Another day and another Chinese brand has made foothold in Malaysia. But is that necessarily a bad thing? Maybe for the competitions, but not for car buyers.
While previously Malaysian car buyers had to choose from the usual brands from America, Europe and Japan, now they have more options.
The Chinese have also shown that they can do everything the rest can and sometimes better and most of the time for cheaper as well.
While some of the Chinese brands are yet to show their commitment to the Malaysian market by launching more dealerships, 3S centres, local assembly and launch local spare part distribution centres. Some of the bigger names have done a great job.
Take Chery for example. It has launched a myriad of models, they have a local assembly program, a spare parts distribution centre and they are also launching new showrooms on a near weekly basis.
They were quick to sponsor our local badminton heroes. When the gas pipeline explosion happened in Putra Heights, it was Chery that responded first by offering cars for victims to use. Only then did the other car makers realise they have to do something as well.
That’s the commitment to a market I am talking about.
There are also other brands from the large Chery tree that have been introduced for the Malaysian market as well. Jaecoo being one of them. And if you have been following the Malaysian automotive scene, you will know how well received Jaecoo has been.
And now, there is another brand from Chery that has just been introduced, and it’s called iCaur, pronounced as i-car.
The brand is known as iCar around the world, but the U had to be thrown in the name because there is a publishing company in Malaysia known as iCar.
So, rather than coming up with an all-new brand, the company simply included an alphabet to skirt around legislations while maintaining the original pronunciation. Make of that what you will, but if it works, it works.
Anyway, iCaur is the result of a collaboration between Chery and Xiamo’s subsidiary Zhimi Technology, which is also known as Smartmi Tech.
iCaur is developed to produce electric lifestyle vehicles that will differentiate it from the rest of Chery sub-brands such as Jaecoo.
It’s first salvo at the Malaysian market.
The 03 is iCaur’s first model for the Malaysian market. Eventually there will be three or more models from the brand, including the 03, then the upcoming 03T as well as the V23.
Previewed at this year’s Malaysia Auto Show with the order taking commencing then as well, the 03 has a unique appeal to it.
It has the classic proportions of an off-roader, like a classic Jeep. But more accurately, it has the proportions of a four-door Suzuki Jimny but with a modern touch of course.
The head and taillights form the letter i, and there’s also the same alphabet at the centre of the front fascia, the steering wheel as well as underneath the centre air-conditioning vents on the dash.
There’s a storage box at the back where a spare wheel sits for the Jimny. For the iCaur, this is simply a box where you can place items you don’t want to have inside the car, such as durians and such. But we couldn’t fit a way to lock it, so you might not want to place anything too expensive.
This box could have also been a spare wheel, which is something EV’s struggle with since the batteries take up the space where a spare wheel usually sits. Is this a lost opportunity for iCaur? The thing about Chinese car makers is that they respond to market demands at the blink of an eye. So, if there is enough demand for a door mounted spare wheel, trust iCaur to deliver.
The 03 even comes in a dual-tone paint job. The model we drove came in white with a gloss black roof which looked very cool.
How’s the interior?
Typically EV with a large infotainment screen, a digital instrument cluster and very few hard buttons. I have to say though that there were some cleverly placed “teh-tarik” hooks all around the cabin, which simply makes day to day life a lot easier.
There’s also a 12-speaker Infinity sound system with Carplay and Android Auto for your navigation and entertainment.
The seats are brilliant to sit on and are ventilated as well and come with massage function. In fact, in the flagship variant, both the front as well as the rear two seats have ventilation function.
Almost all the key commands of the car such as the side mirror controls, air-conditioning, and memory function for the seats, among others, are located in the infotainment screen. So, the learning curve of the car may be a little bit steep for those not already familiar with how EV’s function.
Besides that, spaciousness is decent, boot space is good though a tonneau cover will be great, and if you are over six feet tall, the back seats may be a little cramped.
What about powertrains though?
There are two versions of the 03 available, the 2WD and the AWD, or iWD in iCaur lingo.
The 2WD is powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor that churns out 181hp and 220Nm of torque. The motor gets its juice from a 65.7kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that will take about 30 minutes to recharge from 30 to 80% using a 80kW AC charger. It has a claimed range of 426km on the NEDC cycle.
The iWD on the other hand has twin motors with each mounted on either axle, making it an all-wheel-drive machine.
The front motor makes 94hp and 165Nm while the rear makes 184PS and 220Nm. The combined system output on the other hand stands at 279PS and 385Nm.
The LFP battery is also bigger; rated at 69.8kWh though with a lower range, rated at 418km on the NEDC cycle. Charging times remains the same, with 30 to 80% taking 30 minutes.
However, both models can only take 6.6kW of AC charging.
How does it drive?
Surprisingly well actually. I only drove the iWD variant but the driving feel was more decent than I expected.
Perhaps it is because I expected very little and was then blown away. Whatever it is, the suspension deserves special credit.
The front consists of MacPherson struts with Multilink at the rear. And this gives the 03 a compliant ride, firm yet comfortable.
Acceleration is great as well and it gets up to 100km/h in just 6.6 seconds from an absolute standstill. Not bad for a car with the aerodynamics of a brick weighing in at over 1.8 tonnes.
Should you buy one?
Absolutely, if for the design alone. There are a couple of things that annoy me, such as the grammar in the software and the iffy quality of the rear-mounted storage box. The latter should have at least come with a lock, lah.
But with an estimated price of RM145,000 for the 2WD and RM155,000 for the iWD, I think they will sell like hot cakes.
College boys with rich Daddy’s will probably buy one to show they are tough though they have never filleted a fish in their lives nor fried an egg.
Those who like the Suzuki Jimny but think it is overpriced may be swayed as well.
It may be a little iffy around the corners, but it nails its design and ride quality and for that, you can expect to see a few of them running around after its official launch in Q3 of this year.
Specifications (2WD):
Power: 184PS
Torque: 220Nm
Motor: Single, Rear Mounted
Range: 426km (NEDC)
Charging: 6.6kW AC / 80kW DC
Price: RM145,000 (Estimated)
Specifications (iWD):
Power: 279PS
Torque: 385Nm
Motors: Twin, All-Wheel-Drive
Range: 418km (NEDC)
Charging: 6.6kW AC / 80kW DC
Price: RM155,000 (Estimated)
We like: Good looks, Ride quality
We don’t like: Software, Some build quality
