Chery denies improper subsidy declarations
An audit by the ministry of industry and information technology disqualified declarations by Chery and BYD for a combined $53m (R951,265,072) in government subsidies for thousands of vehicles sold in the five years to 2020, accounting for nearly 60% of the improper claims.
Chery denied its declarations were improper. It said it had previously consulted the authorities about the challenges of missing receipts because the cars were sold more than five years ago and the government had advised the company to declare the cars for the ministry to determine if they should be qualified.
"Our company has truthfully reported to the authorities we did not collect certificates for end sales. There's no fraudulent act," Chery said.
The government's assertions do not include allegations of fraud.
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TimesLIVE
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The Citizen
2 hours ago
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Chery-owned iCar coming to South Africa as renamed iCaur
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Still pronounced 'i-car', sales will commence in the first quarter of 2026, making it the 15th Chinese vehicle manufacturer in South Africa after its parent company and divisional trio, BAIC, BYD, Dayun, Dongfeng, Foton, GAC, Great Wall Motors (GWM) Haval, JAC, LDV and MG. Its operations taking place from a projected 15 dealers by the time of its market arrival, the initial iCaur line-up will seemingly consist of three models, the same number currently sold in China. What to expect? Jaecoo J6 no more. Prepare for iCaur 03 Of these, the 03 will formally debut as an iCaur after initial plans had been for it to debut as the Jaecoo J6. While shown as an iCar at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring last year, rebadging it as the J6 was eventually decided on for the starting of sales this year. Indeed, while a number of pre-production units were provided to the media badged as Jaecoos, plans on selling it came to an abrupt halt in a move now known to have been taken in response to the launching of iCar as iCaur. The iCar 03 made its world debut at Chery's Tech Day in Wuhu two years ago. Image: Charl Bosch As such, the 03 will take leave of the Jaecoo specific front-end and revert to its iCar frontal appearance, still with the inverted L-shaped headlights, and a lower case 'i' on the faux spare wheel cover that houses a storage area instead of the charging equipment. Dimensionally, the 03 measures 4 406 mm long, 1 910 mm wide and 1 715 mm tall with its wheelbase stretching 2 715 mm. The claimed ground clearance is 195 mm. 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Specification, while still to be divulged, will more than likely be carried over from the now defunct J6 and include the 15.6-inch infotainment display, heated and electric front seats, panoramic sunroof, a 540-degree surround-view camera system and a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster. iCar 03T likely? Showcased at the end of last year, the improved 03T, which sports sharper styling, wider wheel arches and subtle rear facia changes, could also be earmarked for South Africa as it is reportedly under consideration for Malaysia, according to As per the 03T, also sold as the rebadged Chery X3 Plus in China, measures 4 327 mm in overall length, with the rest of its dimensions being similar to the 03 that also goes by the name Chery X3. Updated iCar 03T could also be in-line for South Africa. Image: iCar Power, reportedly, comes from a 68.3-kWh battery pack that produces 185 kW. Suggestively, this amounts to the all-wheel-drive as official iCar pricing claims a range of between 501 km and 520 km based on China's CLTC measurements. Pricing reportedly ranges from 119 800 yuan (R298 505) to 129 800 yuan (R323 422). Retro V23 Depicted in the brand's official confirmation statement, the third model it currently produces, the retro-styled V23, will serve as the alternative to the 03 and possibly, as the entry-level iCaur product. An aesthetic combination of the Toyota Land Cruiser 40-series when viewed from the front, the Defender 110 from the side and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class at the rear, the V23 made its world debut last year as a joint venture between Chery and the Zhimi Technology division of smartphone marker, Xiaomi A supposed tribute to the Soviet-era Beijing Jeep BJ212 that has been used by the Chinese military since 1965, the V23 has measurement of 4 220 mm in overall length, a height of 1 845 mm, width of 1 915 mm and wheelbase of 2 735 mm. 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Image: iCar Finally, the all-wheel-drive retains the bigger battery pack, but adds a 55kW/112Nm motor to the front axle for a combined output of 155kW/292Nm. In this guise, the range falls to 501 km, while the claimed waiting time remains at 30 minutes from 30-80%. Sporting an interior similar to that of the Ineos Grenadier, notable specification items consist of a 15.4-inch infotainment system, the 540-degree surround-view camera, a series of physical climate control dials and Adaptive Cruise Control. Priced from 109 900 yuan to 149 800 yuan in China, which equates to R273 746 and R373 132 respectively when converted directly and without the various taxes included, the V23 is likely to be priced significantly higher once sales in South Africa commence next year. Almost here The brand will its official debut at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring in August where more details will be revealed. ALSO READ: Preview for South Africa? All-electric Jaecoo J6 debuts in Thailand
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Chinese brand iCaur to launch in South Africa - will its bold-looking SUVs be a breath of fresh air?
The iCaur V23 is a compact electric SUV with rugged looks. Image: Supplied And just when you thought the South African market could not possibly accommodate another Chinese vehicle brand, it's time to meet the iCaur. A product of the Chery Group, the iCaur vehicles are certainly not run of the mill, and South Africans will be able to experience them first hand when the brand launches locally during the first quarter of 2026. The brand is actually called iCar in China, but for obvious trademark reasons, it has been changed to iCaur for international markets. As a relatively new brand, established as an all-electric nameplate in China in 2023, iCaur aims to bring a more playful and user-centric spirit to the new energy vehicle market, says SA brand and marketing manager Shannon Gahagan. The local vehicle line-up has yet to be announced, but iCaur SA has released pictures of a boxy compact SUV called the V23. The brand also offers a larger (but also somewhat boxy) SUV called the iCaur 03 in some overseas markets, and interestingly, this vehicle has already been confirmed for South Africa as the Jaecoo J6. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The iCaur 03 is badged as the Jaecoo J6 in some markets. Image: Supplied The iCaur V23 boasts rugged looks and with a length of 4,220mm, it's not a great deal larger than the Suzuki Jimny 5-door. It is offered in rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive guises, with respective power outputs of 100kW and 155kW. Customers abroad can also choose between two battery sizes, with the 59.9 kWh entry option enabling a claimed range of 400km and the larger 81.8 kWh unit allowing 550km. iCaur intends to create a whole lifestyle experience around the brand. Image: Supplied In addition to standing out through emotional design and creating new vehicle segments, iCaur is also aiming to create a lifestyle ecosystem of sorts, extending beyond the car to include gear, content and experiences. The South African importer is currently finalising its dealer network and aims to have 15 dealerships up and running by the time of launch. 'South Africa is a country with a rich outdoor lifestyle, vibrant urban culture, and an increasingly energy-conscious mindset,' Gahagan concluded. 'These are the communities iCAUR is built for.' South Africans will get their first taste of the new vehicles at the Festival of Motoring, to be held at Kyalami from August 29. IOL Motoring Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
