Manufacturer Chery Class City car | Production 2003–present Body style 5-door hatchback | |
 | ||
Also called Chery QQ3
Chery IQ (Chile)
Chery Sweet (Russia)
Chery QQ (Brazil)
MVM 110 (Iran)
Miles ZX50S (United States)
Dr Zero (Italy) Assembly China: Wuhu, Anhui
Indonesia: Jakarta (Unicor Prima Motor)
Iran: Kerman (Modiran)
Iraq: Iskandariya (SCAI)
Russia: Kaliningrad (Avtotor) | ||
The Chery QQ3 (codename S11) is a city car produced by the Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile since 2003. Until 2006, the car was known as the Chery QQ, it was renamed when Chery launched their new supermini, the Chery QQ6. It is sometimes difficult to discern if a mention of the Chery QQ refers to the entire QQ-branded product line, which comprises four models, or solely the QQ3, the original QQ mini car.
Contents
A slightly redesigned model was revealed at the 2011 Guangzhou Auto Show, and a new generation was introduced at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show.
Overview
Its cheap price (in 2008 it may have been the cheapest production car in the world) has made the car popular in China. In the 2000s, the QQ was often Chery's most sold model, and the company itself calls the car "a legend in the Chinese history of the automobile... a mini model with the highest cumulative sales in China". It may no longer be popular; the QQ was dropped from a list of top ten bestsellers compiled by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers c. 2010. Even if its popularity is flagging, it remains cheap. The lowest cost QQ is about US$4,000 as of 2012.
It was at the center of an intellectual property dispute between Chery and GM in the late 2000s.
Engine
The QQ is available with two gasoline-powered engines (both EURO III compliant):
Copying controversy
General Motors claimed the car was a copy of the Daewoo Matiz (which is marketed outside South Korea as the Chevrolet Spark) and sued Chery in a Chinese court. The Detroit News reported that "the dispute reflects the confusion, risks and ambitions in China's new auto industry, where global carmakers are battling pugnacious upstarts for a piece of what may become the world's largest auto market."
GM China Group indicated the two vehicles "shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components" MotorAuthority.com and GM executives demonstrated the extent of the design duplication, noting for example that the doors of the QQ and those of the Spark are interchangeable.
Safety
Though the Chery QQ and the Daewoo Matiz are superficially similar cars, their safety ratings differ dramatically. A Euro NCAP front offset crash test showed that the driver's injuries in the QQ are worse than those sustained in the Matiz. Upon impact, the QQ driver will most likely suffer severe (possibly fatal) head trauma, and trauma to the neck and chest areas. The first generation Daewoo Matiz achieved a three/two star driver/passenger EuroNCAP rating.
QQ3 EV
An all-electric version, the Chery QQ3 EV, began deliveries to retail customers in Wuhu, Anhui province in March 2010. The electric city car has a range of 100 km (62 mi). The QQ3 EV was the lowest priced pure electric car in China, at CN¥40,000 (~US$6,480) after government incentives.
The QQ3 EV was the top selling new energy car in China between 2011 and 2013, with 2,167 units sold in 2011, 3,129 in 2012, and 5,727 in 2013. The QQ3 EV was surpassed in 2014 by the BYD Qin plug-in hybrid as the top selling new energy car in the country. Cumulative sales between January 2011 and June 2015 reached 22,097 units.
A new model based on the Chery QQ3 Sport with a 16 hp (12 kW) electric motor was expected to be launched by the end of 2012. In the United States, Miles Electric Vehicles was planning to release the rebadged version of the QQ3 EV called the Miles ZX50S AD in 2012.
eQ
The Chery eQ, a full-electric minicar based on the new generation QQ, was launched in the Chinese car market in November 2014. Pricing starts at CN¥59.800 (~US$9,600) after all government incentives for new energy vehicles, making the eQ one of the cheapest electric cars available in country. The electric motor delivers 57 hp and 150 nm powered by a lithium-ion battery. The eQ has a range of 200 km (120 mi), and charging takes 8–10 hours for a full charge on 220V. A total of 542 units were sold in the country in 2014, and cumulative sales totaled 2,671 units through June 2015.
Global markets
The QQ is available in a number of export markets including Pakistan, Philippines (called QQ3), Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa (QQ3), Thailand and Vietnam.
Iran
Kerman Khodro reached an agreement to produce the Chery QQ domestically in 2006, and it is marketed there as the MVM 110. It is offered with two engine options, a 3-cylinder 0.8 liter and a 4-cylinder 1.1 liter.
In Iran, production of the QQ followed a 2002 decision from GM to stop supplying Kerman Khodro with Daewoo Matiz knock-down kits. Daewoo cars had been assembled by the company since 1997, but this Korean automaker stopped exporting to Iran after being acquired by GM in 2002.
Malaysia
As of 2006, the QQ is being sold in Malaysia, with the 0.8 L (812 cc) engine producing 52 hp at 6,000 rpm and a max torque of 75.5 Nm between 3,500 and 4,000rpm.