iCaur launches V27 and T03 REEV in Dubai

IT SEEMS like every other week there is a Chinese brand offering a new numbers-and-letters SUV model to a global audience – and this week is no different.

Unveiled in Dubai is Chery sub-brand iCaur with its V27 and T03 REEV (or Range Extended Electric Vehicle) SUVs, the former a clear styling cross-pollination of the Land Rover Defender 110 and Toyota LandCruiser Prado.

Powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and single electric motor, the iCaur V27 REEV measures 5045mm in length (+120mm compared with LandCruiser Prado GX), 1976mm in width (-4mm), 1894mm in height (-41mm), and 2900mm between the axles (+51mm).

iCaur says the vehicles propulsion system does not require a plug to charge, using the petrol engine to provide power to the battery and electric motor continuously, making it suitable for both short all-electric trips, or longer trips on both petrol and electric power.

The monocoque-bodied V27 REEV is claimed to produce 3.7kWh of electricity per litre of petrol burnt, the engine said to offer thermal efficiency of 44.5 per cent, and a hybrid transmission with “97.3 per cent peak efficiency”.

While specifications and range details have not yet been released, it is hoped the model’s squared-off styling lends it a modicum of off-road grit.

Revealed at the same event was the smaller iCaur T03 REEV, a vehicle with an all-aluminium body and an adaptive all-wheel drive system said to redistribute power according to road conditions.

The vehicle offers smart cabin technologies with a central touchscreen for ancillary controls, including those for its 540-degree camera system, HD drive recorder, and 11 active safety systems.

While Chery has not confirmed Australian launch timing for the iCaur duo, its growing interest in SUVs and four-wheel drives suggests the V27 REEV could join the Chinese brand’s local portfolio in the years ahead.