Chery does not build many cars like the Chery QQ: a 5-door hatchback with 0.8 L ACTECO, built from 2003 to 2026 in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids.
Where it came from
The Chery QQ3 is a city car and subcompact hatchback produced by the Chinese manufacturer Chery from May 2003. In 2006, Chery created a QQ-branded product line that included the original QQ (rebadged as a QQ3), a sedan version called Chery QQ6 released in September 2006 and a three-door hatchback called Chery QQme released in June 2009. A slightly redesigned model of the original QQ was revealed at the 2011 Guangzhou Auto Show, and was renamed Chery QQ3 Sport.
At the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, Chery introduced the second generation. It was sold by the DR Automobiles as the DR Zero in Italy. In 2025 at Chengdu Auto Show, the third-generation Chery QQ3 made its official debut. Unlike the previous two generations of the QQ3 which were city cars, the third-generation QQ3 is a subcompact hatchback with a wheelbase exceeding 2,700 mm.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 0.8 L ACTECO; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. The gearbox is a 5-speed Manual transmission / manual / 5-speed Automated manual transmission / automated manual. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2340 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Chery's history is not in doubt: it was built at Wuhu, Anhui. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Mazda Mazda3, the Mazda RX-8, the Bentley Continental GT. Nearby in the Chery catalogue sit the Chery Arrizo 5 GT and the Chery A1.
Chery QQ Ice Cream