Skywell Q: Chinese Cupra Born in competition from Australian importers

While the Chinese car brand seems intent on gaining share of the Tesla Model Y with its own electric SUV, Skywell has pivoted to producing the next generation model.

Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last month, the Skywell Q is an electric hatchback with an impressive equipment list and eye-catching (if not slightly mind-boggling) performance credentials.

Jack Puzin, CEO of Skywell’s local importer EV Automotive, attended the vehicle’s unveiling in Paris and said car expert He hopes it will be sold in Australia, but there’s no official release date for the Q yet.

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Measuring 4297mm long, 1836mm wide and 1536mm high, the Skywell Q is just centimeters away from the Cupra Born, one of the few electric vehicles (EVs) that can be considered a derivative of the hot hatch formula.

A single front-mounted electric motor delivers up to 150kW of power, which Skywell claims can deliver a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.9 seconds.

That’s hard to believe, as the Born is rear-wheel drive (auxiliary traction) and has 20kW more power, but it’s claimed to take 7.0 seconds to hit 100km/h from rest.

Skywell has not yet detailed the Q’s battery capacity, but the larger of the two battery packs it offers is said to offer more than 480 kilometers of driving range and be able to charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 20 minutes.

Confirmed features include 18-inch alloy wheels, an LED front light bar, a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, an eight-speaker Metz sound system and a rear touchscreen for second-row passengers.

It will include safety equipment from adaptive cruise control to lane keep assist and the European-mandated Intelligent Speed ​​Assist, although it’s unclear how intrusive the system will be.

While Mr. Puzin emphasized that the vehicle he saw was a pre-production example, he hopes to bring it here “as is,” with one or two minor improvements.

“We think it will be available in a rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive version, and Australia being Australia, it will have a range of 400-500 kilometers – we won’t be introducing any smaller models,” he said.

If the Q does come to Australia, it will be Skywell’s second passenger car model to enter EV showrooms, following the launch of the ET5 electric SUV in the first quarter of 2025.

The two new models will join existing Skywell electric vehicles such as the EC11 (a van and coach that closely resembles the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter) in EV Automotive’s local line-up.

The importer also plans to launch the Victory EC1 in Australia, available as a van and minivan/light truck hybrid, ideal for last-mile business travel and parliament.