Chery brought three wildly different models to Chengdu, and Nobody saw this coming: a resurrected budget EV, a family crossover and a plug-in hybrid with a range that borders on absurd. Our correspondent got up close with all three at the show that opened on August 21, and the spread is staggering — from 310 km on the entry QQ3 to 1,800 km on the hybrid T9.
What ties them together is the price. Converted directly, none of the three tops $19,300, and the cheapest, the QQ3, starts at roughly $8,200.
Chery QQ3: the name is back, and it’s electric now
The smallest car of the trio is the all-new Chery QQ3. Little survives from the budget QQ of the early 2000s beyond the badge: this is now a full five-door EV measuring 4,195 mm with a 2,700 mm wheelbase.
Buyers get a choice of two powertrains. The base version pairs a 58 kW (roughly 79 hp) rear motor with a 29.48 kWh battery good for 310 km CLTC. The stronger option delivers 90 kW — about 122 hp — with a 41.28 kWh pack rated at up to 420 km. Every version is rear-wheel drive with a multi-link rear suspension, and fast charging from 30% to 80% takes no more than 16.5 minutes.
Top trims get a 15.6-inch 2.5K screen running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip. Automated parking, the Falcon 500 driver-assist suite, front seat heating, driver-side ventilation and wireless phone charging are all on the options list.
The pricing is the real headline: the QQ3 starts at 58,900 yuan and tops out at 78,900 yuan — roughly $8,200 to $11,000. For a nameplate once synonymous with the cheapest car you could buy, that’s a surprisingly confident bet on an entirely different segment.
Fulwin T7: 600 km without a drop of fuel
Next up is the Chery Fulwin T7, a new all-electric family crossover. It measures 4,570 mm long, 1,852 mm wide and 1,694 mm tall on a 2,700 mm wheelbase, with a boot ranging from 450 to 1,550 litres depending on the rear seat position.
There’s no battery menu here: every version gets the same 65.05 kWh LFP pack. The front motor makes 178 kW — about 242 hp — and 275 Nm. Chery claims 600 km CLTC range, and 30-80% fast charging takes around 20 minutes.
The cabin feels noticeably grown-up next to the QQ3: an 8.8-inch driver display sits behind the wheel, with a 15.6-inch 2.5K screen at the centre. Depending on trim, the chip is either the Snapdragon 8155 or the beefier 8775, and the top trim adds the Falcon 500 suite with highway assist and automated parking.
The T7 is still in presale and is due to officially launch in China on August 26. The three trims run from 109,900 to 129,900 yuan, or roughly $15,300 to $18,200.
Fulwin T9: seven seats and up to 1,800 km
The third car plays in a much bigger league. The Fulwin T9 Long Range stretches to 4,816 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, on a 2,770 mm wheelbase. Beyond the standard five-seat cabin, select trims add a third row, turning the T9 into a seven-seat family SUV.
Unlike the other two, the T9 isn’t a pure EV — it’s a plug-in hybrid. Under the bonnet sits a 1.5-litre turbo engine rated at 156 hp, paired with an electric motor and a DHT hybrid transmission. Combined output reaches 265 kW — about 360 hp — and 530 Nm.
A 32.66 kWh battery delivers up to 220 km on electricity alone, and Chery claims a combined range beyond 1,800 km. Fast charging from 30% to 80% takes about 15 minutes. Around town, this T9 can be run essentially as an EV, keeping the petrol engine in reserve for longer trips.
The main T9 Long Range trims cost 119,900–139,900 yuan, or roughly $16,900–$19,700. A specific variant starts as low as 109,900 yuan — about $15,500 at direct conversion.
Taken together, the three cars on Chery’s stand show just how wide China’s electrified market has become. For a sum that, converted directly, spans roughly $8,200 to $19,700, a buyer gets a small rear-wheel-drive EV, a 242-hp crossover with 600 km of range, and a large seven-seat hybrid.
