Electric Vehicle : Indian electric car market will soon have a massive entry. A powerful electric SUV based on Chinese auto giant Chery’s Chery iCar V23 has been spotted testing in India for the first time. According to reports, the car was spotted in full camouflage cover near the ‘Automotive Research Association of India’ (ARAI) in Pune. When a car is seen testing near ARAI, it means that the homologation and certification process of that car has started. This is considered to be the first step towards the launch in India. This news becomes more important as Cherry has joined hands with India’s JSW Group.
This SUV looks very ‘boxy’ and rugged. It features circular headlights and a closed front grille. In terms of dimensions, the car is 4220 mm long and gets a superb ground clearance of 210 mm. The biggest highlight of this car is the boxy external storage box at the back, which replaces the spare wheel. With its muscular build and stature, this car looks set to pose a serious challenge to the upcoming Mahindra Thar EV.
The interior of the car is very modern and gives a premium feel.
Display: There is a large 15.4-inch touchscreen on the dashboard, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Controls: Notably, it has a touch screen along with physical buttons to easily manage climate control and audio settings while driving.
Safety: For safety it offers advanced features like ADAS, 540-degree camera and tire pressure monitoring system.
Based on the Chinese model, the SUV coming to India will get two battery pack options:
59.93 kWh Battery: Which will give a range of approximately 401 km. 81.76 kWh battery: which claims a range of 510 km on a single charge.
It is available in both ‘Rear-Wheel Drive’ (RWD) and ‘All-Wheel Drive’ (AWD) options. The all-wheel drive variant can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just 7.5 seconds.
According to ‘Rushlane’, JSW Motors is facing some regulatory hurdles to import parts from China. According to the 2020 rules, foreign suppliers need local certification to send goods to India, which takes a lot of time. JSW Group is investing Rs 27000 crore on this project. Now, it will be interesting to see when this car hits the Indian showrooms and how much smoke it creates on the roads.
