Leave is one of the few new car brands that Chery will launch in Australia in the next 12 to 18 months L6 The small SUV, now available in Europe, will be among its first models.
The brand – which, like Omoda Jaecoo, doesn’t exist in China – will launch here towards the end of 2026.
The first Lepas cabs from this range are expected to be the L6, a rival to the Hyundai Kona and Nissan Qashqai, as well as the L8, similar in size to the Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota RAV4.
These will most likely come to market first, with the L4 – an even smaller SUV – expected to follow in 2027.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
Chery has also already confirmed that it plans to offer the L1, L2 and L3 models under the Lepas brand, as well as a large L9. The range could also be expanded to include a limousine.
It is also currently unclear what powertrains each Lepas model will be offered in Australia, although there is currently a mix of petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles under the Chery and Omoda Jaecoo brands.
As confirmed in Europe ahead of its public debut at Milan Design Week April 20-26, the L6 will be offered with an all-electric powertrain with a 67kWh battery and a range of 435km on the WLTC cycle, and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid system – not a plug-in hybrid powertrain – with a total range of 1,127km.
According to Lepas, the L6 will be built on the “all-new modular New Energy Vehicle platform.”
Further specifications, including dimensions, as well as the interior space of the L6 have yet to be revealed. The L6 will go on sale in the UK in the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2026.
Lepas is a genus of 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 said to resemble a leopard’s eye.
The brand will offer a “new generation of bold, design-led SUVs that combine passion with functionality,” along with bold exterior colors.
Chery has not confirmed what Lepas’ retail strategy will be in Australia and whether the brand will be sold alongside existing brands Chery and Omoda Jaecoo.
But with a range of crossover SUVs, Lepas’ product range will overlap heavily with that of 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 stunning global strategy by Chery Group, which set a new annual export record last year with 1,344,020 units – an increase of 17.4 percent. Exports accounted for 48 percent of total sales.
Not only will Lepas be launched here this year, but three other brands from the Chery Group will also be launched here by the end of 2027.
iCaur, a brand specializing in boxy electrified SUVs, is expected to launch in 2027, while Freelander, another brand, is expected to offer boxy electrified SUVs in mid-to-late 2027.
Jetour, another Chery brand, has also confirmed its intention to launch in the Australian market. It is understood that this brand will operate separately from the rest of the Chery menagerie.
Unless Chery decides to launch another export-only brand like Omoda Jaecoo or Lepas, the number of potential brand entries for Australia will remain low.
Soueast, which was acquired by Chery in 2024, has confirmed it is eyeing the right-hand drive markets.
There’s also Luxeed, a premium brand developed in collaboration with electronics giant Huawei, and Exeed, one of Chery’s oldest brands that specializes in premium SUVs and exports vehicles to markets such as the Middle East. An Exeed model, the RX, is already sold here as the Omoda 9.
The Rely light commercial vehicle brand has also been revived by Chery, although this is unlikely for Australia as the Chinese carmaker has already confirmed it will sell the upcoming KP31 ute under its eponymous brand.
MORE: Chery is launching its third car brand in Australia in four years
