Chinese EV newcomer iCAUR is putting its promise of personalisation to the test in South Africa, with the brand now using an influencer-led design competition to show local buyers just how far they can tailor their vehicles to suit their own tastes.
The idea of customer-led vehicle customisation was first raised by Riaan Grobler (Head of Dealer Development for iCAUR, and Omoda & Jaecoo) during an earlier interview with Dealerfloor, where he described iCAUR as a “fun brand” that would allow buyers to express their personalities through their vehicles. That vision is now taking shape through a bold marketing campaign centred around the upcoming iCAUR V23.
As part of its local lifestyle customisation strategy, iCAUR has already wrapped one of its own vehicles to test how the process works in practice. The exercise was aimed at evaluating supplier capability, lead times, finish quality, cost structures and the overall customer experience.
According to the brand, the goal is to create a dealership ecosystem that can offer personalisation at scale, from colour blocking and graphic wraps to wheel and lighting options. In short, iCAUR wants customers to feel that no two vehicles need to look the same.
To help bring that message to market, iCAUR has teamed up with motoring influencer and content platform Samuel Da Fonseca from TheCarScene for a public design competition.
The challenge invites South Africans to create their own unique V23 design using AI tools or hand-drawn concepts. Entrants need to screenshot the plain V23 image, create their preferred look, then post it to their Instagram Story while tagging @thecarscene_ and @icaur_southafrica. Participants must also follow both accounts to qualify.
The winner will receive an exclusive opportunity to experience their own design brought to life in an iCAUR.
It is a clever campaign that does more than create social media buzz. By inviting the public into the design process, iCAUR is turning its modular EV promise into something tangible while building early excitement around a brand that clearly wants to stand out from the crowd.
* iCAUR South Africa and Samuel Da Fonseca (TheCarScene).
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A dispute over the payload ratings of Jetour’s T1 and T2 SUVs has developed further following weighbridge testing in Gauteng, with the Automobile Association (AA) questioning some of the results and Jetour South Africa maintaining that its revised figures have been independently verified.
Chinese vehicle manufacturers continued to record significantly stronger growth than established OEM brands in South Africa during the second quarter of 2026, according to TransUnion's Q2 2026 Mobility Report.
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