iCaur News

Chinese car giant Chery has confirmed its electrified off-road brand iCaur will launch in Australia in February 2027, with its recently introduced V27 and still-to-be-released V25 SUVs.Confirming that both new models will touch down early next year, an insider told media following the Beijing motor show, that the Suzuki Jimny wagon-rivalling V23 would also eventually join the line-up, but not until 2028 or 2029, following a mid-life makeover.Only introduced to the world back in 2023, iCaur, known in China as iCar, has already won fans with its combination of retro boxy-designed vehicles that combine either a range-extender hybrid or all-electric powertrains.In little more than two years the brand has gone on to sell more than 160,000 models globally, something that will ramp up rapidly in the next three years as the Land Rover or Toyota LandCruiser-rivalling brand races to enter 100 export countries.In Australia, it's expected the V27 will launch first, coming with a single range-extender hybrid powertrain.The largest model yet introduced by the iCaur, locally the V27 will be offered with either two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and two different power outputs.Pinching design cues from the Ford Bronco, Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-wagen, the V27 shares the same boxy shape with the 4x4 icons and bags similar circular headlamps.All Australian-spec models will also come with the externally-mounted full-size spare wheel, conventional door handles and a side-hinged tailgate.Measuring in at 4909mm long, 1976mm wide and 1855mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2910mm, the V27 is roughly the same size as a Land Rover Defender 110.Under the bonnet is a 105kW1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that is combined with both a 34.3kWh and a 20.6kWh battery pack.Maximum power is 335kW, with 0-100km/h taking 5.5 seconds.In China, thanks to the large powerpacks, the V27 can travel up to 210km on EV power alone and cover a total 1200km before it needs recharging; both of those figures are expected to fall under Euro WLTP test conditions.Longer ranges are expected for the light two-wheel drive versions.Full specifications have yet to be detailed for the Australian market, but it's thought our cars will drop the long-range LiDAR sensor Chinese-spec comes with which, combined with 27 sensors provides for a Level 2+ autonomous capability.Within, the iCaur comes with a 15.4-inch infotainment that runs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P chip for smoother, quicker responses. Below the big screen is a row of physical buttons that provide shortcuts for the climate control and more.Ahead of the driver is a slimline letterbox-style 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, while bathing the cabin in light is a four-pane segmented sunroof.Locally, the V27 is priced from just 200,000 Chinese yuan (A$40,000), it's not known what the range will kick off from but the insider told Carsguide that the new rugged-looking V27 will be positioned lower than the Denza B5 ($74,990-$79,990).Despite comparisons with the Denza, the same source said the V27 was not created for ultimate off-roading in mind and won't be as capable as a car like the Defender (from $96,255).Instead, the V27 is suited for light off-roading and can only tug up to 1600kg, some way off the 3000kg maximum towing weight claimed for the Denza B5.Other than testing, little is known about the new smaller mid-size V25 other than when it arrives in Australia after the V27 next year, it will come with both a range-extender hybrid and hybrid power.With spy shots confirming it won't deviate far from the classic 4x4 styling, it's thought the fresh Toyota RAV4 rival will share much with both the V27 and the smaller V23.For our market, it will also be offered with two power outputs and with or without all-wheel drive.Despite rumours that iCaur is secretly developing a ute based on all three of its models, an iCaur pick-up is unlikely to be offered in Australia, says the insider, following the decision to import the inbound dual-cab plug-in diesel hybrid Chery KP31 that's set for release in late 2026.

Fresh from confirming Lepas (Q4 2026), iCaur (Q2 2027) and Freelander (est 2027) would be landing in Australia in the near future, Chery Auto has been forced to defend its position of rolling out yet more sub-brands.Chery's response? The one-size-fits-all approach historically used by legacy car-makers is outdated.Zhang Guibing, President of Chery International, addressed complaints of potential customer confusion by comparing his carmaker to the fashion industry that has also spun off niche brands tailored for different consumers."When you look ten years ago at Toyota or Volkswagen, with one model they could sell many units. But today it is very difficult for one model to have the same meaning," said Chery's president."Today the customer is different. Even if the clothes are very beautiful, when too many people buy them, customers say they don't like to buy ."We are trying to use sub-brands to appeal to different customer groups," claimed Guibing, shortly after Chery announced that both the Lepas and Freelander brands would be introduced to Australia, where more than 68 different carmakers already operate.When asked if any of the Chery brands risked cannibalising each other’s sales, Guibing accepted there might be some overlap with Chery, Omoda or Jaecoo buyers but it was limited at best, because of the way the sub-brands were positioned."I couldn't say completely that there is no conflict."The brands understand the customers, their habits, the language they use and really understand what think. In this way we use the sub-brands to cover different customers," the Chery boss claimed, suggesting that each offering was unique, while the alternative price structures also helped prevent any poaching of sales within the group.Last year in Australia, sales of Chinese-made cars reached unprecedented highs after more than 250,000 were sold for the first time, ahead of Thai-built cars and utes, but despite some rival brands making bold statements of sales growth, Chery's regional boss Lewis Lu said that wouldn't be the Chinese carmaker's approach Down Under."Volume is not the first consideration," claimed Lu."We need to find a way to look after our customers, for a long-term perspective to help us get the right reputation."