Lepas, the latest brand from Chery International to launch in the UK, is targeting a fleet sales mix of over 50%, along with “extremely competitive” total cost of ownership (TCO) and benefit-in-kind (BiK).
The L8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will be the first model to launch, with pricing announced in June and first registrations in September.
It will be joined by the L6 electric vehicle (EV) in October, the L4 EV in November and the L6 PHEV in December.
All models from Lepas will be PHEVs or EVs. The hatchback Lepas L2 and flagship L9 will join the range next year.
Orders for the L8 will be open from July and demonstrators will be available from that point.
It uses Chery’s Super Hybrid System, with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an 18.4kWh battery.
Output is 279PS, with a combined range of 800 miles, including a 55-mile EV-only range.
Equipment includes a 13.2-inch waterfall touchscreen, front seats that can recline 180 degrees and offer heating, ventilation and massaging, as well as rear seats that recline 122 degrees.
The current OMODA&JAECOO fleet team will assist with the launch of Lepas.
Chris Clayton, fleet sales director for Chery, OMODA&JAECOO and Lepas UK, said that Lepas is likely to see stronger fleet sales than the previous Chery International brands, and that a 50/50 fleet/retail mix might be conservative.
He said that the brand will offer more technology and more “bang for your buck” than the other brands.
Clayton said: “Like all of our OMODA&JAECOO, Chery Group brands, the L8 has been engineered for Europe.”
More than 40 dealerships have already signed up to join the Lepas network. It is targeting70 by year-end and 90 by the end of 2027.
It aims to have service centres within a 30 to 40-minute drive of anywhere in the UK, and will arrange overnight parts deliveries through DHL.
Lepas is projecting 6,000 UK registrations in 2026, with 40,000 in 2027, the first full year of sales.
Lynn Du, marketing director at Lepas UK, said: “Our brand has been built very much with the European market in mind.
“It is not made to please everyone but to resonate with the right ones.
“The L8 is designed to feel warm.”
Lepas is a portmanteau of ‘leopard’ and ‘passion’. Du said the brand’s passion is evident with the attention to detail and quality of the cars.
