Chery’s new brand in Brazil, iCaur has the wrong name on purpose and bets on electric jeeps

Chery is about to open another battle front in Brazil, and this one arrives with the look of a jeep. The Chinese group is preparing the landing of iCaur, a division specializing in electrified SUVs with a square body and an adventurous footprint. The premiere is scheduled for August, according to Autoesporte, which found out the information from the group’s dealers. The new brand joins Omoda & Jaecoo, Jetour and Lepas, as well as Caoa Chery itself.

A curious detail: despite the spelling iCaur, the pronunciation is “iCar”. The change of letters is part of the brand’s global strategy to avoid conflict with registrations in other markets, including Apple’s former automotive project. In China, the division continues with the original name.

V27: the 455 hp jeep that promises 1,200 km

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The model quoted to inaugurate the Brazilian operation is the V27, the brand’s largest SUV. It is 4.91 m long, 1.98 m wide, 1.89 m high and 2.91 m wheelbase, with a spare tire on the tailgate and a design that does not hide the inspiration from the Land Rover Defender and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

In China, the V27 is an electric with range extender (REEV): there is a 1.5 turbo engine on board, but it only works as a generator and never drives the wheels. The car is always moved by the electric part, which goes from 252 hp in rear-wheel drive to 455 hp in full wheel, capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. The 34.3 kWh battery yields about 200 km with electricity alone, and the set exceeds 1,200 km of combined range in the optimistic Chinese CLTC cycle.

Here, the technology is still a rarity: the only model for sale with the same arrangement is the Leapmotor C10 REEV, with 215 hp and 111 km of electric autonomy approved by Inmetro.

V23: the retro jeep that was already quoted

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The other strong candidate is the V23, a smaller and 100% electric SUV. With 4.22 m in length, round headlights and straight lines, it aims at urban use without giving up off-road aesthetics. In China, there are two configurations: rear-wheel drive with 136 hp and 18,4 kgfm or all-wheel drive with 211 hp and 29,8 kgfm. The batteries range from 59.9 kWh to 81.8 kWh, which yields up to 550 km through the CLTC cycle (501 km in the 4×4). Inside, a 15.4-inch screen dominates the panel, and there is a 3.3 kW V2L function to power external equipment.

There is also a third name in the global catalog: the iCaur 03, sold in some markets as the Jaecoo J6, with 186 hp and 283 hp options. Nothing is officially confirmed here: Chery has not released prices, versions or exact launch date.