Lepas brand celebrates UK launch

Chinese car brand Lepas has officially launched in the UK, becoming the latest Chery Auto brand to arrive here after Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery itself.

The brand held its UK launch event in London this week, showing three new electrified SUVs that will make up the early stages of its UK model range, with further models joining the family in 2027.

The largest of the three new models is the L8 plug-in hybrid SUV and is the first to go on sale, with cars now rolling to dealers. The mid-size L6 SUV, which will be available in both EV and plug-in hybrid versions, will arrive later this autumn, while the smaller L4 electric SUV will reach our shores before the end of the year.

The UK is being treated as an important launch market for Lepas, with Chery planning a dedicated dealer network, retail finance and leasing support. For now, the company plans that it will sell only electric and plug-in hybrid models in Europe, although executives indicated they will keep this under review if zero-emission targets are watered down in the UK.

Who are Lepas and Chery?

Lepas is a new car brand owned by Chery Auto, one of China’s largest car manufacturers. As with Omoda and Jaecoo, it is positioned as an export brand for Europe and is not currently available in its home market.

Chery Auto is already building a presence in the UK through Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery, which have launched here over the last couple of years. Lepas now adds another brand to that growing family, with another two brands (iCaur and Freelander) rumoured to be set for launch in 2027.

Chery is trying to create separate identities for each brand, with different styling, positioning and customer appeal. Lepas is being pitched as a more design-led and lifestyle-focused brand. The company talks about elegance, refinement and intelligence, which is fairly standard car-industry language, but the broader point is that Lepas is intended to feel different from Omoda and Jaecoo rather than simply being another badge on a similar SUV.

Whether UK buyers see enough difference between these brands remains to be seen. Chery is launching several SUV-focused brands into the same market, most of which offer very similar mechanicals underneath their bodywork and are pitched into similar price points. Buyers will need a clear reason to choose one over another.

Where and when can I see a Lepas car?

As Chery Group expands in the UK, it’s starting to spread its four brands apart rather than grouping them all together. Lepas is setting up a standalone UK dealer network, while Chery is doing the same, rather than sharing space at existing Omoda and Jaecoo showrooms – although some will inevitably be co-located on the same sites.

The company says more than 50 Lepas outlets are already in various stages of fitting out and construction. Dealer groups involved include Arnold Clark and Stoneacre Motor Group, both of which already have large UK operations.

Lepas is aiming to have around 60 UK dealerships open by the end of 2026, rising to 90 by the end of 2027. Each site is planned to operate as a full-service retailer, covering sales, servicing and aftersales support. This is fewer than the number of outlets selling Omoda/Jaecoo and Chery, but the company says that this is part of the plan to make Lepas more exclusive than the other brands.

Having a strong dealer network is crucial for a new brand. Advertising and media reviews can generate interest, but buyers still need somewhere convenient to test drive, service and repair the car. Chery has shown that it understands that a proper UK retail and aftersales network is essential for all of its brands, which is one of the reasons the company has scored such impressive early successes.

Where does Lepas fit into the new car market?

Lepas is entering a crowded part of the market. Its early models are all SUVs, with a mix of electric and plug-in hybrid power, which puts it straight into competition with a long list of established brands as well as several newer Chinese-backed rivals.

The brand appears to be targeting buyers who want a more premium-feeling car without paying premium-brand money. That is a familiar pitch from Chinese manufacturers, and it has already been used successfully by brands like MG, BYD, Omoda and Jaecoo to varying degrees.

Lepas is aiming a bit higher, hoping to tempt UK buyers out of their Audi, BMW and Mercedes SUVs. In that regard, Lepas is simply the latest challenger for the deeply entrenched German premium brands, although Chery’s deep pockets and commitment to a large dealer network could see Lepas making inroads where the likes of Genesis, Infiniti, Lexus, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar and DS Automobiles have all struggled.

For Lepas, the challenge will be standing out. The UK market is not short of electric SUVs, plug-in hybrid SUVs or new brands claiming to offer more technology and equipment for the money – with even more on the way. Pricing, specification and the quality of the dealer experience will probably be more important than any talk of lifestyle positioning.

The brand’s separate showroom network suggests Chery wants Lepas to be treated as a distinct brand rather than an extension of Omoda or Jaecoo. That gives it a better chance of building its own identity, but it also means Chery is asking dealers and customers to support yet another new badge in a market that is already becoming crowded.

What models will Lepas be selling?

The first Lepas model for the UK is the L8 plug-in hybrid SUV, which is already on sale. We reviewed the L8 after its UK media launch last month, with a full Expert Rating set to be finalised in September once we’ve gathered enough data.

Next to arrive will be the sharp-looking Lepas L6 SUV, which was shown at the London launch event in full UK specification. It’s due to go on sale this autumn and will broaden the range with a choice of plug-in hybrid and fully electric options. The EV version will arrive first, with the plug-in hybrid following not long afterwards.

Lepas also showed an early preview of the smaller L4 electric SUV, which should reach UK roads by Christmas. Next year, there should be an even larger SUV called the L9, and possibly a smaller hatchback model. We saw what was claimed to be the production version of this car in Beijing earlier this year, and it looks stunning. Fingers crossed the finished version that arrives doesn’t change anything.

Styling for all Lepas models is deliberately more rounded and muscular than the likes of sister brand Jaecoo, which is much more upright. The Lepas SUVs have pronounced shoulder lines that are inspired by the shoulders of a leopard – which may explain the passing resemblance to Jaguar’s now-discontinued SUV models, which claimed to be inspired by the haunches of the eponymous big cat. There are also plenty of styling references to the Porsche Macan and Cayenne models as you wander around the L8, L6 and L4.

What else should I know about Lepas before making a buying decision?

Lepas has confirmed several major UK partners to support its launch. Lloyds Banking Group will provide finance and leasing support through its dedicated automotive brands, Black Horse and Lex Autolease.

Black Horse will offer retail finance products including hire purchase and PCP (personal contract purchase), along with wholesale funding for the dealer network. Lex Autolease will provide personal contract hire for consumers and leasing options for business customers.

DHL and the RAC have also been named as part of the wider UK support network, which should help reassure buyers that Lepas is trying to put the necessary back-end support in place – although the real test will be how quickly parts, repairs and customer support work once cars are on the road. Omoda and Jaecoo have experienced teething problems with supplying parts quickly, so hopefully Lepas will have learned from this experience.

Lepas has big ambitions for the UK

Chery clearly sees the UK as an important market for Lepas. The launch event in London this week was attended by senior Chery and Lepas executives from China, and the company is committing to a standalone retail network rather than treating the brand as an add-on project to its existing brands.

The dealer targets are ambitious. Around 60 outlets by the end of 2026 and 90 by the end of 2027 would give Lepas a meaningful national presence, provided those sites open on schedule and offer proper servicing and aftersales support.

The brand also arrives at a time when Chinese car companies are becoming a much more visible part of the UK new car market. MG is already well established, BYD is growing quickly, and Chery Auto is expanding through Omoda, Jaecoo and its own Chery brand.

That creates opportunities, but also confusion. To many buyers, Lepas will be another unfamiliar Chinese SUV brand in a market that suddenly has quite a few of them. Chery will need to make clear why Lepas exists, how it differs from its sister brands, and why buyers should trust it with a major purchase.

Should I be concerned about buying a new Chinese car brand?

It’s understandable that many buyers will be cautious about spending a large amount of money on a brand they have never heard of.

The car industry is changing quickly, and Chinese brands are no longer fringe players. They are now competing fiercely with sharp pricing, long equipment lists, electric and plug-in hybrid technology, and increasingly serious dealer networks.

That doesn’t mean every new brand is a safe bet. Buyers should still look carefully at warranty cover, dealer access, parts availability, finance terms, used values and independent reviews before committing.

For Lepas, the backing of Chery is important. This is not a small start-up trying to build cars from scratch. Chery is a large manufacturer with several brands and growing international ambitions, and has been China’s largest exporter of cars for more than two decades. It has the scale to support a UK launch properly, but the Lepas brand still has to prove itself with customers.

The first test will be the Lepas L8 plug-in hybrid and L6 electric SUV models as they lead the brand’s UK roll-out. If they can tempt buyers out of the likes of the Audi Q5 or BMW iX1, Lepas could quickly become another Chery success story. If the brand positioning is unclear or customers don’t find any reason to choose it over a Jaecoo or other Chinese brands, it will be more of a struggle.