China car maker Chery will bring its electrified off-roader brand iCar to the UK next year as part of a global sales push.

The brand will be renamed iCaur for models sold outside of China to avoid a clash with Apple, which owns the iCar name.

The line-up will include the brand’s chunky V23 small electric SUV, launched in China last year.

Top-end models use a four-wheel-drive setup (via twin electric motors) with a power output of 208bhp, drawing energy from a 82kWh NMC battery for 311 miles of range.

The V23 will be followed at the end of next year by the 4.8m-long V25 SUV, which uses a range-extender EV drivetrain with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. 

In 2027, expect a small electric SUV dubbed V21 that will take on the Jeep Avenger.

A large V29 is also planned for a later date, although UK sales haven’t been confirmed.

iCar will open 2000 showrooms in 100 countries within three years as part of a wider Chery export push, CEO Su Jun said at the recent Shanghai motor show.

Chery already sells cars in the UK through its Omoda and Jaecoo brands, which have grown rapidly since their launch last year to record a combined 6430 sales in the first three months of the year, ahead of Suzuki, Jeep and Fiat.

The duo will soon be joined by a new Dacia-rivalling brand called Lepas.

iCar was established in 2023 as a smart EV brand with a planned range of body types including a sports car and a people carrier, but it has since focused on chunky off-roaders.