chery Himla dual-cab ute it shares its looks with, the Tiggo V is based on a car-like monocoque but many buyers are expected to fall for the swappable rear canopy that can either be removed completely or swapped out for one of six different configurations, including a camper.Most will buy it because of its six or seven seats but if you're moving home or need more space Chery says you can switch out the station wagon rear end for a cargo van topper that allows the Tiggo V to haul 600 litres of luggage, with four anchor points and up to four partitions available to secure heavy loads.There's no word on the SUV-cum-ute's payload, but its car-based roots suggest in ute form, it won't come anywhere close to being able to carry up to 1000kg, the likes of proper utes such as the Ford Ranger can haul.The rear structure, meanwhile, is easy to remove thanks to its quick-release mechanism, although there's no indication how heavy each of the rear bodies are, nor whether or not some of the heavier toppers, like the optional camper will be, with the latter potentially a dealer-fit only.When converted to ute form, a variable partition behind the second sliding row of seats ensures the cabin is protected from the elements in the exposed bed.Measuring in at more than 5000mm long, the Tiggo V has a 2800mm wheelbase that provides plenty of legroom within, with space available for up to seven.A more luxurious six-seater is also available with a 2+2+2 configuration.Under the bonnet the Tiggo V is tipped to come with a development of Chery's Super Hybrid plug-in hybrid powertrain, which combines an ultra-efficient 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, an 18.5kWh battery and a dedicated hybrid transmission.Two variants will be available: the DHT160 that produces 160kW and 275Nm of torque and a higher-output DHT230 that produces 260kW and 330Nm of torque.Both versions should have an all-electric range of between 90-100km.A regular 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol will also be offered in some markets.Claimed to come with genuine off-road capability, the Tiggo V offers up to 220mm of ground clearance that enables the PHEV version to wade up to 700mm, while the combustion version can drive through water at depths of up to 650mm.Primed to enter production for Chinese buyers later this year, the transforming Chery Tiggo V has yet to be confirmed for Australia. Instead, the Chinese brand has announced the flagship SUV/ute that will sit above the Tiggo 5, 7,8 and 9, remains under consideration for Australia.

Toyota is not overly concerned with the influx of Chinese car brands in Australia’s top-10 best-selling brands list, despite their increasing market presence.At the end of the first quarter of the year, Toyota remained well out in front with 44,490 units sold, but that represents a 23 per cent drop on the same period last year.Just outside the top five, the Chinese giants are waiting to strike. BYD (17,541) was the sixth best-selling carmaker for the quarter, followed by GWM (14,878), while Chery (11,736) is now in ninth place, and MG (10,595) rounds out the top 10, keeping Isuzu Ute and Subaru out of the list.All four of these Chinese automakers have aggressive targets and plans to grow significantly in Australia, with BYD hoping to one day be the new top brand.Despite the encroaching Chinese brands, Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said he “respects all of Toyota’s competitors”, but highlighted Toyota’s strong product offering and aftersales and customer support as brand strengths.“For us, it's not just about selling a car for us, right? You know, for us, it's all about the customer experience. It's about, you know, making sure that we've got great products, first and foremost, that we can service our customers with,” he told CarsGuide.“But it's also about the brand experience. It's about the aftersales support we give them. It's about the warranty. It's about the resale of the vehicle. It's about the whole end-to-end value proposition that we can enable a great experience at every single touch point with our customers, and that's what's most important for us.“It's not just about the sale of a new vehicle. We want to make sure that we can look after them the whole way across the journey. And you know, we've got an extensive dealer network that is the best in the business that continues to provide that excellent care for our customers. And it's about how we contribute to society as well. So for us, it's a whole end-to-end proposition. For Toyota, that's what it's about.”Some newer Chinese carmakers including BYD have faced scrutiny from owners and pundits over a lack of planning in the early stages of their entry to the market. Parts warehouses took too long to ramp up, parts supply and distribution was poor and customer service was also lacking.Many of the brands including GWM, Chery and BYD have acknowledged these issues and have since put in place measures to address them.Pappas highlighted recent investment in Toyota's parts centres across the country, including in WA, NSW, Victoria and Brisbane, and ways of further improving the customer experience.In terms of wait times for new Toyota deliveries, Pappas said it was currently between three-to-six months, with some exceptions.He dismissed the threat of some of the newer Chinese brands that have ample stock of models and short or no wait times.“We know that our customers, from a wait time point of view –three to six months – if you can give them clarity within that period, it's okay. And that's where we're at at the moment.”