No, what you’re seeing is not a camouflaged Land Rover Defender. It’s the upcoming iCaur V27, which iCaur has teased by releasing its own spy shots on its Weibo page. Alongside the images, the company also announced that the V27 will make its global debut on 1 August 2025, in Dubai.
Known by other monikers such as the “Chinese G-Class” or the “NEV Land Cruiser,” it’s easy to see why the iCaur V27 gets these names. Its boxy appearance seems heavily inspired by the Defender, but with a sprinkling of Mercedes-Benz G-Class-inspired bits for good measure.
This inspiration can be seen in the design of the headlights, which feature a similar circular design for the daytime running lights, and in the rugged design of the front bumper and fenders.
The side profile of the V27 is also very similar to the Defender, and the same can be said for the rear, where the V27 sports a similar taillight design to its British counterpart, complete with an externally mounted spare tyre.
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That’s about all iCaur has let on about the V27 for now, as the company did not reveal any official images of the interior. However, if you squint hard enough at some of the images, they suggest that the V27’s interior may feature a large, centrally-mounted infotainment display, which implies it could have a similar layout to its smaller sibling, the iCaur 03.
For the powertrain, the iCaur V27 is reportedly equipped with a range-extender-style series hybrid system. It utilises a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine as a generator to charge an onboard battery pack, available in either 22 kWh or 33 kWh capacities. This allows for a combined output of 449 hp, paired to either a rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) setup.
Furthermore, according to information submitted to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the iCaur V27 has a pure electric range of 200 km under the optimistic CLTC standard. The SUV will also reportedly be priced between RMB200,000 (approx. RM118k) to RMB250,000 (approx. RM148k) when it’s launched in China later this year in Q4 2025.
We will have to wait until tomorrow to see the iCaur V27 fully revealed without its camouflage. Closer to home, iCaur is gearing up to launch the fully-electric iCaur 03, with an estimated price from RM145,000 to RM155,000. If you follow our socials, you’ll notice that we’ve been tinkering around with the iCaur 03, so stay tuned to our YouTube channel to see what it is all about!
ALSO READ: Ineos Automotive reportedly in talks with Chery’s iCaur to develop hybrid off-roader
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