Meet the iCAUR V25: Chery’s rugged new SUV for Australia
Chery-owned iCAUR is the latest Chinese brand to target the Australian market, confirming a 2027 launch of the chunky V25 SUV.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Land Rover should be chuffed at the latest new model to target Australian shores, the iCAUR V25.
Looking very much like a shrunken Land Rover Defender in side profile but also channelling elements of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and rival Chinese offerings the Denza B5 and Tank 300, the iCAUR V25 will be hard to lose in a crowded shopping centre car park.
The new brand and its inaugural model are the latest play from a bullish Chery Australia which in addition to the parent brand has already launched sub-brands Omoda and Jaecoo and is targeting additional brand launches with Lepas in November 2026 and Freelander in 2027.
Despite the apparent styling similarities between the iCAUR V25 and the Land Rover Defender there is no mention of any collaboration between the brands, but the forthcoming Freelander is a joint-venture between Chery and Jaguar-Land Rover.
Chery first came on the radar of Australia consumers in 2011 when independent automotive vehicle distributor Ateco launched the brand here, but the products weren’t well received and imports ceased in 2015.
Since returning as a full factory-backed effort in 2023, the state-owned brand has gone from strength to strength, with the Chery Tiggo 4 the country’s fifth best-selling model in July and Chery’s year-to-date sales of 29,579 vehicles ranking it as our eighth biggest seller.
No specifications have yet been released for the iCAUR V25 but media site Car News China reports that Chery filed a regulatory listing for a model in China by the same name, featuring a new plug-in extended-range hybrid (EREV) drivetrain.
The report stated that the EREV system features a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, a 33.7 kWh battery and delivers a pure electric range of 145km (WLTC) and fuel consumption of 1.5L/100km.
ICAUR’s own description of the Australian model references its use of “clean energy technology”, with the V25’s scheduled Australian debut at Everything Electric Sydney in September indicating it will have an electrified powertrain of some kind.
Despite its rugged 4x4 looks the iCAUR V25 is built on a car-like monocoque body structure instead of a traditional heavy-duty body-on-frame chassis.
Dimensionally, the five-seat, 2,720kg SUV measures 4,636 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,855 mm tall, and rides on a 2,820 mm wheelbase, which is closer to a Toyota RAV4 than a Land Rover Defender.
iCAUR’s Head of Brand Kate Gillis said the V25 has been engineered for customers who want a vehicle equally at home in the city and beyond the bitumen.
She described the new model as “having been developed to combine intuitive design with premium technology and everyday practicality”.
"Australia is one of Chery Group's most important international markets, and we're delighted to introduce iCAUR as the next step in our long-term growth strategy,” Ms Gillis said.
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