July 10, 2046. Or wait. The filing says 2026. Either way the MIIT catalog dropped. And there it is. The Chery iCar V25.
They changed the name domestically to “iCar”. A legal shield against Apple. Smart move. Avoiding trademark lawsuits is boring. Selling cars is better.
It’s rugged. It’s plug-in. It’s extended range.
The boxy shape isn’t subtle. 4,636mm long. 1,920mm wide. Tall too, at 1,855mm. You feel it before you see it. Short front overhang. Long rear overhang. Designed for clearance. Ground hugger? No. Ground conqueror.
The Engine And The Battery
Let’s talk power. There’s a 1.5T turbo in the hood. It doesn’t turn the wheels. Not directly. It makes electricity. 115kW output. 105kW net. That’s enough juice.
Behind that engine sits the brain. A 33.7kWh LFP pack. Made by Hefei Guoxian High-Tech. Lithium-iron phosphate means stable chemistry. Means fewer fires. Means longevity.
The range? You get about 150km on pure EV. Maybe 145km. Depends on options. WLTC figures are always optimistic, but still. That’s a decent commute. You might not need to burn gas at all on Tuesday.
Fuel sipping is where this shines. 1.5L/100km. When the gas engine kicks in it barely drinks anything. That is efficient. Or maybe just well tuned. Top speed caps at 180km/h. For a two-ton truck? Reasonable.
Built To Haul
Here is the twist. It can tow. 1,800kg. That’s serious weight.
To get it you lose your departure angle. It drops from 24° to 15°. The approach stays at 28%. The tradeoff makes sense. You add hardware. You gain weight. Curb weight goes from 2,211kg to 2,241kg.
Why would anyone care about a tow bar on an SUV? Think about it. Camping gear. Boats. Small trailers. This opens the door to people who want off-road looks without losing utility.
The brakes? WBTL WCBS 20. Supplied by Wuhu Bethel2. Integrated. Efficient. You won’t stop instantly, but you’ll stop.
Visually it’s a mix. 19 or 21-inch wheels. Chunky tires. Side-hinged tailgate. That’s vintage truck DNA meeting modern crossover styling. No grille. Just a blind window panel on the side. Some logos. Some active shutters you can remove entirely if you want that stripped-down look.
Brain Inside
And up top. On the roof. There is a LiDAR bump.
Big signal for ADAS. Not just cruise control. Real driver aid stuff. They are using Horizon Journey 6 chips. 560 TOPS of compute. That’s fast. End-to-end AI software driving it.
What does that mean for you? It means automated parking. It means the car navigates highways alone. Maybe even urban streets eventually. Is that necessary for a boxy off-roader?
You’re buying capability. But now it drives itself too.
A little much? Maybe. But trends don’t care about maybe. They care about now.
The specs are clean. The purpose is clear. Go fast. Go far. Tow heavy.
