All-Electric iCAUR V23 on the Wild Side

By Lee Pang Seng

THE all-electric iCAUR V23 is the perfect answer for 4x4 off-road enthusiasts who want electric power to take on the rough and tumble terrain. An off-road excursion organised by iCAUR Malaysia for the media following its preview in late October (which we didn’t partake in due to other commitments) apparently revealed an SUV (sport utility vehicle) that was very much at home off-road.

We are talking about the intelligent all-wheel drive (iCAUR calls it the iWD) version that has a dual motor system with a Permanent Magnet Asynchronous motor in front to support the rear motor that powers the 2WD (two-wheel drive) variant. It has a combined output of 155kW (211PS) and 292Nm of torque. The 2WD’s motor at the rear delivers 100kW (136PS) and 180Nm.

Providing the electric power for the V23 2WD is a 59.9kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that is said to be enclosed in a touch cell that would withstand the rigours of off-road driving. When fully charged, iCAUR says it would provide 360 kilometres in driving range (NEDC – New European Driving Cycle). For the V23 iWD, it is equipped with a larger battery in the 81.8kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery that offers a longer driving range of 430km.

The iCAUR V23 is rather compact in dimensions. Measuring 4220mm in overall body length, 1915mm in width and 1845mm in height, it reminds us of the Suzuki Vitara of old. Its off-road credentials lie in the short overhangs front and rear that allow a 42-degree approach angle and 41-degree departure angle. It is also said to have a gradeability of up to 40 per cent to ascend pretty steep gradients.

It has a ground clearance of 210mm and iCAUR says the V23 is designed to handle challenging terrain and take to water depths of 600mm, which is almost as good as that for ICE (internal combustion engine) pick-ups and SUVs. The V23 has a MacPherson strut suspension in front and a multi-link rear. The tyre choice sees the V23 2WD being fitted with 19-inch wheels with 255.55 R19 tyres while the V23 iWD has 21-inch wheels with 265/45 R21 tyres.

The V23 comes with rugged looks too, in particular the front, to live up to its billing as a tough off-roader, complete with LED (light emitting diode) headlamps and daytime running lights (DRL). The rear lamps are also LED and a high-mounted third brake light should serve its role well in tarmac driving.

Stepping inside the V23, the interior looks comfortable with a black leather interior with ventilated and massage seats. The 15.4-inch QuadHD centre touchscreen powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon8155 processor certainly grabs one’s attention. It is through this that the 540-degree All-View Monitor is best appreciated.

However, instead of using this touchscreen for some interior functions, there are four rotary toggles located on the dashboard below that provide the access. This includes the drive selector mode to select ECO, Comfort, Sport, Individual and Slippery in the V23 2WD as well as Off-road mode in the iWD.

Its safety suite includes six airbags and a Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) that is supported by a millimetre-wave radar integrated into the vehicle body to improve detection accuracy across a variety of environments. Among the usual features, the ADAS package also has the Front Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Drive Away Info and Traffic Jam Assist.

The luggage space at the rear is reasonably big at 234 litres for its compact frame and there are two storage areas on the door for light items. To expand luggage space more than threefold at 744 litres, there is the 50/50 rear seatrests that could be folded flat.

The V23 comes with a good selection of body colours too – Off-road Orange, Khaki White, Army Green, Slate Silver, Gravel Grey and Carbon Black. Prices are attractive for the imported iCAUR V23 being RM119,800 for the 2WD and RM132,800 for the iWD. It comes with a seven-year or 150,000km vehicle warranty and an eight-year or 160,000km battery and drive unit warranty. There is also a battery replacement guarantee should its ‘state of health’ falls below 70 per cent during the warranty period.

What makes the iCAUR V23 even more appealing is the exclusive early bird package for the first 1000 owners who must register the SUV EV for road use by December 31. This includes a complimentary 7kW AC charger worth RM3400 for convenient home charging, an auxiliary 6.86-inch instrument cluster panel worth RM1000 and an extended battery, electric motor and power control unit warranty covering 10 years or 200,000 kilometres.

Currently, ICAUR Malaysia has 20 network locations across Peninsular Malaysia (surpassing its target of 18) and it expects to expand to Sabah and Sarawak in the first quarter of 2026. Fully aware of the Government’s retraction of a duty-free environment for EVs (electric vehicles), ICAUR Malaysia says it is exploring means of going local assembly in the not-too-distant future to maintain competitive vehicle prices.