If you thought that Chery, Omoda, and Jaecoo was a confusing enough blend from global automaker Chery Group, think again, because another brand offshoot is heading Down Under this year.
That brand is known as Lepas, a premium sub-brand of Chery aimed toward ‘younger, stylish buyers’, which has today revealed one of its first launch models – the L6 EV.
A largely inoffensive medium SUV, the L6 is due to lob in this year’s fourth quarter. Perhaps more exciting, however, is word from its importer that, no, this car won’t be a dressed-up copy of the Jaecoo J5 EV, which itself is a dressed-up copy of the Chery Tiggo 4.
Rather, the Lepas L6 will be built on Chery Group’s next-generation modular architecture, known as ‘LEX’.
Following a recent interview with Chasing Cars, Chery Australia suggested that it’s possible that the LEX platform could be adopted by a next-generation Tiggo 4, which is also expected to arrive by the end of the year with promise of a European market suspension tune.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, though initial local specifications indicate a product positioning above the $36,990 drive-away Jaecoo J5 EV. Expect the L6 EV to start at or below $40,000 drive-away, competing with the MG S5, BYD Atto 3, Geely EX5 and more.
The forthcoming L6 EV will use a single, front-axle electric motor developing 160kW and 275Nm. Lepas claims the system, which pairs with a 65kWh battery, is good for a combined range of 450km, though a testing standard (such as WLTP or NEDC) has not been provided.
Further details surrounding the L6’s drivetrain, including battery charge times, combined efficiency, DC charge peaks and more, are to be confirmed closer to the model’s Q4 launch.
Based on measurements supplied overseas, the L6 is expected to be 4554mm long, 1852mm wide, and 1682mm tall, driving on a 2700mm wheelbase. This makes the L6 within 30mm in all directions to the midsized Chery Tiggo 7, though its wheelbase is 39mm longer.
Trim grades and base-level equipment for the L6 are largely yet to be determined.
The Lepas website lists features such as LED headlights, body-wide LED taillight, 19-inch alloy wheels, eight-speaker Sony sound system, sunroof, seven airbags, and a 12.3-inch portrait infotainment screen.
The Lepas L6 will initially debut as a dedicated electric vehicle, though a ‘Chery Super Hybrid (CHS, or sometimes, SHS)’ plug-in hybrid version is expected to follow.
Lepas’ Australian website currently lists a version of the L6 quoted with a “65km electric driving range” and “450km combined driving range” – It is unclear if these specifications are accurate.
The launch of the L6 will coincide with the official brand launch of the Chery’s latest offshoot Lepas. Joining it will be the larger L8 medium-to-large plug-in hybrid SUV, and later, a smaller L4 EV SUV.
