Chery Q 2027 review: International preview drive | Geely EX2 rival tested

Among the many sub-brands and new models Chery has confirmed for launch in Australia, one model stands out as a likely candidate for the the vast majority of Australians who reside in cities.

Set for launch here mid-next year, the 2027 Chery Q (or QQ3 as it’s also called in China), is a small EV hatchback that rivals the likes of the BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2.

CarsGuide was one of a few Australian and global outlets allowed to drive the Chery Q in Chery’s home city of Wuhu in China, during the brand’s 2026 International User Summit.

Add CarsGuide as a preferred source in Google Search

Add CarsGuide as a preferred source in Google Search

Explore the Range

Chery Q 2027 review: International preview drive | Geely EX2 rival tested

While it was one of many cars ‘sampled’ during the summit, it was the only one in which we were given enough seat time to form an opinion. Chery would be hoping it’s a good one, then.

Likely to start from around the mid-$20,000 area, if not just above, to rival the aforementioned new influx of cheap EVs like the Atto 1 and EX2, along with the GAC Aion UT or even the larger sibling to the Atto 1, the BYD Dolphin.

What features will the 2027 Chery Q have in Australia?

We won’t know what the Chery Q will come with in Australia for a while, but in the variant we tested in China the key elements of a 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a wireless phone charger and surround-view parking cameras should stay.

There’s an AI voice assistant as part of the operating system, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip which is becoming more common in the budget end of the EV market.

There’s also Level 2 autonomous driving systems built into the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), a power tailgate and a surprisingly spacious interior with plenty of storage spaces to go along with the 375L boot and 70L under-bonnet storage (or frunk, if you like).

The diminutive size of the Q from the outside belies how much space there is inside. It measures just 4195mm long, 1811mm wide and 1573mm tall. A cute-sized car to go with its cute styling, made up of rounded-square shapes and, in the case of our test car (pictured), a surf theme that feels entirely out of place a few hours drive inland from the coast of China.

Chery Q specs as tested in China

It features, in the spec we drove, a 41.28kWh lithium iron phosphate (LPF) battery providing a CLTC-claimed 420km driving range, though the more accurate WLTP range is likely to be much closer to 300km.

For reference, our return leg of the drive loop saw the occupants of the test car counting down the estimated arrival battery level from approximately 15 to about four per cent over the course of 20 minutes.

The Chery Q’s 90kW motor is rear-mounted, which will be good news to anyone who enjoys relatively traditional driving dynamics. And while it’s not massively powerful, its immediate access to 115Nm torque helps it feel quicker than the two-digit power figure would suggest.

It also has a top speed limited to 135km/h, which would be a downside if the car wasn’t so city-focused. Having said that, even on the 120km/h highways around Wuhu, the Q held its own just fine. At least in terms of getting up to speed.

What is the Chery Q like to drive?

Four passengers in the car at near top speed was quite the ask of the 90kW motor and it sounded like it was working for it from the back seat.

The Chery Q’s suspension also feels a little stiffer, perhaps more tied-down than you’d expect from a compact EV from China, though again, four adults onboard may have helped this.

Here is a good time to note that the roads lack the ‘variety’ Australians are used to in the form of potholes and rough surfaces, so waiting until it lands is best to really judge its ride quality and suspension.

The steering, however, lacks feel and even though it’s accurate enough, it doesn’t ooze fun driving dynamics.

The main takeaway from our time in the Chery Q is that it feels easy, even if accessing the functions from the main control screen might be a bit tricky on the move. We couldn’t really test that properly, nothing was in English.

2027 Chery Q