Quiantu made quite a splash back in 2015 when it unveiled its fully-electric K50 sports car that went into production in 2018 and was later also made available as a drop-top. However, costing well over $100,000 to buy in its native China, it only found a few hundred buyers before being discontinued in 2020.
They were even planning to build and sell it in the United States, but that plan also fell through.
But now Quiantu is back and it has revealed another sporty EV, but one that is much smaller and cheaper, although it should still be pretty quick, thanks to its dual-motor all-wheel drive and sub-1-ton weight.
For reference, the K20 is two-seater and a whole foot shorter than the vehicle which we say its design is closest to, the Honda CR-Z. It is much quicker than the Honda, though, thanks to a combined power output of 160 kW (214 horsepower) and a peak torque rating of 290 Nm (213 pound-feet), giving it a claimed acceleration time to 100 km/h (62 mph) of 4.7 seconds.
Gallery: Qiantu K20
It is able to sprint so quickly with relatively little power thanks to its very low weight - 780 kg / 1,720 pounds - and the traction advantage brought by the all-wheel drive system. These numbers are for the range-topping dual-motor variant - there will also be a single-motor long-range version, which delivers a claimed 500 km (310 miles) on one charge on the NEDC test cycle.
Exact battery capacity was not mentioned in the Cnevpost source article, but pricing was. The Qiantu K20 will start at $13,000, although if you want the more exciting dual-motor all-wheel drive model, you will have to pay the equivalent of almost another $10,000, with the price climbing to just over $22,600.
You will be able to pay less up front for a K20, if you opt for the battery rental option that some manufacturers are pushing in China with varying success. Do also keep in mind that Qiantu as a company basically ceased to exist in 2020, because the K50 proved quite unsuccessful overall, but it was reborn late last year when it announced it was working on a new (cheaper) EV that it would launch in the coming years.
The company also previously showed off a K25 concept, basically the same vehicle, but a bit longer and with four doors for more practicality and space.
