Struggling to keep up with the rush of new Chinese brands coming to Australia? Chery has another one to add to the pile, the SUV-focused Lepas marque.
Chinese car giant Chery could field as many as six marques in Australia in the near future as it confirms plans to launch Lepas, a new SUV sub-brand due in 2026.
Lepas claims to differentiate itself from other Chery SUV brands with "expressive design ... vibrant colour palettes and driver-focused interiors," and is aimed at younger buyers than its siblings.
Expected to launch the marque – likely in its own network of dealers – is a large SUV known as the Lepas L8, a close relative of the Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid and Tiggo X SUVs just introduced, or soon to arrive in Australia.
It will join the master Chery brand launched locally in early 2023, as well as the newer Omoda and Jaecoo marques, which are sold together in standalone Omoda Jaecoo showrooms.
It excludes Chery's new Rely brand for utes, which is not confirmed to be sold as a standalone marque in Australia, as it is in China.
It would represent an unprecedented number of standalone marques – all expected to be sold through their own dealer networks – for a Chinese car maker which only re-launched in Australia less than three years ago.
The Lepas name is said to be a portmanteau of the words 'leap' and 'passion', though it is also a family of goose barnacles which attach to rocks on coastal foreshores.
The first model from Lepas in Australia is expected to be the L8, a mid-size SUV closely related to the Tiggo 8 and Tiggo X in the Australian Chery range.
It appears to share the Tiggo X's front fascia, but adds a unique rear section with a sleeker roofline and different flush-fitting door handles.
Malaysian publication Paul Tan reports measurements of 4688mm long, 1860mm wide, 1695mm tall and 2800mm in wheelbase, on par with a Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage.
Images supplied by Chery Australia show 'CSH' badges, short for Chery Super Hybrid – likely pointing to the Tiggo 8's 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, electric motor and 18.3kWh lithium iron phosphate battery.
Due to follow the L8 overseas will be a fleet of smaller models – the L6 and L4 small-to-mid-size SUVs, and city-sized L3, L2 and L1.
"We are thrilled to bring Lepas to Australia, a market that values both lifestyle and practicality. Lepas is a brand for those who want to live life with confidence, colour and style," Lepas Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said in a media statement.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
