iCaur begins recruiting Australian dealers as separate network takes shape ahead of V25 launch

Separate retail network takes shape

Chery Group's iCaur brand has begun recruiting Australian dealers and is planning a retail operation distinct from the mainstream Chery network, as it prepares to launch with the V25 SUV in early 2027. Speaking to media including CarExpert in China, iCaur International chief executive Ronna Luo said: "The service and sales networks, I think, will be different", and confirmed recruitment was already underway. ¹

Luo did not nominate a target number of sites, saying coverage would need to reflect where iCaur's customers live and the support they require. She also left open several operational questions: whether dealers will need standalone premises, whether existing Chery franchise owners can participate, and how workshops and parts distribution will be organised. CarExpert reports iCaur has yet to outline Australian parts arrangements or service pricing. ¹

A separate network was flagged well before recruitment began. Chery management told CarSauce in May 2026 that iCaur would have its own dealer network and would not be part of any existing Chery-owned brands, while GoAuto reported in August that iCaur is expected to operate through its own Australian showrooms rather than becoming another model line within existing dealerships. Luo has also described iCaur as taking a premium position distinct from mainstream Chery. ¹⁴⁵

The local operation is led by Kate Gillis, whose previous roles include managing director of Peugeot Citroen Australia and head of strategic growth for Inchcape Australasia. The brand is known as iCar in China, with Chery Australia telling CarExpert the export name is pronounced the same way, with a silent 'u'. ¹

V25 first, with details still to come

The first vehicle iCaur's dealers will sell is the V25 mid-size SUV, confirmed for Australia in August 2026 by Chery Group. GoAuto reported at the time that the V25 would make its first local public appearance at Everything Electric Sydney from September 18-20, with pricing, final specifications and powertrain details to be announced closer to launch. CarExpert similarly reports pricing, final specifications and a detailed delivery schedule are due nearer the early-2027 launch date. ¹⁵

The V25 measures 4636mm long, 1920mm wide and 1855mm tall on a 2820mm wheelbase, placing it in the broad size class of the Toyota RAV4 — 36mm longer and 65mm wider than a RAV4, with 130mm more wheelbase, per GoAuto. Despite upright styling, circular headlights, squared wheel-arches and a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, it uses car-like unibody construction with independent suspension. ¹⁵

Chinese-market details reported by GoAuto include 197mm of ground clearance, 30- and 28-degree approach and departure angles, 19- or 21-inch wheels, removable D-pillar panels accepting accessories, a side-hinged rear door with an 88-degree opening and 22.7-litre external storage compartment, a 200kg static roof load rating, and a 378-litre boot expanding to 998 litres. Chinese regulatory filings detail an EREV using a 115kW 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a 33.68kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, with WLTC electric-only ranges of 150km (RWD) and 145km (AWD), and an 1800kg towing capacity for the AWD version homologated in China. A dual-motor AWD output of 335kW is also listed in Chinese-market information. These are overseas specifications; Australian outputs and specifications remain unconfirmed. ⁵

CarSauce reported in May 2026 that the smaller V25 is expected to offer both pure-electric and EREV options, and a battery-electric V25 is expected to form part of the model's broader global range. Which powertrains will be offered in Australia has not been confirmed, and CarSauce reports the overseas EREV system is still being considered locally rather than locked in. ⁴⁵²

Range-extender philosophy, no diesel and no ute

iCaur's executives have ruled out several body styles and powertrains Australian buyers might expect from the brand's rugged look. Asked by Australian media including CarExpert whether iCaur could offer a diesel, chief executive Ronna Luo replied: "Definitely no diesel engine plan." She also said a pickup or truck is not in the brand's current plans, and executives ruled out a separate-chassis 4WD, citing body safety and everyday driving needs. According to NZ Autotrader, chief technology officer Ma Yongdong said a pickup was considered early on but lost out to higher-volume models. ¹⁶²³

The stance contrasts with Chery's own direction: the Chery Stockman dual-cab ute, built on a ladder-frame platform, is being prepared for Australia with customer deliveries due from February 1, 2027, using a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain with preliminary combined outputs of 350kW and 800Nm, per CarExpert. Toyota Australia, meanwhile, has defended diesel's continued role, with sales vice-president John Pappas telling CarExpert that "customers still need diesel in regional and rural Australia". Dr Su Jun, the Chery vice president overseeing iCaur, told NZ Autocar, according to NZ Autotrader's report, that the brand will not build anything as small as a Suzuki Jimny because it is too small for iCaur's technology and platforms. ⁶³

Instead, iCaur is pitching battery-electric and range-extender powertrains beneath classic-looking designs. Luo told the Wuhu round table, as reported by NZ Autotrader and CarSauce, that iCaur studied vehicles like the Toyota Prado and learned not to make cars too complicated, arguing REEV technology is "much easier to repair than PHEV" because the systems are separate, and pointing to physical buttons over screen-only controls. Ma said the range extender suits owners who drive short city distances on electricity and longer trips with engine support. These are manufacturer claims about repair economics, not independent findings. ³²⁶

Broader lineup and Chery Group context

Beyond the V25, iCaur's overseas lineup spans the 4220mm-long, battery-electric V23 to the 5045mm-long V27 extended-range SUV, with the V25 between them. Right-hand-drive V23 and V27 vehicles have been shown, but Australian sales of neither are confirmed. The V27, first unveiled globally in Dubai in 2025 and shown in right-hand drive at the 2026 Beijing motor show, was reported by 4X4 Australia as expected to lead the local rollout, though GoAuto and CarSauce now indicate the V25 will be the first model, with the V27 expected next. CarSauce lists overseas V27 EREV specifications including a 34.3kWh LFP battery, 335kW in AWD form, a 1.5-litre 105kW generator engine, and claimed total ranges over 1000km (AWD) and 1200km (RWD) on the CLTC cycle; these are Chinese-market figures. ⁶¹⁷⁵⁴

Dr Su Jun told CarExpert that boxy styling need not define the brand, saying "a boxy car is only one kind of our car" and pointing to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and S-Class as differently shaped members of one brand family. The streamlined iCaur Robox concept, revealed at the Beijing motor show, retains rugged cues with a more swept-back roofline. Su also positioned iCaur against sister brand Jetour, describing iCaur's target buyer as mostly urban, wanting an everyday vehicle with occasional adventurous trips, while Jetour sits on the tougher side. ⁶¹³²

iCaur arrives as Chery Group rapidly expands its Australian footprint. Chery returned as a factory-backed operation in 2023, Omoda Jaecoo followed in 2025, Lepas has opened orders ahead of expected November 2026 deliveries, and Exlantix, Freelander and Jetour are confirmed for 2027 — Freelander being a Chery-Jaguar Land Rover joint-venture brand and Jetour operating through a separate importer. Chery Australia has told CarExpert its marques are intended to reach different buyer types rather than occupy neatly separated price bands, in contrast with GWM and GAC, which sell their various Chinese-market brands under single banners. ¹⁵²

Still unknown for Australia

Several key details remain unannounced ahead of the early-2027 launch. iCaur has not confirmed Australian pricing, the V25's local powertrain lineup, final specifications, a target dealer count, or detailed delivery timing. CarExpert reports the brand has also not confirmed whether it will match Chery's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty or Omoda Jaecoo's eight-year, unlimited-kilometre coverage, and has yet to outline its Australian parts arrangements or service pricing. Whether the Chinese-market Falcon Pilot 700+ driver-assistance package — with roof-mounted LiDAR and a claimed 560 TOPS Horizon Robotics Journey 6P processor, as detailed by GoAuto — will be offered locally is also unknown. ¹⁵