Chery’s iCar Off-Road Brand Confirmed for Australia, Electric V23 Model On the Cards

• Chery’s off-road EV brand “iCar” set to launch in Australia after the UK by next year
• Name changed to “iCaur” due to trademark issue
• The first vehicle is likely to be V23 compact off-roader to rival the Suzuki Jimny
• Expected to be priced less than AUD$40,000 plus on-roads

One of the stars of the Shanghai Auto Show, Chery’s off-road brand “iCar,” is confirmed for Australia. The first car to arrive for local markets will be the iCar V23, according to a company representative who spoke to Drive.com.au. “Because Jaecoo has the 03 exported already, we’re going to do the V23 under iCaur (for overseas markets).” The V23 is a compact electric off-roader and soon-to-be range-extender hybrid that will be available to “global markets” from mid-2026.

With Jeep Wrangler vibes and a length (4,220 mm) that would place it closer to a five-door Suzuki Jimny (3,965mm), the car will appeal to prospective buyers who want an off-road aesthetic, but will likely never leave the inner city streets of Sydney or Melbourne.

The car, which reminds us of Apple’s scrapped EV project, will arrive with a different name to avoid trademark issues. Set to be called ‘iCaur,’ the V23 will likely be followed by the larger Jeep Wrangler-sized V25 hybrid SUV in late 2026 before the smaller V21 electric SUV arrives in 2027. Here’s everything you need to know!

While it looks like a Temu car, it ticks all the usual SUV design cues with those chunky wheel-arches, slab-sided proportions and mean-looking front-end. Hence, despite being just 4,220mm in length, it sure does pack a punch in terms of sheer road presence.

Despite its small stature, performance is just fine, and certainly better than a Suzuki Jimny because of that EV powertrain. Expect both the single and dual motor versions to arrive in Australia, and here’s what power and range look like:

• Single-motor iCar V23 (China specifications):
  • 100kW/180Nm
  • 47 kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery
  • Up to 300km range (CLTC)
• Dual-motor Single-motor iCar V23 (China specifications):
  • 155kW
  • 81 kWh (NMC) battery
  • Up to 500km range (CLTC)

What stands out the most is that 300km range (CLTC) figure—it might not be enough. The CLTC cycle is far more lenient than the WLTP figure standard in Australia, and we’d only expect 250km of WLTP range when certified for our market. We don’t see how this is enough to make it a true off-roader for Australia. It won’t have enough range to make it out of the city, but the range-extender hybrid that’s rumoured to arrive later could fix this issue.

Despite the tough looks, off-road ability is limited. The iCar V23 has only 210mm ground clearance, which is similar to a Toyota RAV4 (213 mm). On a positive note, it does have 43- and 41-degree approach and departure angles, which should help it out on steep carpark entries and exits.

On the inside, the interior looks reasonably plush, while the steering wheel looks like a Range Rover and is flanked by actual buttons and a massive 15.4-inch touchscreen, which is standard fare these days.

The large infotainment system runs a Snapdragon 8155 chip in China, and you get safety features like ADAS, all-around cameras and more. Whether or not all of these features arrive in overseas markets like Australia is still up for question, but they usually do. Storage-wise, boot capacity is an ample 744 litres.

Publications, including Autocar and Drive, say that the iCar V23 is going to arrive in the UK by next year, meaning we should expect an Australian market launch a bit later in the year. In China, the V23 is priced between 99,800 to 139,800 yuan (AUD$21,500 to AUD$30,000), which does suggest that it could arrive in Australia with a targeted price of less than AUD$40,000 before on-road costs. It all depends on how much it costs to swap that “iCar” badge to one that says “iCaur.” Strange name, isn’t it?!