It’s back!
Chery’s cute hatchback has returned—this time as an electric vehicle. For those who recall, the original Chery QQ was launched in 2005 as the brand’s first entry into the Philippine market. It was a budget-friendly subcompact hatch and came with a 0.8-liter three-cylinder or a 1.1-liter four-cylinder mill.
Neither engine came with a lot of power, with the four-cylinder topping out at around 67hp. But at the time, it was one of the most affordable options if you just wanted a car to get you from point A to point B.
Fast-forward to today, the QQ has been revived as the Chery QEV, and it now gets a fully electric powertrain, making 120hp and 115Nm of torque. While that doesn’t sound like much, as with most modern EVs, the QEV has that instant kick when you mash on the pedal, which translates to usable power around the city and on the highway. We’ll get to that in a second. First, let’s talk about the design.
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Look at that face.
Chery hasn’t let the influx of angry-looking cars influence its design choices. The QEV, like its predecessor, still looks cute. The front fascia greets you with oval headlights and a small front grille. The body lines are minimal, giving the QEV a soft and approachable look. The rear, meanwhile, carries over the friendly design; while it reminds us a lot of the Mini Clubman’s rear end, it still looks clean and well put-together.
The brand is particularly proud of the QEV’s styling, noting that it won Red Dot Design and iF Design awards for the car’s Qumo design language. Beyond the cute looks, black striped accents on the side mirrors and C-pillars add sporty elements to the overall design. To round things out, the QEV sits on 17-inch alloys with Chery’s star-shield design.
While the QEV is classified as a subcompact hatchback, it’s on the larger side of the segment, measuring 4,195mm long, 1,811mm wide, and 1,573mm tall, with a 2,700mm wheelbase. The larger dimensions translate to the interior as well, with plenty of space to sit five occupants comfortably.
The cabin feels like a modern Chinese EV with a large 15.6-inch touchscreen in place of physical buttons. The gear lever is located on the right stalk behind the steering wheel, relegating windshield wiper controls to the left stalk along with the lights and turn indicators. Meanwhile, a ventilated wireless charger sits on the center console.
The display houses most of the driving and vehicle settings, though it can be overwhelming if you aren’t used to it. For example, even the side-mirror controls are located on the touchscreen instead of the usual switches found by the doors. While the test unit we drove was limited to Bluetooth connectivity, Chery says the official Philippine-spec QEV will come with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Chery says there’s a total of 38 storage spaces in the cabin. While we didn’t get to count all of them, some of our favorite compartments include the underseat storage in the second row, which can be pulled out like a drawer. Having no engine under the hood, there’s a frunk that can store up to 70 liters of stuff. The cargo area, meanwhile, has 375 liters of space, expandable to 1,450 liters with the rear seats folded.
How was the drive?
We drove the QEV from the UAAGI Center for Technical Excellence in Paso de Blas, Valenzuela, to Clark, Pampanga. On the highway, the QEV’s rear-mounted single electric motor felt confident when merging and overtaking. The instant torque when you put your foot down takes the car to highway speeds immediately, and while the power won’t send you to the back of your seat, the car was more than quick enough for most situations.
The QEV has three drive modes: Eco, Comfort, and Sport. All three modes vary the throttle response you get from pressing the accelerator. Out of the three, Comfort mode seemed to be the best middle ground in terms of acceleration for daily use—not too aggressive and not too suppressed.
Over road imperfections, the ride felt smooth with minimal noise, vibration, and harshness. The suspension is on the softer side and soaks up potholes and speed bumps with ease. However, that also translates to more body roll through corners. With its ride characteristics, the QEV felt more like a plush crossover SUV than a nimble hatchback.
Braking took some time to get used to. The brake pedal felt soft and shallow, and took very little travel for the brakes to start biting. Stopping power is good, but it also takes more brake modulation if you want to minimize nose dive. Of course, this is something most drivers will get acclimated to as they drive the car for longer.
Hatchbacks often excel in dense urban environments due to their maneuverability, and the QEV is no different. The turning radius is tight, accompanied by an incredibly light steering feel. There’s also a 540-degree around-view monitor to assist in getting in and out of tight parking spaces. Though you probably won’t need it as much because visibility out of the large windows is already quite good.
As for driver-assist systems, the lane-keeping assist and lane-departure prevention were active but not overly intrusive. The car’s steering intervention was light, and I didn’t feel the need to wrestle the steering wheel like in more aggressive ADAS systems.
Range-wise, Chery claims an NEDC driving range of 405km. We left for Clark with a full charge and got back to Paso de Blas with around 43% remaining, having driven 178km through a mix of steady highway pace, rush-hour traffic, and long idling during stopovers to shoot content.
Overall thoughts?
Like the QQ, the Chery QEV seems to cater to those who want a stylish hatchback that can get them from point A to point B. But unlike its predecessor, it gets you there with more power, space, and creature comforts—plus a fully electric powertrain. There’s definitely a learning curve, especially for those coming from a conventional vehicle, but if you’re leaning towards new tech, it’s a car worth checking out.
The QEV comes in a single variant priced at P1.068 million. It also comes with an eight-year battery warranty and a five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty for up to 150,000km. In the fully electric subcompact hatchback segment, it stacks up well against the GAC Aion UT and the Geely EX2. But is it better than those two? There’s only one way to find out—stay tuned for more.
More photos of the 2027 Chery QEV:
