adminThe first-generation of the Chery are set to shake the auto industry as they will compete with leaders in the game, the likes of Chevrolet when you look at the baby in the range, the QQ3 which is in the same range as the Spark.
The Chery QQ3 is so close to the Matiz/Spark that I am sure several body panels can be interchangeable.
It is available in 0,8 litre, 1,1 litre manuals and 1,1 litre automatic. It is not a sports car so you will not accelerate 0-100km in record time but with a top speed of 130km/hr, you will reach Bulawayo in less than five hours.
That is with five adults seated comfortably as it has five doors with generous boot space and a 35-litre fuel tank.
What is more exciting is the fact that the asking price for a base model starts at US$9 890 making it the most affordable car to hit our market.
All this time the Chevrolet Spark has been the cheapest car on the market in Zimbabwe but after Quest Motor Corp launched the Chery range at the Harare International Autoshow a few months ago, that has changed.
It’s official, the Chevy Spark has just lost its title of “cheapest car” to Chinese manufacturer Chery’s QQ3.
Newly launched in Zimbabwe, this Chery will need to convince detractors to be successful – despite its winning price tag.
Power steering is standard on the entry-level model. Other vital stats includes a three-cylinder engine, 812cm3, Power 38kW at 5 900r/min, torque of 70 Nm at 4 600r/min.
Point is it is a spunky vehicle, which will sure turn heads as you cruise on the streets of Harare.
The QQ3 is a tallish hatch, perfectly suited to city traffic and the tight confines of urban living, thanks to its short length.
The interior makes an attempt at being cool and mostly succeeds. It comes with a funky seating upholstery, body-coloured trim.
The front seating position is perfectly satisfactory, and with medium-size adults up there, rear-seat passengers still have enough legroom.
For now, there are enough models to appeal to quite a wide range of buyers. The entry-level QQ3 is a tiny hatchback perfect for the student, or that young and hip chiq or guy who wants to buy a car for the first time.
Based on the relatively short stints spent behind the wheel, I am able to report that the QQ3 is fairly capable.
Given the range’s price positioning, the quality is not expected to be top-notch or high class but you are getting more value for your money. The materials used, although hard to the touch, appear to be tough and durable.
Ride quality on both the 0,8- and 1,1-litre models was fair, aided by the use of McPherson struts upfront and a torsion beam and coil spring arrangement at the rear.
And the performance of these little cars was a pleasant surprise too. While the 0,8-litre was understandably asthmatic up at the reef, the 1,1-litre was exceptionally peppy, allowing the car to be whizzed about a whole range of back roads with seemingly little concern for the performance-sapping qualities of altitude.
In summary, the Chery QQ3 (which I want to call “the CQQ”) is a city car produced by the Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile since 2003.
In 2006, the car was renamed the Chery QQ3 in China, when Chery launched their new supermini, the Chery QQ6.
Like many manufacturers, it has had its fair share of scandals too. The QQ became the centre of an industrial copyright and intellectual rights controversy, as General Motors claimed the car was a copy of the Daewoo Matiz (which is marketed outside South Korea as the Chevrolet Spark).
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 without modification.
GM China Group indicated the two vehicles “shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components” but eventually all was sorted.
If affordable well cheap is what you are looking for in a brand new car with less maintenance expenses and small run around . . . this is your vehicle.
As always be safe…
- Fact D. Jeke is a motoring enthusiast who has attended auto shows, rallies and has written for various publications in the region for the last decade. She can be contacted via email on [email protected]
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter