China's iCaur Robox is a futuristic but strangely spelled off-roader concept

It may have a name that looks like two typos in quick succession, but the iCaur Robox previews what vehicles from one of Chery’s newest brands could look like in the future.

Revealed at this year’s Beijing motor show, the Robox – which has no association with the popular game Roblox, but is rather a portmanteau of ‘robot’ and ‘box’ – is a concept car from the iCar brand, which was only established in 2023.

Confusingly, Chery has locked in the ‘iCaur’ name for this brand in markets outside China, though it’s still pronounced ‘iCar’ with the ‘u’ being silent. The brand is due to launch in Australia early in 2027.

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The Robox concept is a rakish vehicle by iCaur standards, given the brand only offers extremely boxy, upright SUVs. iCaur calls this a “future-classic design philosophy, combining timeless proportions with forward-looking design elements”, with the Robox concept said to feature a “streamlined OneBox silhouette”.

There are still rugged design touches, like flared wheel-arches, roof racks, and chunky Comforser CF1100 all-terrain tyres wrapped around 19-inch wheels.

However, the Robox has a short front overhang and a roofline that forms one neat arc from the base of the windscreen through to the tailgate.

Up front, there are distinctive round lighting elements within the front bumper, sitting below more conventionally shaped headlight clusters, while at the rear the tail-lights are discreetly integrated into the bumper.

No images of the interior have been released yet, and this wasn't visible at the show.

iCaur has released very little information through its official channels, however, various media outlets have reported the Robox is underpinned by a new platform called i-SWIFT 3.0, incorporating a 1000V electrical architecture and axial flux electric motors.

This platform is reportedly compatible with both lithium and solid-state batteries, and supports 1000kW fast-charging and Level 3 and 4 autonomous driving technology.

Elsewhere on iCaur’s stand in Beijing, the company displayed a right-hand drive version of the V27 large SUV.

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series-size extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) appears to be a lock for the Australian market.

It measures 5045mm long, 1976mm wide and 1894mm tall on a 2900mm wheelbase, and pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and either one or two electric motors, with the engine acting as a generator rather than directly driving the wheels.

In dual-motor all-wheel drive guise, the V27 has a 34kWh battery offering a claimed 150km of electric-only driving range, and a total range of up to 995km (NEDC).

Total system outputs are quoted at 335kW of power and 505Nm of torque, enabling a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds for the 2355kg SUV.

Also on display in Beijing was a sportier-looking, monochromatic version of the V23 small SUV called the White Glint.

Along with very Polestar-like graphics on its flanks, the White Glint features an 80.16kWh battery and a 335kW/490Nm dual-motor electric powertrain.

That sees the small SUV good for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds, identical to the Super V23 501 4WD Cyber Edition already on sale in China.

MORE: Chery’s electrified off-road brand iCar confirmed for Australian launch in 2027