China’s Land Rover Defender lookalike a chance for Australia

The Chery iCar 03T SUV revealed at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show may be headed for Australian showrooms in 2025 under the Chinese car maker’s ‘Jaecoo’ name.

Shown under Chery’s ‘iCar’ youth-oriented sub-brand, the iCar 03T is a ‘tougher’ bulked-up version of the electric ‘03’ (without the T) SUV shown at the 2023 Shanghai motor show (below).

The 03T takes the 03 and adds bigger front and rear bumpers, larger diameter wheels and wheel arch extensions with increased ground clearance for Land Rover Defender-like retro looks but uses the same electric powertrains as the 03.

Pricing for the 03T is yet to be confirmed, but pre-orders for the regular 03 began in November 2023 priced between 129,800 yuan and ¥185,800 yuan ($AU27,300 and $AU39,000).

The electric SUV has since been confirmed in right-hand drive for Thailand, where it will be sold as the Jaecoo J6 with a planned launch in late 2024.

While a spokesperson for Chery Australia told Drive the iCar 03T is “under consideration” for Australia, the local arm has previously confirmed the Jaecoo sub-brand would be sold in Australia spearheaded by the J7 family SUV in the second half of 2024.

That suggests the iCar 03T could easily make it to Australia renamed the Jaecoo J6 – as the 03 is in Thai showrooms – in late 2024, but more likely 2025.

Measuring 4432mm long, 1916mm and 1741mm tall on a 2715mm wheelbase, the 03T is slightly larger than the battery-electric Jeep Avenger confirmed for Australia but smaller than a Mazda CX-5 SUV.

Power comes from a choice of a 137kW/184Nm rear-drive single-motor or 208kW/279Nm dual electric motor all-wheel drive arrangement.

Three different lithium-phosphate battery packs made by CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Limited) are offered in China, delivering a claimed driving range of between 401km and 501km (CLTC).

If it were to be sold in Australia, the 03T would be the smallest SUV of the Jaecoo and Chery Australian line-ups, sitting below the Jaecoo J7 as well as the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro SUVs.

Chery is set to launch its first electric vehicle in Australia in 2024 when the battery-electric version of the Omoda 5 SUV goes on sale, with the petrol version in local showrooms since March 2023.