Shanghai show: Qoros 2 PHEV Concept breaks cover

CHINESE company Qoros has joined the sea of petrol-electric hybrid vehicles on show at Auto Shanghai, revealing its 2 SUV PHEV Concept SUV overnight.

With three cars on its books already, and a record-setting Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating under its belt for its 3 compact sedan and hatch, the Australian importer of Chery and Foton brands, Ateco Automotive, is currently courting Qoros.

However, the Chinese car-maker has given no firm indications that it intends to start producing its cars in right-hand drive any time in the next couple of years – if not longer.

Ateco Asian brands spokesperson Daniel Cotterill told GoAuto that Qoros is a brand that the company is potentially interested in, if right-hand-drive versions of models that makes commercial sense become available.

“We’re a way off establishing anything,” he said. “We’re always interested in good quality right-hand-drive product, but no one’s put a time or a price on it yet. We’ll await with interest.”

Powered by a combination of an unspecified turbocharged petrol engine under the bonnet and a pair of electric motors on the rear axle, the Qoros’s ultra-high density batteries are, according to the car-maker, incorporated into the chassis floor structure.

The 2 PHEV Concept is equipped with four driving modes, including pure electric, sport, permanent all-wheel-drive and hybrid. The system can be controlled via Qoros’s own QorosQloud app suite, which is accessible via the car’s multimedia hub.

The 2 PHEV Concept also highlights cable-free charging, a common theme at this year’s Shanghai show. Qoros uses a system that it says is inspired by mid-air aircraft refuelling, comprising a folding charging probe that contains the charging socket that can be extended from within the cabin.

Based on a ‘Don’t touch a cable’ principle that is practiced in the aerospace industry, the charging probe unfolds to slot into sockets on charge point pods at the roadside, in car-park charging bays or installed in homes.

While the front end of the car is overtly styled, the rest of the 2 PHEV Concept appears to be very close to production spec. The tail-light cluster mimics the design of the brand’s other three cars – known simply as 3 Sedan, Hatch and City SUV – while a full-length panoramic glass roof incorporates a Chinese pattern in white jade.

Qoros has also incorporated the Chinese love of numerology into the 2 PHEV.

Nine name stamps located throughout the car not only pay homage to the 2’s nine designers, but also play on a Chinese character that means ‘long lasting’. The number nine also signifies the expressions ‘big’ or ‘more’.

Very few specs have been supplied, other than the car’s B-segment matching dimensions. At 4181mm long, it sits on a wheelbase of 2600mm, stands 1553mm high and 2030mm wide (including mirrors). It rides on a 1663mm wide track.