iCAUR 03T vs Geely E5 EM-i

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

iCAUR 03T in South Africa

iCAUR 03T

2WD Electric Single-Speed Reduction Gear Current
ZAR 639,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 135 kW 🔧 220 Nm ⛽ Not applicable — electric consumption measured in kWh/100 km km/l
VS
Geely E5 EM-i in South Africa

Geely E5 EM-i

Apex Plug-in Hybrid Current
ZAR 679,999 ex-showroom
⚡ 73 kW 🔧 125 Nm
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

iCAUR 03T vs Geely E5 EM-i: the short answer

03T and E5 EM-i are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

E5 EM-i starts ZAR 39,901 cheaper 03T from ZAR 639,900 · E5 EM-i from ZAR 599,999

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification 03T E5 EM-i
Maximum Power 03T135 kW E5 EM-i73 kW
Maximum Torque 03T220 Nm E5 EM-i125 Nm
Engine Size 03TNot applicable — battery electric vehicle E5 EM-i1499 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 03TNot applicable — electric consumption measured in kWh/100 km km/l E5 EM-iNot Officially Disclosed
Ground Clearance 03T190 mm E5 EM-i172 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

03T

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency

E5 EM-i

Strengths
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

03T

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

E5 EM-i

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec 03T E5 EM-i
Model Introduced Year 2026 2025
Generation South African May 2026 local specification sheet for the current 03T generation. Current South African model / exact generation number not separately published
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status Published active
Segment Electric SUV Passenger vehicle
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Facelift History - No applicable South African facelift history established
Facelift Launched Since - Not Applicable
Facelift Version Ending - Not Applicable
Spec 03T E5 EM-i
Length 4433 mm 4740 mm
Width 1916 mm 1905 mm
Height 1741 mm 1685 mm
Wheelbase 2715 mm 2755 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 190 mm 172 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 165 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity Not applicable — battery electric vehicle 51 l
Boot/Cargo Space 450 L rear seats up; 1,238 L with rear seats folded; 40 L rear storage box 528 l
Kerb Weight 1600–1950 kg 1770 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2173 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Payload Capacity 350–650 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Seating Capacity 5 seats Not Officially Disclosed
Number of Rows 2 rows Not Officially Disclosed
Doors 5 doors Not Officially Disclosed
Minimum Turning Radius 5.9 m Not Officially Disclosed
Front Headroom 1020 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Headroom 990 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Front Legroom 1060 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Legroom 970 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Towing Capacity - Not Officially Disclosed

In depth: how these cars differ

This 03T and E5 EM-i comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: 03T 51 vs E5 EM-i 39.

Efficiency index: 03T 99 vs E5 EM-i 79.

Safety-equipment index: 03T 93 vs E5 EM-i 91.

Practicality index: 03T 64 vs E5 EM-i 71.

Ownership-cover index: 03T not separately scored vs E5 EM-i not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

03T leads by 6 points

03T and E5 EM-i are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 75 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 67% source coverage
75
#1 Evidence leader

03T

67% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 99 Check Performance 51
Performance 51
Efficiency 99
Safety 93
Practicality 64
Leads by 6 points
69
#2

E5 EM-i

55% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 39
Performance 39
Efficiency 79
Safety 91
Practicality 71
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance 03T +12 Efficiency 03T +20 Safety 03T +2 Practicality E5 EM-i +7

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

03T

Performance 51/100
Efficiency 99/100
Safety 93/100
Practicality 64/100

E5 EM-i

Performance 39/100
Efficiency 79/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 71/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index iCAUR 03T leads the specification evidence index with 75 pts vs 69 pts for E5 EM-i

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, 03T leads. However, E5 EM-i may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

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03T vs E5 EM-i questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.