Chery Group added a 4th badge to its Australian line-up, and iCAUR V25 is the car sent to open the door. It’s a range-extender, not the pure EV the local release implies, and it’s shaped like it was drawn with a set square.
iCAUR is a “new energy” brand Chery Group created in 2023, and confirmed its Australian entry on 25 August 2026. First cars due in early 2027, yet detail is scant so here is what we know so far.
iCAUR V25 styling is “boxy” in true 4×4 style, and round headlights sit in a big squared-off nose. It celebrates its utilitarian luxury in a shameless nod to Defender and G Wagen with flat bonnet and door hinges on the outside. A spare wheel is bolted to the tailgate, there are chunky black arches, 5-spoke alloys, and not a curve in sight. Yes, yet silhouette is pure Land Rover Defender and the flat-sided, spare-on-the-back stance is Mercedes G-Wagen, and iCAUR V25 looks fabulous for it.
Above: 2026 GWM Tank 300 Ultra Hi4-T review
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ABOVE: 2027 iCAUR V25
iCAUR V25 1.5 Does What Legacy Brands Needed a V8 For
Chery’s Australian release says full-electric performance, not the same thing as being full-electric please note. Chinese regulatory filings have V25 as a range-extender with a 115kW 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine as a generator only, it never drives the wheels.
A 33.68kWh lithium iron phosphate battery supplies power enough for 150km of EV mode in rear-drive, or 145km with all-wheel drive. Australian dates, specification, and pricing are yet to be confirmed, but “Early 2027” covers anything up to July.
iCAUR V25’s 1.5-litre four is doing the job legacy brands once needed a V8 to do, in a body built to go far off the bitumen. Despite a vast swathe of legacy offerings, there is barely a range-extended off-roader among them to put against iCAUR V25. This isn’t a cheap runabout aimed at the bottom of the market. Indeed, it’s an unapologetic run at any legacy brand with an alleged off-roader, luxury badges included, who have nothing to answer it with.
iCAUR describes a modern digital cabin and intelligent driver assistance technologies. The cabin images show a plush interior with pale cream trim. The dash has a portrait-ish centre screen, and a row of the physical climate knobs and switches we have come to crave.
Chinese regulations are shifting by banning hidden door handles, electric locks, and screen-only cabins. It appears some brands already got that memo.
Chery Group Is Now 4 Badges Deep in Australia
Chery sells here under its own name alongside Omoda and Jaecoo, and iCAUR makes a cosy foursome. That’s a lot of showroom signage to come in such a short period of time. The same people are pushing a diesel hybrid Stockman ute with Premcar for local validation, into the crowded ute market. Chery’s plan continues the Chinese badge march across the field of the bloodied Japanese establishment, and July’s VFACTS result serves up the severe damage inflicted so far.
Kate Gillis, late of Peugeot Australia, is now Head of Brand at iCAUR Australia. She called Australia one of Chery Group’s most important international markets and put iCAUR down as the next step in a long-term growth strategy.
Sydney Gets the First Look at iCAUR V25 in September
Everything Electric Sydney, 18 to 20 September, is the first public showing in Australia, and will be worth the trip. A show stand is the only place you’ll get to judge the plastics and whether those door hinges are as agricultural as they look.
A boxy range-extended off-roader is a rare animal in Australia. It is and rarer still from a group that prices its cars the way Chery does. Following in the track of Denza B8 and B5, the Chinese brands are keen to use technology legacy brands seem unwilling to confront.
iCAUR V25 range extender EV should be able to power your campsite and make off-road life a little less 18th Century. Not even Land Cruiser manages that.
More Chery Stories
- Chery Stockman Ute Goes to Premcar for Australian Validation
- 2026 Chery Stockman Diesel Hybrid Ute Changes the Dual-Cab Game
- Toyota BYD Tesla Fight For Australia’s Sales Crown
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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