Chery has confirmed it's adding another sub-brand to its growing arsenal in Australia.
New adventure-focused iCaur brand will join Chery, Jaecoo, Omoda and Lepas in the carmaking giant's local line-up.
Chery will also likely launch Freelander and maybe Exceed in the next few years. Its Jetour off-roader brand will arrive later this year via a separate factory-backed entity.
Read more
iCaur Australia boss Kate Gillis said Australians have a strong desire for vehicles that are practical, capable and good looking.
"The V25 has been developed to meet those expectations while bringing a distinctive personality that will appeal to customers looking for something different," said Gillis.
The V25 features tough-looks with light off-roading ability.
iCaur's first model in Australia
The company confirmed it will launch early in 2027, with the V25 the first model to join the line-up. It will go head-to-head with the Denza B5 and Subaru Forester in Australia and Toyota LandCruiser FJ in other markets.
iCaur Australia hasn't revealed any details for the V25, but specs have emerged in China.
A filing to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last month showed the V25 is an extended range hybrid (EREV).
An EREV uses the petrol engine just to charge the sizable battery, with only electric motors driving the wheels. This gives it the driving benefits of an EV but without the range anxiety.
It uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 115kW, and a 33.68kWh battery delivers an electric driving range of up to 150km albeit under the more lenient CLTC test cycle.
According to the MIIT's details, the V25 is 4636mm long, 1920mm wide, 1855mm tall, has a 1820mm wheelbase and has a track width of 1635mm at the front, 1642mm at the rear.
Overhangs of 736mm at the front and 1080mm at the rear are also quoted, though an approach angle of 28 degrees and a departure angle of 24 degrees have also been reported.
What other iCaur models could come to Australia?
In China iCaur has the V23 and V27.
The V23 is an electric SUV that uses a single electric motor to make 155kW and 292Nm. It is paired with a circa 82kWh battery that delivers a driving range of up to 430km. It can only charge at a max 104kW via a DC charger.
The V27 is a bigger, chunkier tough-looking SUV, which uses an extended range hybrid set-up.
A 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine charges the 34.3kWh battery, with power coming from a pair of electric motors driving each axle, which combine for 335kW and 505Nm.