Chery’s iCaur brand has begun recruiting Australian dealers and is planning a separate sales and service network, as it prepares to launch with the V25 SUV in early 2027.
iCaur International CEO Ronna Luo said the brand would take a premium position distinct from mainstream Chery.
Asked about the Australian retail operation by media including CarExpert in China, Ms Luo said: “The service and sales networks, I think, will be different.”
She said those networks would be separate from Chery and, when asked whether work had begun, replied: “I think we already started to recruit the dealers.”
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Ms Luo didn’t nominate a target number of sites, saying coverage would need to reflect where its customers live and the support they require.
She also didn’t specify whether dealers would need standalone premises, whether existing Chery franchise owners could participate, or how workshops and parts distribution would be organised.
The first vehicle those dealers will sell is the V25, confirmed for Australia back in August. Pricing, final specifications and a detailed delivery schedule are due closer to launch.
iCaur also has yet to outline its Australian parts arrangements or service pricing, and also hasn't confirmed whether it'll match the Chery brand's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, or Omoda Jaecoo's more generous eight-year, unlimited-kilometre coverage.
The brand is being led locally by Kate Gillis, whose previous roles include managing director of Peugeot Citroen Australia and strategic growth head for Inchcape Australasia.
iCaur is known as iCar in China. Chery Australia has told CarExpert the export name is pronounced the same way, with a silent ‘u’.
Chery returned to Australia with a factory-backed operation in 2023, followed by Omoda Jaecoo in 2025. Another Chery brand, Lepas, has subsequently opened orders ahead of expected November 2026 deliveries.
Exlantix is also confirmed for 2027, alongside the planned arrivals of iCaur, Freelander and Jetour. Freelander is a brand developed through the joint venture between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, while Exlantix will introduce the ES GT shooting brake and new ET SUV.
Chery Australia has previously told CarExpert its different marques are intended to reach different types of buyers rather than occupy neatly separated price bands.
By contrast, GWM sells vehicles from its various Chinese-market brands under the one GWM banner, treating those brands as little more than sub-brands; GAC also does the same.
Ms Luo said iCaur would offer a distinctive design owners could personalise.
She described its customers as mostly urban buyers who need an everyday vehicle but sometimes want to travel further afield. Jetour, she said, was more focused on toughness.
The V25 measures 4636mm long, 1920mm wide and 1855mm tall, with a 2820mm wheelbase.
Despite rugged design elements like its upright body and tailgate-mounted spare wheel, it uses car-like unibody construction and sits in the same broad size class as the Toyota RAV4.
The wider overseas lineup includes the smaller electric V23 and the larger V27 extended-range electric vehicle (EREV). Both have been shown in right-hand drive, but neither has been confirmed for Australia. As for the V25, its local lineup has yet to be detailed.