The Chery QQ3 is a very compact, five-door hatchback, only 3.55m long but able to seat four adults in reasonable comfort.
It comes with either an 812cc, three-cylinder engine producing a claimed 38kW at 6000rpm and 70Nm at 4000rpm, or a 1083cc, four-cylinder unit for which Chery quotes 50kW at 6000rpm and 90Nm at 4000rpm.
Each complies with Euro III emissions standards (South Africa requires Euro II) and drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.
The 800 needs a fistful of revs to get anywhere - especially as its full complement of kilowatts were not on parade at Gauteng altitude - but it acquitted itself well with a typically three-cylinder work ethic and musical if somewhat intrusive engine note.
I even saw 140km/h on the speedometer once, at the end of a (very) long, deserted straight.
Power-assisted steering is standard; that on the three-cylinder models felt overlight and skittish with a pronounced - and very disconcerting - tendency to follow grooves in the road.
The 1.1-litre model was much more planted on the road; it was quiet at cruising revs (under 4000rpm) but a little raucous when pushed hard.
Suspension is entirely conventional, by Macpherson strut in front and torsion beam at the rear; both versions felt a little choppy on poor roads (once again the 1.1 was the better) and the short (only 2.34m) wheelbase induced pitching.
Boot capacity is 190 litres, increasing to 1308 with both sections of the 60:40 split rear seat folded flat.
Immediately after the presentation I asked to see the 0.8 TE base model; just what do you get for R59 900, I wanted to know.
What you get is a cheerful but very plasticky interior - mostly in pale grey - with unexpectedly comfortable seats upholstered in a pleasant-to-the-touch fabric, a smallish steering wheel with a soft-touch rim, a high-level third brake light, body skirts, rear diffuser and spoiler and body-colour mirrors and bumpers.
The 1.1 TE version (R65 900) includes aircon - and that's still below the price of its nearest competitor, the 0.8-litre Chevy Spark at R66 560, which doesn't have aircon.
The 0.8 TX Comfort model adds a radio, electric mirrors and windows, cloth inserts in the door panels, remote central locking and alloy rims.
The 1.1 TXE Luxury version has a more sophisticated sound system with four speakers and a USB port, aircon, anti-lock brakes, two front crash bags and a manual sunroof.
Prices:
0.8 TE - R59 900
0.8 TX (Comfort) - R65 900
1.1 TE - R73 900
1.1 TXE (Luxury) - R79 900
The QQ3 comes with a three-year or 100 000km warranty and 15 000km service intervals.