iCaur’s second all-electric model has finally rolled into Malaysia, and it’s pretty clear what it wants to be.
The V23 is a boxy, retro-flavoured SUV with full 4×4 swagger, priced from RM119,800 for the 2WD and RM132,800 for the intelligent all-wheel drive (iWD), both on-the-road without insurance.
On paper, it plays in the C-segment SUV space. The numbers are 4,220mm long, 1,915mm wide and 1,845mm tall, sitting on a 2,735mm wheelbase.
In other words, it is shorter than a Honda HR-V but noticeably wider, taller and longer between the axles, so in the metal it looks more planted and a fair bit chunkier than the usual urban crossover.
The design team has focused on the old-school off-roader look. You get a tall, upright body, stubby overhangs and round LED headlamps linked by horizontal light bars.
There is even a tailgate-mounted auxiliary box that doubles as the housing for the high-mounted third brake light. The 2WD makes do with 19-inch wheels, while the iWD turns up with 21-inch alloys that fill the arches properly.
It is not just dressing up for the Gram.
Ground clearance stands at 210mm. Approach and departure angles are quoted at 42 and 41 degrees, there is claimed gradeability of up to 40%, and it can wade through up to 600mm of water.
Underneath, a cage-like structure with roughly 70% high-strength steel is paired with MacPherson struts in front and a multi- or five-link rear, so it is at least engineered to cope with rougher tracks as well as city speed bumps.
Inside, the V23 tries to be both playful and techy. Chunky grab handles and rotary knobs keep the adventure vibe going, but the cabin also brings ventilated seats (with massage on higher spec), faux leather upholstery and a flat floor.
Taking centre stage is a 15.4-inch Quad HD touchscreen running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155, handling Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and even an off-road display that shows pitch and roll.
It is backed by a fully digital cluster and seven speakers. Boot space is 234 litres with all seats up and expands to 744 litres when the 50:50 second row is folded flat.
Power for the 2WD comes from a single rear motor with 100kW (136PS) and 180Nm, fed by a 59.9kWh LFP battery.
Claimed range is 360km on the NEDC cycle. The iWD gets dual motors with a combined 155kW (211PS) and 292Nm, plus an 81.8kWh NMC pack good for a quoted 430km NEDC.
Both variants support 6.6kW AC charging, while DC fast charging peaks at 85kW on the 2WD and 104kW on the iWD. Vehicle-to-load at up to 3.3kW is standard, and Malaysian buyers get the V2L cable and 3-pin portable charger thrown in.
Safety kit is generous for this bracket. There are six airbags, plus a Level 2 ADAS package with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking and a 540-degree camera system using millimetre-wave radar to build its view around the car.
The ownership side is dressed to reassure first-time EV buyers. There is a seven-year/150,000km vehicle warranty and an eight-year/160,000km battery and drive unit warranty, with a promise of battery replacement if state of health drops below 70% within that period.
For the first 1,000 registrations, iCaur is also bundling a free 7kW AC wallbox, an auxiliary 6.86-inch instrument screen and an extended EV component warranty lasting up to 10 years or 200,000km. It is quite a bit of kit, and on first glance, a lot of attitude for the money.
