Lepas L6 EV: Chery brand's debut model detailed for Australia

Chery is launching its Lepas brand in Australia this year, and its first model – the L6 EV mid-size electric SUV – has been detailed, though pricing is being kept under wraps for now.

The Lepas L6 EV will be showcased at the Everything Electric exhibition in Sydney over September 18-20.

Lepas says pricing and additional specification details will be announced closer to the L6 EV's launch in October.

Underpinned by what the brand calls the LEX platform, claimed to have been developed specifically for Lepas and capable of underpinning plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), the L6 EV uses a 65kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.

This gives it 440km of range on the WLTP cycle and energy consumption of 17.5kWh/100km.

The front-wheel drive L6 EV has a single electric motor producing 160kW of power and 275Nm of torque.

Lepas hasn't confirmed charging rates, but says the L6 EV will take approximately 22 minutes to charge from 30 to 80 per cent using a DC fast-charger.

Chinese specifications for the Chery Fulwin T7, as the Lepas L6 EV is known there, reveal it's 4570mm long, 1852mm wide and 1694mm tall on a 2700mm wheelbase.

That makes it roughly the same size as the popular Geely EX5, another small-ish mid-size, front-wheel drive electric SUV from China which measures 4615mm long, 1901mm wide and 1670mm tall on a 2750mm wheelbase.

The L6 EV is also larger than Chery's other EVs in Australia: the Chery E5 (4424mm long, 1830mm wide and 1588mm tall on a 2610mm wheelbase) and Jaecoo J5 EV (4380mm long, 1860mm wide and 1650mm tall on a 2620mm wheelbase).

Equipment on the Australian-market L6 EV will include:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Panoramic sunroof with power sunshade
• Power tailgate
• 8.88-inch digital instrument cluster
• 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Intelligent voice assistant
• 8-speaker Sony sound system
• 50W wireless phone charger
• Leatherette seat upholstery
• Colour-adjustable ambient lighting
• Puddle lights

Active safety and driver assist technology includes:

• Automatic Parking Assist incl. automated reverse, parallel and perpendicular parking
• Remote Parking Assist
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-keep assist
• Surround-view camera
• 7 airbags

Lepas confirmed in July it had completed an "extensive" local testing and adaptation program in Australia, with prototype vehicles tested across thousands of kilometres on "some of Australia's most challenging roads" to adjust the calibration of active safety and driver assist technology and fine-tune vehicle software and air-conditioning.

The brand is being rolled out across various global markets, with the L6 EV bookended by the smaller L4 and larger L8 crossover SUVs.

Chery has also previously confirmed it plans to offer L1, L2 and L3 models under the Lepas brand, as well as the large L9. The lineup could also expand to include a sedan.

Lepas is a genus of goose barnacles, but Chery says the name is a portmanteau of ‘leopard’ and ‘passion’ – the feline connection can be seen in the LED headlights of the L6 EV, which are designed to resemble a leopard’s eye.

“The L6 represents an exciting new chapter for our business and marks the arrival of Lepas in Australia,” said Lepas Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris in a press release.

“Lepas has been developed around the concept of ‘Bold by nature’ – bringing together sophisticated design and colours, intelligent technology and advanced electrification in a way that is relevant to the everyday needs of Australian customers.

“The L6 is an important first step for the brand, offering a compelling combination of style, technology, comfort and EV performance in one of Australia’s most competitive vehicle segments.”

Chery hasn’t confirmed what Lepas’ retail strategy will be in Australia, and if the brand will be sold alongside the existing Chery and Omoda Jaecoo brands.

But with a range of crossover SUVs, Lepas’ lineup will overlap heavily with those of the 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 bewildering global strategy by the Chery Group, which set a new annual export record last year with 1,344,020 units – an increase of 17.4 per cent. Exports accounted for 48 per cent of its total sales.

Next year, three more brands from the wider Chery Group will arrive in Australia, all of which specialise in boxy SUVs: Freelander, iCaur and Jetour.

MORE: Explore the Lepas L6 EV showroom