Chery's iCAUR V25 Revealed — A Boxy Electric SUV With a Range Extender and a JSW India Link

Another Boxy Chinese EV, With a Twist

Chery's new-energy sub-brand iCAUR has revealed the V25, a five-seat SUV that slots between the smaller V23 and the larger V27 in its V-Series line-up. The design is unashamedly boxy and Defender-inspired, with a tall cabin, flat surfaces and an upright stance, and the company says it is aimed at buyers who want everyday practicality with some outdoor ability.

The interesting part is the powertrain choice. The fully electric V25 uses an 80.16 kWh battery and will be offered in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive forms. The rear-drive version makes 252 bhp and 300 Nm and claims up to 445 km on the NEDC cycle, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version produces 455 bhp and 505 Nm and claims 400 km.

The Range Extender Is the Real Story

The second version is a range-extender electric vehicle, or REx. A 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine sits under the bonnet, but it never drives the wheels. It works only as a generator, producing electricity for the electric motors. iCAUR claims around 150 km of electric-only range and a combined range of more than 800 km, which sidesteps the charging anxiety that keeps many Indian buyers away from full EVs.

Version	Powertrain	Claimed range
V25 rear-wheel drive	80.16 kWh battery, 252 bhp	445 km (NEDC)
V25 all-wheel drive	80.16 kWh battery, 455 bhp	400 km (NEDC)
V25 range-extender	Electric motors plus 1.5-litre petrol generator	About 150 km electric, 800 km combined

Other numbers are practical rather than glamorous: a 6 kW vehicle-to-load function that can run tools or appliances, a 1,800 kg towing capacity, and a 15.4-inch touchscreen with physical controls for the functions that matter. The cabin is designed around storage and personalisation rather than pure minimalism.

What This Means for India

Chery has no direct presence in India, but it has a partnership with JSW, and JSW is understood to be preparing an electric SUV based on the smaller iCAUR V23 for the Indian market, possibly under its own badge. That makes the V25 a reasonable preview of the technology JSW could bring here, even though there is no confirmation that the V25 itself will launch in India.

For Indian buyers, the significance is the range-extender idea. As long as highway charging remains unreliable, a car that carries its own generator will appeal to people who want electric running without planning every long trip around a charger. If JSW brings a boxy EV here with that option, it could be the first serious challenge to conventional SUVs in the ₹20 lakh bracket. Follow upcoming launches in our news feed and compare electric options in our comparison tool.

(Sources: autox.com, carwale.com, automobilindia.com. Image credits: EV charging station and lithium-ion battery photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

::KEY_NUMBERS:: Battery | 80.16 kWh RWD range | 445 km (NEDC) AWD output | 455 bhp, 505 Nm Towing | 1,800 kg ::TLDR:: Sits between the iCAUR V23 and V27 in the brand's line-up Offered as a full EV or as a range-extender EV with a 1.5-litre petrol generator 6 kW vehicle-to-load and 1,800 kg towing capacity JSW is preparing a V23-based EV for India, but the V25 is unconfirmed ::CHART:: type: bar title: Claimed NEDC range (km) labels: V25 rear-wheel drive,V25 all-wheel drive values: 445,400 source: iCAUR (NEDC claims) ::TIMELINE:: 2024 | Chery launches the iCAUR sub-brand 2026 | V23 and V27 establish the V-Series 22 October 2026 | V25 debuts at the brand's user summit Undated | JSW's V23-based India EV ::GLOSSARY:: Range extender | an engine that generates electricity for the motors but never drives the wheels NEDC | an older Chinese and European test cycle, usually more optimistic than real driving Vehicle-to-load | powering external devices from an EV battery iCAUR | Chery's new energy vehicle sub-brand ::PULLQUOTE:: A petrol engine that only makes electricity is a strange idea until you have driven 400 km on a highway with no working charger in sight. ::PROS:: Full-electric and range-extender versions from launch 6 kW vehicle-to-load output for tools and appliances 1,800 kg towing capacity Boxy, practical SUV packaging ::CONS:: No confirmation of an India launch NEDC range figures are optimistic Range-extender adds complexity and weight JSW's India plan currently points at the smaller V23 ::POLL:: Would you buy a range-extender EV in India? || Yes, no charging anxiety || No, it is a compromise || Only if priced under ₹20 lakh ::SOURCES:: autoX, CarWale, Automobil India