Chery is adding a fifth brand to its Australian stable, with Lepas to debut here with its L6 next month.
After Chery itself, Omoda, Jaecoo and iCaur, Lepas (‘leapord’, ‘leap’ and ‘passion’) hopes to stand out with “SUVs for non-SUV people”, per its Australian COO Lucas Harris.
Chery Australia is now replete with mid-size electrified SUVs. Already here are the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid ($34,990 driveaway) and the Jaecoo J7 SHS-P ($39,990 driveaway), as well as the upcoming iCaur V25 (price TBA, approx $50,000).
Though Lepas’s LEX platform accommodates both fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids, the L6 mid-size SUV will be electric-only at launch. A 65kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery provides a quoted WLTP range of 440km and efficiency of 17.5kWh/100km.
The front-wheel-drive motor produces 160kW and 275Nm, and though the maximum charging power isn’t stated, Chery claims 30-to-80-percent charging is possible in 22 minutes.
Equipment is generous, with such niceties as an eight-speaker Sony sound system, heated and ventilated front seats, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, an opening panoramic sunroof, ambient lights, and an electric tailgate.
Chery makes a big deal of the Lepas L6’s standard safety and assistance kit. As well as adaptive cruise control and surround-view cameras, Chery stresses that the Lepas L6 has automated parking. The L6 can automatically plonk itself in reverse, parallel and perpendicular spaces.
Pricing will be announced closer to launch. Chery will preview Lepas at the Everything Electric show in Sydney from 18-20 September.
