iCaur Robox concept – monobox SUV, Level 3/Level 4 autonomy, no steering wheel, 1,000 kW charging

Chery-owned upstart iCaur, known for its retro 4×4-styled electric SUVs, has teased its new design direction with the Robox concept, making its debut at the ongoing Auto China show in Beijing. Smoother and more rounded than the 03 and V23, it’s billed as a more aerodynamic design better suited to maximising range, according to Autohome.

Robox is a portmanteau of “Robot” and “Box”, and the grungy typeface, similar to the one used on the Tesla Cybertruck, has almost certainly been inspired by the video game Cyberpunk 2077 – replete with the year 2026 included. The dystopian, futuristic vibe is reflected in some of the details, including the roof rack with built-in light bars, auxiliary lights in the front doors, circular “driving lamps”, matte gold paint, translucent aero fairings on the 19-inch wheels, and plenty of text designed to look like warning labels.

Strip all those away and you’ll find a sleek monobox design, with a black roof, a vertical body-coloured C-pillar and even an active rear spoiler, plus a visor-like black mask integrating the rectangular headlights and dual-bar daytime running lights. Chunky black bumpers front and rear (the latter integrates the slim taillights), broad wheel arch flares and beefy skid plates retain a semblance of iCaur’s trademark off-roader aesthetic. You don’t get a rear windscreen, so presumably drivers will have to rely on a digital rear-view mirror.

There’s also no interior on this display unit, but the car has reportedly been designed around unsupervised Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving, which presumably means no steering wheel or pedals. iCaur appears to be following the approach taken by the Tesla Cybercab robotaxi – another matte gold EV with no steering wheel.

More realistic are the mechanicals, with the Robox being built on a new i-Swift 3.0 platform with a 1,000-volt electrical architecture. iCaur EVs are not exactly cutting edge in terms of charging or range, but the underpinnings are said to enable DC fast charging in excess of 1,000 kW, rivalling BYD’s 1,500 kW Flash Charging tech. They are also claimed to support both regular lithium and solid-state batteries (no range figures have been revealed so far) and three- and even four-motor configurations.

The Robox is set to presage a new range of vehicles under the iCaur X series. What do you think of the slippery design, and would you get a car like this over the boxier 03 and V23? Let us know in the comments.

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