2025 iCaur 03 EV launched in Malaysia – up to 279 PS, 426 km NEDC; 2WD fr RM119,800, iWD at RM129,800

iCaur has launched its first model in Malaysia, the 03, an electric SUV that was previewed here twice previously. As a brief recap, the 03 was originally set to be marketed as the Jaecoo J6 when it was shown at the Malaysia Autoshow (MAS) in May last year.

At this year’s MAS, it was announced that iCaur would formally enter our market, with the 03 making an appearance at the event. Mind you, this model goes by many other names depending on the market it is sold in.

If you haven’t heard of iCaur before, it was revealed in May this year as the alternate name of iCar for use in markets outside China. iCar itself was first introduced in April at Auto Shanghai 2023 as a Chery-sub brand and currently has four models in its line-up, including the 03, 03T and V23, all of which are confirmed for our market. The fourth model, the V27, is the brand’s largest and newest to date, recently celebrating ts world premiere in Dubai last month.

The 03 will initially be offered as a fully-imported (CBU) electric vehicle (EV) before it is locally assembled (CKD) at Chery Corporate Malaysia’s plant in Shah Alam – this is set to commence in January 2026.

Malaysia gets the 03 in two variants, starting with the 03 2WD that is priced at RM119,800 on-the-road without insurance. This comes with a rear electric motor rated at 184 PS (181 hp or 135 kW) and 220 Nm of torque, with power supplied by a 65.7-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that is good for a NEDC-rated range of 426 km.

Next comes the 03 iWD at RM129,800 that adds on a second electric motor with 95 PS (94 hp or 70 kW) and 165 at the front axle for all-wheel drive and a total system output of 279 PS (275 hp or 205 kW) and 385 Nm. The top-spec variant also comes with a LFP battery, but with a slightly higher capacity of 69.8 kWh for 418 km of range, and the iRoad system offers up to 10 selectable all-terrain drive modes.

Both variants support up to 80 kW of DC fast charging, which brings the batteries from a 30 to 80% state-of-charge (SoC) in around 30 minutes. Meanwhile, AC charging is capped at 6.6 kW and there’s a 3.2-kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) function.

The official prices are significantly lower than the previous estimates of RM145,000 and RM155,000 respectively – we’re guessing this is due to CKD bridging. Every 03 comes with a seven-year, 150,000-km vehicle warranty and a separate eight-year,160,000-km warranty for the battery and drive unit. Should the battery health fall below 70% within the battery warranty period, a one-to-one replacement will be provided.

If you like boxy, rugged SUVs, the 03 should appeal to you with its upright, slab-sided body that features chunky cladding, a 90-degree swing-out tailgate, exposed cargo box and angular wheel arches. Notable design cues include flush pop-out door handles, slim headlamps and vertical daytime running lights, the last of which is a look replicated for the taillights.

The 03 is available with a choice of five colours: Silver, Grey, White, Black and Aurora Green. For an additional RM20,000, you can get the 03 in Black Phantom Edition guise, which adds on a bodykit with wheel arch extensions, a matte black finish, a roof rack and accompanying side ladder for that off-roader look.

Measuring 4,406 mm long, 1,910 mm wide and 1,715 mm tall and with a 2,715 mm wheelbase, the 03 is roughly the size of a BYD Atto 3. Should you want to go off the pavement, the short overhangs enable a 28-degree approach angle and 32-degree departure angle, while the gradeability is up to 55%.

In keeping with the adventurous theme, the interior sports grip handles on the centre console which is home a cupholders and a shallow storage area with an integrated wireless charger. The upright dashboard is devoid of physical controls, with all vehicle functions, including the climate system, being accessed via the 15.6-inch central infotainment touchscreen powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip.

For the driver, there’s a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster and three-spoke steering wheel with Tesla-like scroll wheels on the spokes. Storage options include a 450-litre boot that is expandable to 1,238 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats down, an exterior cargo box offers 40 litres, and there are 35 compartments to stash items, including under the rear seats.

Standard equipment for the 03 includes six airbags and a Level 2 ADAS suite, the latter with features such as autonomous emergency braking, front and rear collision warning, emergency lane keeping, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, blind spot monitoring and door opening warning.

Also part of the default kit list is a 540-degree around-view monitor, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a 50-watt wireless charger, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, an NFC reader located on the driver’s side wing mirror. The 03 iWD comes with further goodies such as a 12-speaker Infinity audio system as well as ventilated and massaging front seats – the rear only gets ventilation.

GALLERY: 2025 iCaur 03 iWD

GALLERY: 2025 iCaur 03 2WD

GALLERY: 2025 iCaur 03 iWD Black Phantom Edition