Chery has confirmed that iCaur, its adventure-focused SUV brand, will launch in the UK in early 2027 as the group's fifth marque there, joining Omoda, Jaecoo, Chery and Lepas. The line-up opens with the V27, a Defender-sized 4x4 that uses a 450bhp range-extender EV powertrain in other markets.
The confirmation follows an earlier report that the brand had begun customer clinics in Britain to test demand, and the V27 has since been spotted testing on UK roads in camouflage.
A standalone brand with Chery's backing
iCaur will run as a standalone operation in the UK rather than sharing a retail network with Omoda and Jaecoo, although the company says it arrives with the backing, experience and resources of its parent. Chery has begun recruiting dealers and has been showing the V27 to prospective retailers, but the shape of the retail network has not been finalised.
The brand is named iCar in China and was renamed for overseas markets to avoid a dispute with Apple. A joint venture with JLR under the Freelander name is set to follow later, and the Jetour SUV brand could come too.
Powertrain and pricing still open questions
Chery has not confirmed whether the UK-bound V27 will carry the same 450bhp range-extender setup sold elsewhere, saying only that the model will be electrified and will pair electrified efficiency with off-road ability. Other Chery group models already sold in Britain offer petrol, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric drivetrains.
There is no UK price either. Order books opened in select European markets earlier this month with prices from €55,000, roughly £46,000. For context, the cheapest Land Rover Defender 110 costs about £18,000 more than that converted figure.
That gap is the pitch in a nutshell: iCaur is positioning the V27 as a cut-price route into Defender-style ownership, with the caveat that UK buyers will not know the final specification, powertrain or price until Chery confirms them closer to launch.
What else could follow the V27
The smaller V23, a pure-electric crossover, has not been confirmed for the UK but could follow the V27 into showrooms given the popularity of that body style here. There is also the mid-sized V25, which uses a range-extender powertrain like the V27.
Chery has opened a new engineering base at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire to adapt its models for UK requirements, which explains how the V27 has been running around British roads in disguise.
