It was back in May when Tan Chong Motor (TCM) announced a partnership with SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) to distribute Wuling cars in Malaysia – merely three days before the first public appearance of the Proton eMas 5 at the Malaysia Autoshow 2025.
A lot was already known then – that the brand’s official name in the country would be TQ Wuling (TQ standing for trust and quality), that the debutante would be the Bingo and that it would be locally-assembled (CKD) at TCM’s Segambut plant (the first EV to be assembled there), which meant it could be priced under RM100k.
The wait is finally over, as the TQ Wuling Bingo has been officially launched in Malaysia in Pro (RM67,800) and Max (RM72,800) variants, OTR before insurance. The first 500 buyers get a RM5,000 rebate, an eight-year/120,000 km EV battery warranty, an eight-year/160,000 km drive motor warranty, monthly instalments as low as RM625, a 7 kW home charger, a three-pin charger, solar tint and 17 insurance benefits plus EV coverage, which TQ Wuling says is altogether worth over RM12,000.
Factor in the RM5,000 early-bird rebate and the prices become RM62,800 for the Pro and RM67,800 for the Max. The booking fee is RM50. Others in this playground are the RM100k (before an early-bird package) BYD Atto 2, RM95k (all in, 10 units only) Seres 3, RM80k (body price) Perodua QV-E and RM57k-70k Proton eMas 5.
The Bingo is very likely the smallest new EV you can buy today in Malaysia (the Microlino is yet to launch, while the Renault Twizy and Mitsubishi i-MiEV are now history). Measuring 3,950 mm long, 1,708 mm wide and 1,580 mm tall, with a 2,560 mm wheelbase, the Bingo equals the eMas 5 in height and wheelbase, but is 185 mm shorter and 97 mm narrower. Put simply, it’s sized between an Axia and a Myvi.
Styling wise, the Bingo is pretty cute but hardly original – we’re sure you’ve seen many a blobby Chinese EV in your lifetime. That ‘X’ lighting signature does stand out, though, and it’s replicated at the back, too. Those 15-inch steel wheels are well concealed by flower-shaped hubcaps, and the tyres are 185/60 Leao Green-Max HP. Unlike other markets, which have an AC port on one side and DC on the other, our car combines both on the left (front passenger) side.
The cockpit is a breath of fresh air, helped by that bright two-tone Caramel Latte scheme (as on the latest model in Thailand, which costs the equivalent of under RM50k), curvy design and egg-shaped air vent surrounds with Mercedes-style turbine vents. Seems the screens are the only straight lines in the cabin! The leather steering wheel is only tilt-adjustable, there are two fold-away bag hooks under the central air vents and the absence of a centre console helps with space.
Only two rear seatbelts, so it’s strictly a four-seater, but because of that, the 50:50-split back seats can be made rather wide. They also have adjustable headrests and are individually contoured as opposed to a flat bench, which would be less comfortable on long trips. The boot floor is made up of two ‘bins’; remove these for 395 litres of space. Fold the back seats down as well and you get 1,240 litres. No frunk.
Whatever the variant, the little tyke has a front-mounted 68 PS/150 Nm electric motor (11 PS less but 20 Nm more than the eMas 5 Prime), but the Pro has a 31.9 kWh battery while the Max has a slightly bigger 37.9 kWh one. TQ Wuling is communicating CLTC ranges of 333 and 410 km respectively (in concert with SGMW across key markets), but the closer-to-real-world WLTP ranges are actually 273 and 337 km (bettering the eMas 5’s 225 and 325 km).
Both LFP units can be DC-charged at up to 50 kW (30-80% in under 35 minutes) and AC-charged at up to 7 kW (0-100% in 4.5 hours for the smaller-batteried Pro and 5.5 hours for the bigger-batteried Max). Turning radius is 5.1 metres; braking distance from 100 km/h to a halt is 36.9 metres.
Batteries aside, both variants have exactly the same kit – auto head and tail lamps, DRLs, rear fog lamps, frameless wipers, power-folding wing mirrors, glossy ceramic with soft leatherette panel interior trim, perforated leatherette upholstery, dual 10.25-inch screens with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, four speakers, a rotary gear selector and a six-way powered driver’s seat.
There’s also a one-touch up/down driver’s window, four drive modes (Eco+, Eco, Normal, Sport), keyless entry and start, passive cruise control, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, TPMS, a reverse camera, blind spot warning, rear-seat ISOFIX, seatbelt reminders for all seats, 1,500 MPa ultra-high tensile steel in key areas, and six airbags (when Indonesia and Thailand only get two). No AEB nor ACC. TQ Wuling says there are plans to pursue ASEAN NCAP crash testing and that details will be shared at a later juncture.
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How does the Bingo compare to the eMas 5? On paper, its ranges are slightly better (even considering WLTP), and it does have a powered driver’s seat and power-folding wing mirrors, which no eMas 5 variant has. But the Proton fights back with ADAS (Premium variant), a powered tailgate (Premium variant), a 360 camera (Premium variant) a frunk and faster DC charging (30-80% in 21 minutes regardless of variant).
You can have your Bingo in Neon Blue, Milky White or Lavender Purple; the last colour is exclusive to the Max variant. The roof can be had in any colour as long as it’s black. Warranties? Five years/150,000 km on the vehicle, eight years/120,000 km on the EV battery and eight years/160,000 km on the drive motor.
There are OUG, Melati Utama, Jalan Raja Laut, Glenmarie, Butterworth and Johor Jaya showrooms (all have EV chargers); the last three also incorporate service centres. Additionally, you can service your Wuling at Petaling Jaya, Jalan Ipoh, Batu Caves and Bayan Lepas. Network expansion will be carried out in phases, with an initial focus on key urban centres and areas with higher EV adoption.
By the way, the cars photographed here at the launch are merely display units and have only two airbags; we’re told customer cars will have six.
TQ Wuling Bingo launched in Malaysia
TQ Wuling Bingo Malaysia official photos
