iCAUR Rules Out Diesel and a Hardcore 4WD, Drops Its Ute: The V25 Arrives as an Electric SUV

Image credit: iCAUR Australia

If you saw the boxy iCAUR V25 and pictured a diesel 4WD or a dual-cab ute wearing the same badge, you can stop waiting. iCAUR's bosses have told Australian media that neither is coming. What is coming is the V25, and the brand's own Australian website is clear about what it is: an electric SUV.

iCAUR is one of Chery's newer brands. Its Australian site is published by Chery Motor Australia, trading as iCAUR, so that is where the figures below come from. Everything the executives said is written as it was reported, with the outlet named.

What iCAUR Australia Has Published

As at 23 October 2026. iCAUR says the specifications are pre-production and subject to Australian Design Rule approval, and that 2027 is not a guaranteed delivery date because timing depends on homologation and supply.

It also lists right-hand drive and an Australian-spec shark-fin antenna as standard on every V25. Range and consumption figures will follow once Australian testing is done, and charging rates are still going through homologation. Outlets have reported an early-2027 launch; iCAUR's own site says 2027 and nothing more specific.

No Diesel, No Hardcore 4WD, No Ute

The comments came from iCAUR and Chery executives, speaking to Australian media in China. Asked about diesel, iCAUR International CEO Ronna Luo answered: “Definitely no diesel engine plan,” as reported by CarExpert and CarSauce.

The ute is the bigger change, because there was one on the drawing board. Chery Automobile vice president Su Jun said: “At the beginning we had a pickup plan,” before saying the brand now has nothing for a pickup or truck, as reported by CarSauce. Luo put it plainly, as reported by CarsGuide: “We don't have any pick-up or truck in the plan.” If you want a Chery-group ute, that job falls to the Chery Stockman diesel plug-in hybrid.

On serious off-roading, CarsGuide reported that iCAUR CTO Ma Yongdong ruled out a rugged SUV in the Prado or Everest mould for now. CarSauce reported that a ladder-frame hardcore 4WD is off the table too, with safety and day-to-day driving given as the reasons. CarExpert reports the V25 itself uses unibody construction and is 4,636mm long, and it compares the size to a Toyota RAV4. Those dimensions are reported, not yet printed by iCAUR Australia.

One local detail did come from iCAUR's Australian side. CarsGuide reported that Kate Gillis, head of the iCAUR brand in Australia, has confirmed the brand's customisation program, which lets owners restyle their car, will be offered here.

Image credit: iCAUR Australia

What Is Still Unconfirmed

• Price, range and grades. Nothing published. Our V25 listing shows no data for them and will until iCAUR prints them.
• A range-extender V25. CarSauce reported one is being considered for Australia but is not locked in. iCAUR's site lists only the electric car.
• The V23 and V27. CarExpert reported that Australian sales of iCAUR's smaller and larger SUVs remain unconfirmed. iCAUR's Australian site names only the V25.
• Safety. ANCAP: no data. ANCAP has not published a rating for the V25.

Electric AWD SUVs With the Clearance, On Sale Now

If what draws you to the V25 is an electric SUV that sits up off the ground with drive at both ends, you don't have to wait until 2027. Here is what our directory lists today.

Current price on CarSorted: Subaru Uncharted AWD $59,990 RRP, as at 6 Sep 2026; Subaru Solterra AWD $61,990 RRP, as at 6 Sep 2026; Subaru Trailseeker AWD $63,990 RRP, as at 6 Sep 2026; Toyota bZ4X AWD $67,990 RRP, as at 6 Sep 2026.

As at 23 October 2026. Electric cars listed as SUVs in our directory, on sale with all-wheel drive, at least 200mm of ground clearance stored and an RRP under $70,000. RRP is the maker's list price before on-road costs. Rows with no clearance figure stored are not included.

One more fits the brief if you count wagons: the Toyota bZ4X Touring AWD, which we list as a wagon, has 211mm stored and a $69,990 RRP.

iCAUR hasn't published a battery size, a range or a price for the V25 yet, so there's no fair head-to-head with these four until it does.

At the genuinely hardcore end, the Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology is the only on-sale electric SUV in our directory with low-range gearing listed. We hold no price for it. Closer to home, Chery-group sibling the Jaecoo J5 EV Summit is front-drive with 200mm of clearance, a 58.9kWh battery and 402km of WLTP range, at $35,990 RRP. Its ANCAP field is no data.

Real range drops with speed and cold weather. Search for any of these in the estimator below to see what your own driving does to the WLTP number, or open the range estimator full-screen.

What This Means for Buyers

By its executives' own account, as reported, the V25 is a city-focused SUV with a 4WD look, not a hardcore off-roader, and they are being upfront about that. If you need diesel or a ute for regional work, look elsewhere. If you like the shape and mostly drive in town, the V25 is worth watching, but there is nothing to compare on cost yet. Until iCAUR publishes a price and a range, the Subaru and Toyota models above are the electric AWD options under $70,000 with that kind of clearance stored in our directory today. Registering interest on iCAUR's site is not an order and takes no deposit, by iCAUR's own terms.