The Chery Q compact EV looks like an option that Malaysian will soon have access to.
The Southeast Asian electric vehicle (EV) market has just witnessed another major wave of disruption. Chery Thailand has officially hosted the highly anticipated grand launch of the Chery Q, a stylish, city-sized electric car purpose-built to conquer tight urban spaces. If Chery Malaysia brings it here, it will go up against the e.MAS 5 as it’s priced around RM55K-65K in Thailand while being essentially the same size – in fact it looks as if Chery did their best to match or exceed Proton’s size and spec by at least a small amount.
The Chery Q matches the e.MAS 5’s layout – motor in the rear, multi-link rear suspension. Here’s how Chery compares elsewhere:
| Chery Q | Proton e.MAS 5 |
| 122PS | 116PS |
| 115Nm | 150Nm |
| 41.3kWh LFP | 40.16kWh LFP |
| 85kW DC Fast Charge | 71kW DC Fast Charge |
| 6.6kW V2L | 3.3kW V2L |
As you can see, Proton still offers more torque, but in most other EV specs, the Chery Q gives you slightly more.
Explosive Thai Market Demand: 3,000 Pre-Orders Locked In
Consumer excitement for the Chery Q reached a fever pitch well before its official price tags were finalized. Proving that regional demand for affordable, tech-forward city EVs is at an all-time high, the vehicle successfully racked up over 3,000 pre-orders from Thai buyers prior to the launch event. This massive wave of early interest has instantly turned the Chery Q into one of the most talked-about and highly anticipated urban vehicles in the region.
The “SO QUTE, SO YOU” Design Philosophy
The vehicle was developed under the overarching creative concept of “SO QUTE, SO YOU”—which translates locally in Thailand to “Cute beyond expectations, complete beyond its class.”
Rather than treating a budget-friendly city EV as a stripped-back economy car, Chery has re-engineered the small-car segment for the modern urban generation. The Chery Q stands out by harmoniously blending an expressive, youthful design with intelligent interior technologies and a surprisingly comprehensive active safety feature set, delivering exceptional value-for-money to the entry-level EV landscape.
A Massive Threat to the Upcoming Proton e.MAS 5
For Malaysian automotive observers, the launch of the Chery Q in Thailand serves as a crucial marker. If Chery decides to leverage its expanding manufacturing footprint in Southeast Asia to bring the right-hand-drive Chery Q to neighboring markets like Malaysia, it will stand shoulder-to-shoulder against the e.MAS 5, forcing a massive spec-for-spec price war among urban commuter cars.
