Chery has signalled a small electric hatch, badged Q, aimed squarely under the BYD Atto 1 and its 23,990 dollar starting price before on-road costs. A Chery executive floated the car at the Beijing show, and in China it already sits below the Atto 1 on price. Australia is not confirmed, so treat the local pricing as unconfirmed for now.
What we know
The reported specs are a five-door hatch about 4,195 mm long, a 58 kW rear motor with 90 Nm, a 29.48 kWh LFP battery, and a 310 km range on China's CLTC cycle. In China the Q starts at 58,900 yuan against the Atto 1 at 69,800 yuan. None of that is locked in for Australia yet, and the CLTC range figure will shrink on the tougher WLTP standard we use here.
Cartell Assessment
The number that matters is not the kilowatts, it is the price floor. If Chery brings the Q in near 20,000 dollars drive-away, the cheapest new car conversation in Australia becomes an electric one, and the cheapest new EV turns from a novelty into a genuine first-car option. That is a bigger shift than any single spec on the sheet. The catch is that a 29 kWh battery and a sub 60 kW motor make this a city car, not a highway tourer, so the honest pitch is a second car or a first car for short trips, not a one-car-does-everything buy.
AU Outlook
Nothing here is confirmed for Australia, so the sensible move is to watch for a local launch commitment and a drive-away price rather than bank on the China figure. If it does land under the Atto 1, expect the established small-car brands to feel it first, because there is no petrol hatch left selling near 20,000 dollars drive-away to answer it.
