iCaur V25 2027 Review

Australian pricing is yet to be announced, though iCaur Australia head of brand Kate Gillis says the 2027 iCaur V25 will offer "good value" from a premium position in the market.

In China it opens at 139,800 yuan (about $A32,000) in rear-drive Pro grade, topping out at 175,800 yuan (about $A40,000) for the all-wheel-drive Ultra. We tend to pay a roughly 30-50% premium, so something in the range of $45,000 to $60,000 is feasible, but Chery may try to test their brand equity on this one.

Its most likely rivals are the Toyota RAV4 PHEV and upcoming Mahinda XEV 9e.

Chinese-market 2027 iCaur V25 grades run from Pro to Ultra, with 21-inch wheels and 265mm tyres standard, plus fixed side steps, removable D-pillar accessory panels and a 22.7-litre tailgate storage box.

However, the brand has confirmed this is being swapped out for a full-size boot-mounted spare in Australia, while we’re also getting 1.8-tonne towing capacity. See below in the tech section for all the electronic goodies.

No local warranty has been announced; Chery covers its Australian cars for seven years/unlimited kilometres and Omoda/Jaecoo for eight, so iCaur should be generous. Service intervals and pricing are also to be confirmed.

The 2027 iCaur V25 is untested by ANCAP, but its sister car, the smaller V23, bagged five-stars in the ASEAN NCAP ratings, so Chery will be confident of repeating a similar score here.

iCaur has boosted airbag coverage to seven, including a front centre airbag and active driver aids should include autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and door-opening warning, with Chery’s Falcon Pilot 700+ system expected to add urban and highway navigation assist and automated parking.

A slick 15.4-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay dominates the upright 2027 iCaur V25 cabin, and is now joined by an embedded 8-inch digital instrument cluster which the V23 lacked.

There’s also a 50W wireless phone charger, 360-degree camera, 64-colour ambient lighting, physical rotary HVAC controls, and overhead toggle switches for the panoramic sunroof.

Two powertrains are offered. The EREV tested here pairs a 115kW 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine – acting purely as a generator, never driving the wheels – with a 33.68kWh lithium iron phosphate or LFP battery.

Rear-drive versions use a single 185kW/300Nm motor while all-wheel-drive variants add a 150kW front motor for 335kW/505Nm, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds.

The battery-electric version due here first uses an 80kWh battery and gets the same powertrains, and may be quicker to 100kph but this isn’t available in China so no figures are available yet.

Chery claims 1.5L/100km (WLTC) for the EREV once battery and petrol are combined, and about 7L/100km with the battery depleted.

Electric range is 150km (WLTC), so expect closer to 125km in real world conditions.

Having driven the similarly boxy and less powerful V23 on the road two years ago, urban consumption was reasonable but highway consumption suffers considerably, hitting as much as 30kWh per 100km. Chery may have improved these figures with recent upgrades so we’ll wait for real world testing to confirm. DC charging from 30-80 per cent takes a claimed 15 minutes, which is fairly rapid.

Our test drive didn’t include any road time so impressions here will be limited. The 2027 iCaur V25 rides on MacPherson strut front and five-link independent rear suspension and weighs a hefty 2117-2240kg.

The smaller V23, which uses the same suspension set up, rode noticeably more firmly than most Chinese cars on my drive in early 2025, which on the one hand means a little less comfort, but likely means a bit more engagement.

Steering remains on the lighter side as well, however Chery has spoken about local tuning so things may change before the V25 lands.

While the V25 looks the part, its off-road credentials should be taken with a pinch of salt. While it gets a useful 197mm of ground clearance and approach/departure angles of 28/24 degrees, the optional tow package drops departure to 15 degrees.

What’s clear from our mud track drives in the V25 alongside its big brother, the V27, is that tyres will make all the difference. On ordinary road tyres, the V25 is likely to slither around quite freely as the V27 we drove was apt to do even in the dedicated mud setting, but proper tyres make the V25 both playful and capable, able to climb out of thick slop with ease.

And it has an enjoyable amount of control from the throttle when getting a bit sideways.

Wading depth is a useful, if not spectacular 600mm. We suspect a more complex course might test the V25’s true off-road credentials, but for most it’ll be just the job.

The 2027 iCaur V25 keeps the funky retro cabin formula – chunky dials, toggle switches, and an upright dash that barely protrudes from the windscreen base. Plus it adds genuine room for five people, with a longer wheelbase and additional storage.

Boot space is a claimed 378 litres, expanding to 998 litres with the seats-folded, but the best part is the true fold-flat rear seats which create space for two to sleep.

Most of the cabin gets soft-touch materials where you’ll want them, the cheap steering wheel plastics the only real letdown. You get either nine or 15 Pioneer speakers for the stereo, depending on the grade, plus plenty of grab handles and a satisfyingly upright seating position all impress. Just don’t expect much visibility from the C-pillar backwards.

Chinese models get heated and ventilated front and rear seats, and massaging fronts. Expect a little less generosity for our models.

If you want G-Wagen looks, EV running costs, and family space without the ladder-frame compromise, the 2027 iCaur V25 is a genuinely likeable proposition.

The EREV's 1200km range looks a better proposition than the BEV whose battery-only range could be an issue.

While it’s not a real 4x4, most these days aren’t but it brings bags of character and a tanglible feel-good factor, something you can’t say of too many SUVs today. So while it’s undoubtedly flawed in some areas, keen pricing and a decent warranty could overcome those drawbacks.

2027 iCaur V25 EREV at a glance:
Price: TBC
Available: Early 2027 (EV first); EREV timing TBC
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric (range extender)
Output: 335kW/505Nm (electric motors); engine 115kW (generator only)
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 33.68kWh LFP
Range: 200km electric / 1210km combined (CLTC); 150km electric (WLTC)
Energy consumption: TBC
Fuel: 7.0L/100km (WLTC, battery depleted)
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: Not tested

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