Chery is bringing another car brand to Britain as iCAUR prepares for 2027 UK launch

It feels like barely a month goes by without another significant announcement from one of China’s rapidly expanding car manufacturers, but Chery’s growth in the UK is becoming particularly difficult to ignore.

The Chinese automotive group has confirmed that iCAUR will launch in Britain in early 2027, becoming the fifth Chery-owned marque to enter the UK market alongside Omoda, Jaecoo, Chery itself and Lepas.

Leading the charge will be the iCAUR V27, a large five-seat SUV with chunky, squared-off styling, an electrified powertrain and a clear focus on combining everyday usability with genuine off-road ability.

For UK buyers, iCAUR will be an entirely new name. However, the brand is already established internationally and its arrival here is another demonstration of just how ambitious Chery has become in Britain.

What is iCAUR?

iCAUR is Chery’s adventure-focused SUV brand. In China it is known as iCar, while the iCAUR name is used internationally.

Rather than simply becoming another badge within the existing Chery dealer network, iCAUR is expected to operate as a standalone brand in the UK with its own dedicated team and route to market.

Its positioning is interesting because Chery already has a growing number of brands competing in Britain. Omoda arrived first, Jaecoo followed with a more rugged and upmarket SUV focus, Chery itself has subsequently entered the market and Lepas is another new addition.

iCAUR takes the adventure theme considerably further, with distinctive off-road-inspired vehicles that look quite different from many of the increasingly similar crossovers filling the market.

Its philosophy is described as “Born to Play”, with an emphasis on adventure, individuality and self-expression.

Meet the iCAUR V27

The first iCAUR destined for the UK is the V27, and visually it certainly knows how to make an entrance.

It is a big, upright and unapologetically boxy SUV, with a design that is likely to draw comparisons with cars such as the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser. There are pronounced wheelarches, a high bonnet, a substantial glasshouse and the sort of squared-off proportions that have become increasingly popular among buyers wanting something that looks genuinely rugged.

I actually think this could work particularly well in Britain. There is no shortage of relatively anonymous, aerodynamically optimised electric SUVs on the market, so something with a stronger identity immediately stands out.

The V27 is also intended to offer more than off-road theatre. iCAUR says the vehicle has been developed with genuine off-road capability in mind while remaining suitable for normal commuting and family life.

UK specifications have not yet been fully confirmed, which is important when looking at information from other markets. International versions of the V27 use range-extender technology, combining electric propulsion with a petrol engine used to support the battery and extend the vehicle’s overall range. However, iCAUR has so far only confirmed that the UK V27 will be electrified, so we will have to wait for the final British specification.

Developed for British roads

One detail I find particularly interesting is that Chery isn't simply shipping the V27 to Britain and hoping for the best.

The vehicle is undergoing UK-specific development through Chery International’s research and development operation at UTAC Millbrook in Bedfordshire.

That matters because British roads can expose weaknesses in suspension and chassis tuning very quickly. A car developed primarily around the smooth roads and driving conditions of another market does not necessarily translate perfectly to Britain, particularly when you introduce broken urban roads, tight B-roads, motorway driving and our seemingly endless collection of potholes.

Local engineering work should allow areas such as suspension, steering, refinement and general vehicle behaviour to be optimised with British customers in mind.

It is also another sign that Chery sees the UK as more than simply another export destination.

Chery's UK growth is becoming difficult to ignore

Perhaps the bigger story here isn't simply the V27, but the speed at which Chery is establishing itself in Britain.

Omoda only entered the UK in 2024, yet by the end of September 2026 Chery’s collection of brands had reportedly captured around 7% of the British new-car market.

That is an extraordinary rate of growth for a manufacturer group that many UK motorists would barely have recognised a few years ago.

We've already seen Jaecoo make an enormous impact, particularly with the Jaecoo 7, while Omoda has established itself as a familiar sight surprisingly quickly. Now Chery is building its own identity in Britain, Lepas is joining the portfolio and iCAUR will give the group yet another way of targeting a different type of customer.

There is an obvious question about how many brands one manufacturer actually needs, and whether British buyers will understand the differences between them all. Chery clearly believes there is an opportunity to build separate identities rather than trying to make one badge appeal to everybody.

If it works, the strategy gives the group enormous flexibility. Omoda can target one customer, Jaecoo another, Chery another and iCAUR can go after buyers attracted to more distinctive, adventurous SUVs.

Could the iCAUR V27 take on the Land Rover Defender?

Comparisons with the Defender are inevitable.

The V27's upright proportions, rugged styling and off-road positioning put it into broadly similar territory visually, although it would be premature to suggest that it will match the Defender's capability, refinement or premium credentials before anyone has properly driven the UK version.

Price could make things considerably more interesting.

UK pricing hasn't been announced, and I wouldn't try to predict it based purely on prices in China or other international markets. What we have repeatedly seen from new Chinese manufacturers, however, is an ability to offer significant levels of equipment, technology and performance for the money.

If iCAUR can combine that value proposition with the V27's distinctive styling, good build quality and convincing driving manners, there could be a very interesting proposition here.

The Defender has demonstrated that there is huge demand for rugged-looking SUVs that work just as comfortably on the school run or motorway as they do away from the tarmac. iCAUR clearly sees an opportunity to tap into some of that demand.

Another Chinese car brand? Get used to it

There will inevitably be people asking whether Britain really needs another Chinese car brand, particularly when the same parent company is already responsible for several names entering the market.

But I think that slightly misses what is happening within the automotive industry.

Chinese manufacturers aren't simply arriving in Britain to make up the numbers anymore. They're becoming serious competitors, investing in UK engineering, building dealer networks and increasingly forcing established European, Japanese and Korean manufacturers to respond on price, technology, equipment and electrification.

Chery is perhaps one of the clearest examples.

In the space of only a few years, it has gone from being largely unknown among mainstream British car buyers to controlling a portfolio of increasingly visible brands. iCAUR's arrival in 2027 will take that strategy another step further.

Whether five separate Chery marques ultimately proves brilliant or bewildering remains to be seen, but the V27 itself looks like one of the more interesting Chinese cars heading our way.

And if the UK version drives as confidently as it looks, I suspect we're going to be seeing quite a few of them.

When will iCAUR launch in the UK?

iCAUR is expected to officially launch in Britain in early 2027, with the V27 confirmed as its first UK model.

Full UK pricing, specifications, powertrain details and information about the retail network are expected closer to launch.

A second model, the V25, is also part of iCAUR's expanding international range, while the smaller V23 is already offered in other markets. Neither has yet been confirmed for UK sale, so for now the V27 is the one to watch.