Review: Chery QQ

The China-built Chery QQ scores big on cute appeal, but what lurks under its skin offers a different story.

What's New
This is the first appearance in the local market from Chery Automobile, which was formed in 1997 as an auto manufacturer owned by the Wuhu province government in China, although is about to be privatised.
The pint-sized three cylinder 812cc Chery QQ has been in production since 2003 in China, along with a 1.1-litre version.

The QQ has immediately cemented its reputation as the most affordable new car in China with a price tag of ~$2,400. Its immediate competitors are the 1.0-litre Perodua Kelisa and the 1.1-litre Kia Picanto.


How it Performs
In bright livery the QQ looks as cute as you could wish for with its oval little headlights and smiling grille, but on closer inspection the body panels don't seem so well aligned. There's a flimsy feel to the bonnet when slamming it down and we wouldn't advise leaning on it in case you leave a permanent indentation on it.

The interior is naturally built to a price in terms of the plastics, but certainly looks cheery enough with chrome effect instrument dials. The material seats that fold flat to the rear are initially comfy but have a tendency to sag in after a while and you soon lose the cushioning on your spine and bottom.

The engine is vocal on heavy acceleration, but levelling off at 90kmh in 5th gear it offers pretty good cruising ability - the engine note flattens and surrounding wind roar is also surprisingly well damped for such a small car.

The five-speed manual box could be a chore for those used to sweeter units though; there's a long through to the lever and engagement is rather rubbery in feel. The steering feels extremely light and very fast - almost flighty - but on a set of bendy roads, as we discovered on Sentosa, it can be guided around with pinpoint accuracy. However, once a few bumps are thrown in, the QQ's chassis can get very bouncy and then the steering control evaporates.

Unfortunately it was also on this Sentosa route that the dreaded smell of fried clutch plates reached the nostrils. The car had to be parked up for a few minutes before the drivetrain would engage again. Not acceptable on a new car. Vertex Automobile, which sells the Chery brand here, would like to point out that the Chery QQ was in the top three vehicles of the Compact Car Segment of the J.D Power Asia Pacific 2004 China Initial Quality Study. Perhaps the newly formed Chinese middle class are not used to complaining that much.

How it Stacks Up
For its price the QQ is well equipped with one-touch power windows that close globally, power steering, power mirrors, rev counter, remote central locking, a CD and MP3 player, plus front and rear fog lights. But we wonder how well the QQ will fair after a year or so of daily driving? You can't ignore the lure of the opposition for just $3,000 more. Both the Kelisa and the Picanto offer a more planted small car driving experience and a good level of build quality for not an awful lot more. Cheapness is not always a virtue if the entire package is compromised. In the Chery QQ brochure there is, worryingly, a picture of a man standing in the pouring rain with the Chery sitting motionless behind him. We know how he feels. Perhaps QQ is an acronym for Questionable Quality.