iCar V23 – rugged cute electric SUV

The iCar V23 is something a bit interesting we found over at our friends at insidechinaauto.com. The V23 is a compact electric SUV that costs just RMB 99,800 in China. That’s just over $24k in Kiwi dollars. Before you click away thinking ‘who cars, not coming here’, during a recent trip to China with Omoda Jaecoo, the firm indicated to us that iCar products had not been ruled out for local consumption, showing us an iCar badged as a Jaecoo. So maybe in the future you too could aspire to this little Defender knock off.

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What is the iCar V23 packing?

The compact four-seater SUV will be available in three different versions with both rear- and all-wheel drive. The rear motor model has a modest 100kW and 180Nm of torque, while dual-motor versions add a 55kW motor with an extra 112Nm of torque, for 155kW and 292Nm combined.

Single-motor versions pack either a 47.28kWh or 59.93kWh LFP battery, while the dual-motor gets a heftier 81.76kWh NMC battery. Range varies between 300 and 500km according to the Chinese test regime. Fast charging takes less than 30 minutes from 30 to 80 percent, though the exact charging speed hasn’t been disclosed, while V2L functionality up to 3.3kW is also offered.

How big is the iCar V23?

At just 4220mm in length, 1915mm in width, 1845mm in height, and with a wheel-in-all-corners stance giving a wheelbase of 2735mm, the V23 is quite a bit smaller than a BYD Atto 3, but larger than a Suzuki Jimny.
It has 210mm of ground clearance, and 43- and 41-degree approach and departure angles. With a rear five-link suspension and optional chunky tyres, the V23 should have the ability to match its looks when the tough stuff comes.

The cabin features a large 15.4-inch central screen running the Snapdragon 8155 chip, as well as a Horizon Robotics Journey 3 chip to support the ADAS features. Fold flat rear seats unlock up to 744-litres of space in the boot, accessed via a side-hinged door, while there’s an extra 90-litres under the boot floor, but no frunk.

Announced earlier this year, pre-orders hit 31,000 units in just eight hours after order books opened. iCAR wants customers to personalise their cars in their own way and so offers 24 modular attachment points to change things such as bumpers, roof bars, and even things like a mount on the dashboard for an action camera.