Lepas to launch in 2026

CHERY will be prioritising its new export-only Lepas brand in 2026, debuting with three ‘youth-oriented’ models in Australia – temporarily benching Chery’s EV-only iCaur brand, which is officially still under review for our market and remains a “highly likely” starter for the future.

Kicking off with yet another medium/large SUV, the L8, followed by the smaller L4 and L6 SUVs, the intention with Lepas is to broaden Chery’s market spread while positioning it within the pricing ballpark of Chery’s three other brands – Omoda (design), Jaecoo (adventure) and Chery (value) – a horizontally interwoven family rather than the vertically tiered hierarchy favoured by non-Chinese manufacturers.

Speaking to GoAuto at the Chery Tiggo 9 unveiling in Sydney, Chery’s chief operating officer Lucas Harris confirmed that “Lepas will be the next cab off the rank, and we’ll have three models next year, and then probably two or three the year after (2027)”.

“Lepas will be the first brand that we launch totally on its own – totally separate platforms,” said Mr Harris.

“Obviously, powertrains and things like that will get shared because it doesn’t make sense to go and try and develop [them] totally unique.”

But he stressed that the Lepas brand will sit neither above or below Chery.

“It’s more of a different person, said Mr Harris, referring to the expected buyer for a Lepas product.

“It’s more of that bold and vibrant, wants to stand out (type of buyer and vehicle). We’ve been saying internally, ‘it’s an SUV for non-SUV people.’

“SUVs are very utilitarian in nature, and (some) people end up with them not because they want them, but they have to have them for all the jobs that they need to do.

“Whereas what we’re trying to achieve with Lepas, we’ll have bright colours and different-coloured interiors and much more bold and vibrant branding to try and make (the Lepas SUVs) appealing to people that don’t necessarily want an SUV.

“(The thinking is) how do we talk to that person who wants to stand out a bit?”

As for how to explain this rapid market expansion, the export-only Lepas brand appears to be part of a global directive by Chery to increase its overall group sales, which are expected to hit a record 2.7 million in 2025.

“Being part of a global business, there are going to be decisions that are made at a global level that, frankly, it doesn’t matter what we think in the market. That’s a global decision and we’re going to do it,” he added.

“Our job is to go, ‘okay, well, this is the global strategic intent – how do we localise that and make it make sense, and make it work in our market?’

“So, if (Chery) decides tomorrow that this brand is going to go global and it’s going to launch everywhere, and that includes Australia, then it will be up to us to figure out what is the most effective and the best way to do that.

“I think it’s interesting – I often think about it, because people struggle with the idea of, ‘why do you need so many brands? And why do you need to be doing all this stuff all the time?’ And my challenge to that is, ‘well, why not?’

“Sure, it’s not normal. You look at all the historical brands that have been in the market, and they haven’t approached it in that way – well, why does that make it right?

“So, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. It’s just different, and it’s a different approach. And it’s up to us to find a way to make it work. I don’t think it’s impossible, frankly. And it’s great for consumers.

“From an OEM perspective, it is what we make it – if we want it to be difficult and we want to complain about having to deal with all these brands, well, then it’ll be difficult.

“We won’t enjoy it. If we want to make it work and see it as an opportunity to do something different, to find a different way, well, then it becomes interesting,” he concluded.

So far, very few concrete details have been revealed about the Lepas line-up aside from the three different nameplates and a handful of images – mainly of the L8.

It is a five-seat medium SUV measuring roughly 4700mm long, riding on a wheelbase of around 2800mm (as evidenced in the images showing short body overhangs), with dashboard and door architecture inspired by Volvo/Polestar design cues.

Fitting the claim that Lepas is for bold, vibrant younger people, the L8 in the press images is painted in a metallic teal, wearing 11-double-spoke alloys in what appears to be a 20-inch size, with perforated leather seat and door inserts in a contrasting mid-century green.

Based on the ‘CSH’ badgework worn by the Lepas L8 in the press images, it features a ‘Chery Super Hybrid’ powertrain, which is a plug-in hybrid system.

In the Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 CSH models, it’s a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol combined with a single electric motor and an 18.4kWh battery, driving through a single-speed hybrid transmission.

The just-launched Chery Tiggo 9 features a more sophisticated set-up – a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol combined with three electric motors and a 34kWh battery, driving through a three-speed hybrid transmission.