Qoros GQ3 revealed

The Qoros GQ3 has been revealed ahead of its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Qoros is a new Chinese carmaker, and the GQ3 is a C-segment saloon that’s set to rival the Skoda Octavia.

The GQ3 is the first car in a family of models set to be released by the Chinese manufacturer in the latter part of 2013 and beyond. Like Skoda, the Chinese firm is planning to release a new model every six months as it bids to expand rapidly. The Qoros models will be sold in Europe but UK sales aren’t currently on the cards.

Former General Manager of MINI design, Gert Hildebrand, is responsible for the GQ3’s styling, helped by design teams in Shanghai and Munich.

The GQ3’s front end, including the wide headlights and grille, form an identity for the brand that will go on to inspire the rest of the Qoros family. Inside, Qoros claims that the GQ3 “will offer generous interior space”, with quality standards “comparable with the best-selling cars in Europe.”

The GQ3 will feature plenty of technology, too, including an eight-inch central touchscreen which will be be fitted as standard and used to control the car’s stereo and sat-nav functions. The infotainment system will also be connected to the internet, allowing drivers to share their position on various social media platforms.

Qoros was established in 2007, and is a joint venture between Chery Automobile – the firm which also has a joint venture agreement with Jaguar Land Rover to build cars in China – and Israeli holding company Israel Corporation.

The Qoros models will be built at a new factory, currently under construction in China. The plant will have an initial capacity of 150,000, but this can be expanded to 450,000 given sufficient demand.