Chery appears to be assembling an army of sub-brands in the automotive industry, with its latest addition is a brand called “Lepas”. Yes, it may sound like the Malay word for “letting go”, but we assure that it is not the case.
According to Chery, the name is a fusion of “leap” and “passion”, and should be pronounced “leap-pass”, not “le-pas”. Initially, unveiled in October last year during the 2024 Chery International User Summit, Lepas is aimed at next-generation urban elites, with a focus on family-oriented vehicles.
Fast-forward to the present, the sub-brand was officially launched globally this week, with its first model already prepped for production – a SUV named the L8. The vehicle was also showcased at the Shanghai Auto Show that happened recently.
The L8 is a D-segment SUV built on the T1X platform, which is also used in Chery’s Tiggo 7, Omoda C7, and Jaecoo J7. As such, it comes as no surprise that the vehicle will be offered with multiple powertrain options, including plug-in hybrid, petrol-only, hybrid and fully electric.
According to Caricarz, the L8 shares several design elements with the Chery Tiggo 8 Plus which debuted in China last year. This similarity could potentially extend beneath the surface to the drivetrain and underpinnings.
However, official specifications have not yet been released by the automaker. Nevertheless, more details are expected during the model’s launch in December this year, as announced by President of Chery International, Zhang Guibing.
He also revealed that four more models will be launched under the Lepas brand in the coming years. The names of two of the models was also revealed, the L6 and L4, which are believed to be SUVs.
Automotive site Paultan.org suggests that the L8 could eventually make its way to Malaysia. However, as mentioned no official announcement has been made by the company regarding its availability or detailed specifications.
(Source: Chery Press Release 1,2,3 / Caricarz / Paultan.org)
