Lepas is one of a handful of new auto brands that Chery will launch in Australia over the next 12 to 18 months, and the L6 small SUV now detailed in Europe will be among its first models.
The brand – which, like Omoda Jaecoo, doesn’t exist in China – will be launched here towards the end of 2026.
First Lepas cabs off the rank are set to be the L6, a rival for the Hyundai Kona and Nissan Qashqai, and the L8, which is similar in size to the Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota RAV4.
These are the most likely to be launched first, with the L4 – an even smaller SUV – expected to follow in 2027.
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Chery has also previously confirmed it plans to offer L1, L2 and L3 models under the Lepas brand, as well as a large L9. The lineup could also expand to include a sedan.
It’s also unclear at this stage which powertrains each Lepas model will be offered with in Australia, though there’s currently a mix of petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles across the Chery and Omoda Jaecoo brands.
As confirmed in Europe ahead of its public debut at Milan Design Week over April 20-26, the L6 will be offered with a pure-electric powertrain with a 67kWh battery and 435km of range on the WLTC cycle, and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid system – not a plug-in hybrid powertrain– with a total range of 1127km.
Lepas says the L6 will be built on the “all-new New Energy Vehicle modular platform”.
Further specifications, including dimensions, have yet to be revealed, as has the L6’s interior. The L6 will go on sale in the UK in the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2026.
Lepas is a genus of goose barnacles, but Chery says the name is a portmanteau of ‘leopard’ and ‘passion’ – the feline connection can be seen in the LED headlights, which are designed to resemble a leopard’s eye.
The brand will offer a “new generation of bold, design-led SUVs that blend passion with practicality”, along with bold exterior colours.
Chery hasn’t confirmed what Lepas’ retail strategy will be in Australia, and if the brand will be sold alongside the existing Chery and Omoda Jaecoo brands.
But with a range of crossover SUVs, Lepas’ lineup will overlap heavily with those of the existing Chery and Omoda Jaecoo brands in Australia, both of which offer small SUVs (Jaecoo J5, Chery C5/E5 and Tiggo 4) and medium SUVs (Jaecoo J7, Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8).
The launch of Lepas is part of a bewildering global strategy by the Chery Group, which set a new annual export record last year with 1,344,020 units – an increase of 17.4 per cent. Exports accounted for 48 per cent of its total sales.
Not only is Lepas being launched here this year, but three other brands from the Chery Group are due here between now and the end of 2027.
iCaur, a brand specialising in boxy electrified SUVs, is expected in 2027, with Freelander, another brand set to offer boxy electrified SUVs, due mid-late 2027.
Jetour, another Chery brand, has also confirmed its intentions to launch in the Australian market. It’s understood this brand will operate separately from the rest of the Chery menagerie.
Unless Chery decides to create another export-only brand like Omoda Jaecoo or Lepas, that leaves a diminishing number of potential brand entries for Australia.
Soueast, acquired by Chery in 2024, has confirmed it’s eyeing right-hand drive markets.
There’s also Luxeed, a premium brand developed in partnership with electronics giant Huawei, and Exeed, among Chery’s oldest brands which specialises in premium SUVs and exports vehicles to markets like the Middle East. One Exeed model, the RX, is already sold here as the Omoda 9.
Light commercial vehicle brand Rely has also been revived by Chery, though it’s unlikely for Australia given the Chinese automaker has already confirmed it will sell the upcoming KP31 ute under its namesake brand.
MORE: Chery launching its third auto brand in Australia in four years
