On December 16, 2024 (CST), Chinese auto brand iCAR launched its new SUV model - iCAR V23.
Built by the iCAR team, which is a fusion of CHERY and Xiaomi Auto's ecological chain company ZhiMi Venture Team, the vehicle is mainly aimed at young users and is positioned as an A-grade new energy style cross-country SUV with a retro-fashionable styling design.
The new car is available in three models, with a price range of 99,800 yuan to 139,800 yuan.(SAR 51,466.86-SAR 72,094.86)
Exterior: A Tribute to the Classics
Built by Chery in cooperation with Xiaomi's ecological chain company Zhimi Technology, iCAR V23 is positioned as an A-class new energy style off-road SUV for young users, with a design style between retro and avant-garde.
First of all, from the car's round headlights with the square body shape, you can see the shadow of some classic off-road vehicles, such as the old 212, the old Toyota Landcruiser and so on. In addition, the new car incorporates modern elements such as LED light bands and millimeter wave radar in the details, achieving a blend of retro and technological sense.
From the side, this vehicle also inherits the essence of classic off-roaders - short and compact.For off-road vehicles, a shorter body means that the approach, departure and passing angles are easier to make bigger, bringing better passability.
The length, width and height of iCAR V23 are 4220*1915*1845mm, the wheelbase is 2735mm, the approach angle is 43°, the departure angle is 41°, and the minimum ground clearance is 210mm (4WD version), which is really good from the parameter point of view, and it should be easy to cope with the daily city driving or self-driving trip to run a simple gravel road and dirt road.
But because the positioning of this car is still light off-road vehicle type, or do not recommend that you really drive it to cross-country.
Interior
In terms of interior, the new car uses a lot of flat lines, and the steering wheel also adopts a two-color design, and the overall style is more youthful and fashionable.The new car is equipped with a 15.4-inch center control screen, equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip, supporting CarPlay, Telematics and voice control.The circular knob below the screen and the exposed rivet design add a bit of retro flavor to the car.
The new car doesn't come with an instrument cluster as standard, but you can opt for a small round gauge cluster that displays some simple information such as speed, gears, and battery level.The armrest box is pre-wired, has a built-in 60W fast charger, and four bottles of water can be put down in the lower part of the armrest box.
The new car is a 5-door, 5-seat SUV, but as you can see from the styling of the rear seats, the back row is still more suited to seating just two people.
It's worth noting that the trunk expands to 744L with 90L of trunk sink space. there's also a hidden storage compartment under the front seats that can hold six bottles of water.
Competitor Models
As a retro-styled pure electric SUV, the iCAR V23 has relatively few competing models on the market that are exactly in line with its positioning.Of course, if you don't require retro, and look at the Chinese market, this car's main competitors would be the BYD Yuan PLUS and Geely Galaxy E5.
These two have a slight advantage in terms of length and wheelbase, but the iCAR V23 is slightly better in terms of height and width.
The advantage of iCAR V23 is mainly reflected in the form of drive, the high end model is equipped with a dual-motor four-wheel drive system, which is more adaptable to complex road conditions, while the other two are front-wheel drive, mainly for city driving.
In summary, for Saudi Arabia, it may still be that the iCAR V23 is more suitable for local conditions. One can look forward to see if the new car will be available in Saudi Arabia afterward.
Senior Writer The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable ones, have been explored including video games, television, magazines, or even internet forums. Still stuck in that rabbit hole.
