The iCaur V27 is a new electric SUV from Chery’s latest car brand, and it’s coming to South Africa.
TopAuto recently had the chance to get behind the wheel of the V27 on a trip to China, where we attended the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition and visited Chery’s hometown of Wuhu to learn more about the company’s upcoming products.
iCaur, which is scheduled to launch in South Africa this May, will be the latest brand to emerge from the Chery Group, standing alongside Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo, Jetour, and Lepas.
It is quite different from its peers, however, as iCaur specialises in new-energy vehicles (NEVs) with boxy retro styling.
At launch, iCaur will offer two models – the 03T and the V23 – which are compact Adventure SUVs with electric powertrains.
Later in 2026, the carmaker will launch the new V27, which will serve as the flagship of its local catalogue.
It is considerably larger than the other two models, clocking in at a length of 5,045mm compared to the V23’s 4,220mm.
Arguably the bigger difference, however, is the fact that the V27 will be sold with a range-extender electric vehicle (REEV) drivetrain instead of a pure-electric one.
REEVs are a type of hybrid that features an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, but unlike traditional hybrids, the engine does not power the wheels directly.
Instead, the engine functions as a generator to charge a large battery which, in turn, powers the e-motors.
Like a plug-in hybrid, REEVs allow the owner to drive on just the battery for short trips around town, greatly helping to cut down on fuel consumption.
If you need to travel longer distances, the petrol ‘generator’ ensures that the battery is charged, which affords a much greater range than a pure EV.
In the case of the V27, a 1.5-litre petrol engine is used to top up a 34.4kWh battery powering two e-motors.
The dual motor setup gives the iCaur a hefty power output of 339kW and 505Nm, letting it sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.0 seconds.
On its own, the battery provides a range of 150km, but the SUV has a maximum range of over 1,000km when the generator’s tank is full.
Another advantage of this configuration is that the V27 supports vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, which means owners can use the battery to power external appliances.
Driving the iCaur V27 on Chinese roads
During our trip to China, we had the opportunity to test-drive the V27 on Chinese roads, driving around the city of Wuhu and the surrounding countryside.
First impressions from our travel group were great, as we were greeted by a small fleet of SUVs lined up outside Chery’s exhibition centre.
The retro 4×4 theme is on full display with large wheel arches, a prominent black bumper, side steps, roof rails, and a set of circular LED headlights and daytime running lights.
There were four exterior colours to choose from – white, grey, khaki, and green – though it remains to be seen whether all of these will be made available in South Africa at launch.
The interiors were even more colourful, as the test models included two-tone leather upholstery with black, white, brown, and even burgundy themes.
Unfortunately, these options are unlikely to be brought over, as a spokesperson for iCaur said that the South African market rarely opts for non-black interiors.
The cabin itself is incredibly spacious with what felt like over 30cm of headroom for average-sized adults.
The roofline is quite distinctive, lined with suede and featuring a large divider running down the centre between two long sunroofs.
This roof divider has an enormous speaker spanning the length of the two seat rows, which forms part of a 23-speaker sound system.
The models we drove were still in early testing, and the full stereo wasn’t operational, but even so, we were impressed by the quality of the limited sound system we had access to.
I found the seats, which come with electronic adjustment, heating and ventilation functions, to be very comfortable.
However, the taller members of our group complained that the bottom of the seats wasn’t long enough and thus did not provide adequate thigh support.
We gave feedback after our driving session, so its possible some of these complaints will be addressed by the time the V27 reaches South Africa.
As for the drive itself, I found the iCaur very relaxing, with a comfortable ride and an elevated driving position that offers decent all-around visibility.
Wind noise isn’t too bad, considering the SUV’s boxy shape, and accelerating and braking can be very smooth when you apply gentle pressure on the pedals.
If you decide to put your foot down, you can expect near-instant acceleration for easy overtakes.
The driver and infotainment systems on our test model were all in Chinese, but the user interface still used a lot of graphics and was intuitive enough that we were able to operate most functions without much issue.
The small digital instrument cluster shows separate graphics for the battery and fuel tank capacity, along with a power meter, speedometer, and navigation instructions.
The massive 15.4-inch floating infotainment screen is responsive and includes a shortcut bar at the bottom for functions like the ventilated seats and air conditioning temperature adjustment.
There’s also a set of physical switches below the touchscreen for key functions like the AC, and a large centre console with a wireless charging pad, and a dial selector for the various driving modes.
During a stop at a lakeside viewing area, iCaur also demonstrated the SUV’s V2L capabilities by running a coffee machine in the boot using the car battery.
Speaking of the boot, it can take a generous 715 litres of luggage, which expands to 1,818 when the rear seats are folded.
Overall, we were very impressed with what we saw, and we’re excited to see what the V27 will offer in South Africa once its pricing and full spec sheet are revealed later this year.
iCaur V27 test day in China
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