The iCar V23 electric SUV developed by Chery and Xiaomi’s subsidiary Zhimi Technology will start from 119,800 yuan (16,500 USD) in China. This information comes from the brand’s internal documents leaked online. The iCar V23 will likely sell overseas under the Jaecoo/Lucano name.
Most people think of Apple when they hear the word iCar. However, the American phone maker canceled the car manufacturing project. The iCar is a non-Apple-related NEV (new energy vehicle) brand launched by Chery in 2023. Its model line currently comprises a single model, the iCar 03 crossover. However, Chery isn’t brave enough to use the iCar name for global sales. So, the iCar 03 was introduced as Jaecoo J6 (Lucano J6) to the overseas countries.
iCar V23 price leaked
According to the leaked documents, the starting price of the iCar V23 with 2WD and 401 km range is 119,800 yuan (16,500 USD). The car will become available for blind orders for 2,000 yuan (275 USD). And the final payment is 117,800 yuan (16,235 USD). The car’s market debut is scheduled for this year.
For comparison, the bigger iCar 03 costs 109,800 – 169,800 yuan (15,100 – 23,400 USD). The iCar V23 is positioned higher than the brand’s first model.
More on iCar V23
The iCar V23 is the brand’s second model. As mentioned, Chery and Xiaomi’s subsidiary Zhimi Tech jointly created it. In this project, the Zhimi team is responsible for product definition, planning, and engineering. Chery takes care of manufacturing, supply chains, sales, deliveries, and after-sales. It seems the two companies are happy with their collaboration as they plan to launch six to eight cars in the next three years.
The iCar V23 follows the boxy styling of the iCar 03. Its distinguishing features are round headlights, wide wheel arches, flush door handles, and raised bumpers. The overall look of this model feels like a mix of BAW 212, G-Class, and Wrangler.
The iCar V23 is a small car with dimensions of 4220/1915/1845 mm. Yet it boasts a long wheelbase of 2730 mm. Thanks to short overhangs, the V23’s approach and departure angles are 43 and 41 degrees, respectively. Chery positions this car as an off-roader with 4WD and a ground clearance of 212 mm. The iCar will also have a 2WD variant with 206 mm ground clearance.
Inside, the iCar V23 has a clean styling with a large floating screen, a three-spoke round steering wheel, and physical controls. The gear shifter sits behind the wheel. Other features of this small but sturdy off-roader are lots of mm-wave radars and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8155 chip inside.
There is no information about the powertrain of the iCar V23. We know it will offer two range variants: 300 km and 500 km. Some netizens said the V23 can have an 80-kWh ternary NMC pack from CATL on board. But it is unlikely since this vehicle is quite small. For clarity, the bigger iCar 03 with a body length of 4.4 meters has two battery options for 50.6 and 65.7 kWh. And it still has 400-500 km of range. The V23 with an 80 kWh battery would offer up to 700 km.
Source: Autohome, Weibo
