Chery iCaur V03/V23/V25/V27

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Chery is finally bringing their iCaur brand onto the shores of Singapore. In mainland China, the brand is known as Chery iCar - but due to a trademark and copyright conflict with Apple in the "iCar" name in the rest of the world, Chery was forced to change the spelling to "iCaur". So can't blame Chery on poor spelling in this case.

The first model to come out of Chery's iCar stable is the 03 and locally known in Singapore as the rebadged Jaecoo 6. Don't know why Vertex Auto decided to do this and confuse everyone.

The second model is the iCar V23. Vertex Auto finally got it right by keeping with the international naming convention and calling it the iCaur V23. 

Chery's New Energy Vehicle (NEV) brand is inspired by the rugged outdoor body on frame designs of yesteryear brands. 

 

Mercedes G Wagon, Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser in comparison to the V23.

The boxy design will have some appeal to those who want something different from the sleek shapes of current SUVs that are starting to look the same as Tesla Model Y.  Those who like to think they're the outdoors type prefer an old school boxy SUV design wise. I.e. the box on wheels.

Cues from these icons are clear to see, including the upright body and circular headlamps.

Other visual cues are the robust wheel arches, side scuttles and side-opening tailgate with attached utility box.

Headlights are the most distinguishing feature.

The V23 dimensions and comparing against the Jaecoo 6/iCaur 03 are:

Length: 4,220mm (-186mm shorter than the Jaeocco 6/iCaur 03)

Width: 1,915mm (+5mm wider than the Jaecoo 6/iCaur 03)

Height: 1,845mm (+130mm taller than the Jaecoo 6/iCuar 03) 

Wheelbase: 2,735mm (+20mm better than the Jaeocoo 6/ICaur 03)

Wading depth: 600 mm (+150mm more than the Jaecoo 6/iCaur 03)

Ground clearance: 210mm (+15mm more than the Jaacoo6/iCaur 03)

Approach angle: 43 deg (+15 deg more than Jaecoo6/iCaur 03)

Departure angle: 41 deg (+9 deg more than the Jaecoo6/iCaur 03)

Overall a smaller front print on the V23 compared to the Jaecoo 6/iCaur 03, but more interior space and with more offroad capabilities. 

Expecting pricing to be very close to the Jaecoo J6 going by what's available over the causeway. AD is Vertex Auto and sales are to start in Q3 of 2026.

 

 

 

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The interior of the V23 has a good mixture of modern with old school physical buttons, dials and toggle switches. For those who like to press, twist and twirl - the V23 has something for you.

 

The interior uses many geometric elements such as the rectangular air conditioning outlets and rotary knobs under the central 15.4" (2.5k resolution) central control touch screen. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip.

The volume, AC and ventilation fan controls are all physical. The vents are also manually adjustable. Same as the drive mode selector and front/rear demister switches. No need to dig into the touch screen to adjust basic things. Three cheers to Chery/iCaur for implementing something that people in the rest of the world actually want!

Three (four if one counts two at the bottom vertical section) spoke circular steering wheel with scroll wheels. Indicator stalk on the left and PDRN selection (a la Mercedes Benz) selection on the steering column.

 

Front row seats gets grab handles near the A-pillar to assist hoping into the car with the 210mm ground clearance. Seats come with electric adjustments, heating and ventilation functions. Unfortunately no massage features.

No panoramic sunroof, maybe that's a good thing to have in sunny climates such as Singapore/Malaysia.  In mainland China the iCar 03/Jaecoo 6 has the option of photovoltaic cells on the roof to help generate electricity when running around the place or out in the sun. Helps to off set vampire drain of low voltage auxiliaries, powering the air-conditioning and electronics. I.e. its free energy. Who doesn't want free? 

Customization of the roof mounted switches are possible. 

2nd row seats also have handles on the B-pillars to help getting into the large step height of the vehicle. Door cards are designed with netting pockets and copied throughout. There's a 7-speaker stereo system and not expecting to be anything outstanding.

The V23 has two rows of seats and really more suitable in a 2+2 layout. Even though the spec says can seat five people, that fifth person has to be a small child squeeze in the middle of the second row, with the seat belt needing to be pulled down from the ceiling.

With the second row up, there's 234L - not a lot and smaller than Jaecoo 6/iCaur 03 rear trunk capacity of 450L.

There's an additional 80L of storage space below the rear trunk cover.

The rear door opens side ways, rather than vertically like most SUVs. Will bring back memories of traditional body on frame 4x4 design of yesteryear. There's an integrated “backpack” for storing things on the rear door, but not a spare wheel - which would have been more useful. 

With the rear seats down the volume grows to 1,366L.

Chery has specifically designed the V23 to be customizable - so this will appeal to individuals who want to stand out from the crowd and shout it's not another boring SUV. It's got 24 modular upgrade interfaces: including detachable fenders and off-road bumpers. Allowing for extensive customization, enhancing its versatility and appeal.

With 600mm wading depth, the V23 can handle most flash flood conditions in Singapore and over the causeway. The battery pack is completely sealed.   

 

Edited 35 minutes ago by steveting99