Is four enough? Chery pushes for yet another brand in Australia

Chery's local expansion is still very much ongoing, with the Chinese automaker expected to launch a fourth brand – iCaur – in Australia within the next 18 months.

Positioned as a youthful electric vehicle brand, iCaur (or iCar, as it's known in China) will sit alongside Chery's namesake brand as well as Omoda Jaecoo and Lepas in the Chery 'ecosystem'.

Concrete launch timing hasn't yet been set by Chery Australia, but head of public relations and communications Tim Krieger says a date in 2027 appears most likely.

"There's certainly a lot of interest in iCaur, but we don't have any confirmed timing," Mr Krieger told CarExpert at the local launch of the Jaecoo J5 EV.

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"It's highly probable that it will be coming, but probably not in 2026."

The iCaur brand was first confirmed for Australia by Chery International president Zhang Guibing at the 2025 Shanghai motor show last April.

However, Chery Australia was more circumspect when questioned about the introduction of iCaur back in August, saying “we have no news to share on the iCaur brand in Australia, but we are constantly evaluating what is available from our extensive global model lineups that Australian buyers are looking for.”

As such, Mr Krieger's recent comments indicate progress towards bringing iCaur Down Under.

The iCaur brand exclusively offers electric vehicles (EV) and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), with its four-strong lineup comprising the 03, 03T and V23 compact SUVs, plus the Toyota LandCruiser-sized V27.

It’s unclear whether Australians will be offered all four iCaur models, although the Suzuki Jimny-sized V23 is expected to be the first model in local showrooms, possibly followed by the V27.

The entry-level V23 features a single 100kW/180Nm electric motor, 47.3kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and approximately 301km of driving range on the lenient CLTC cycle.

Dual-motor versions produce 155kW and 292Nm, while driving range also jumps to a claimed 501km from an 81.8kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery.

The V27, on the other hand, is more than five metres long and uses an EREV powertrain, combining a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with either one or two electric motors.

In dual-motor AWD form, the V27 offers up to 335kW of power and 200km range (CLTC) of estimated electric driving range.

Omoda Jaecoo was introduced in Australia last year as Chery’s second brand here, with Lepas set to arrive in the early stages of 2026.

Beyond iCaur, brands including but not limited to Exeed, Jetour and Karry also sit under the Chery umbrella.

Chery Australia has previously told CarExpert the company’s growing family of brands is designed to reach different types of buyers rather than create a traditional brand ladder based on price or prestige.

MORE: Chery boss confirms iCar brand for Australia