Chinese brands are still entering Australia at an astounding rate, and they’re settling in for the long haul. The latest is Lepas, a new SUV badge from the Chery Group. Lepas L6 is Chery’s first electric model under this new brand, and has recently finished an extensive local engineering program ahead of its Australian launch in November.
Rather than unloading a global model, Lepas spent months driving camouflaged prototype vehicles across thousands of kilometres of Australian roads. During these assessments, the Chery engineers tackled the same variety of Australia’s road conditions that a buyer might expect. The Lepas L6 was exposed to coarse country bitumen and twisting mountain passes to city traffic, heat, cold and long-distance highway driving. We all say we demand a car capable of road trips, then most of us fly, but there you go.
Following the destruction of mainstream local automotive manufacturing by the then conservative government a decade ago, Australia became a country where most vehicles apart from speciality vehicles, are imported. Local tuning has become standard practice for manufacturers serious about Australia.
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ABOVE: The L6
Ford and Toyota continued local tuning after manufacturing ceased, with Hyundai and Kia also having local ride and handling development of new models prior to their Australian launch. More recently, Chinese brands including GWM and JAC also began similar local programmes. Not only do Australian conditions vary wildly, Australian tastes seem to favour firmer ride and sportier handling. Australia’s rough roads, coarse-chip surfaces and harsh climate quickly expose those sneaky weaknesses that may not emerge during overseas testing.
Lepas is the latest to join that list of local tuners.
Lepas engineers used the Australian program to finagle ride quality, steering, software calibration and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems before the L6 goes on sale. Lane centring, traffic sign recognition and other safety systems were also evaluated against Australian road markings, signage and traffic conditions rather than relying solely on overseas settings.
According to Lepas Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris, Australia’s combination of rough roads, long distances and extreme temperatures demanded more than simply importing an existing vehicle.
That work has been finished, and brand’s first Australian model, the electric Lepas L6 will have been touched up just enough for the Australian driving environment.
Lepas is part of Chery, one of China’s biggest automotive companies. Chery entered the Australian market a few years ago and has since expanded with Omoda, Jaecoo and iCar. The Chinese government backing of its automotive sector is a strategy decades in the making. State backing has expanded the home market, steadily pushed out legacy brands, then grown globally at a remarkable rate. That plan is having the same effect on the world stage as it did in its domestic market.
Lepas becomes another piece of that fiendishly clever strategy.
The L6 enters Australia’s busiest battlefield, the mid-size electric SUV segment. That means taking on established Chinese rivals including the BYD Atto 3, Geely EX5, MG S5 EV, and an ever growing number of Chinese newcomers that continue to reshape the world market.
Lepas L6 is built on Chery’s latest dedicated “new-energy” platform and, at least initially, Australia will only receive the battery electric version.
Power comes from a front-mounted 160kW/275Nm electric motor with a 67.1kWh lithium iron phosphate battery. Claimed range is around 450km, putting it in the middle of the segment rather than chasing headline figures. That means the price is going to have to be right.
DC charging is a very modest 120kW, with a 30% to 80% top up in around 20 minutes. AC charging is rated at 7kW, and both DC and AC are on the lower end of expectation.
The L6 is 4.56 metres long and a 2700mm wheelbase, which should make for a spacious interior.
The Lepas cabin design follows the clean, minimalist approach common among modern EVs. A 13.2″ central infotainment touchscreen and 8.8″ driver instrument display are typical of the Chinese offerings. That is something legacy brands are only just starting to roll out on anything but top models.
Overseas Lepas L6 feature lists include a panoramic glass roof, dual-zone climate control, powered tailgate, heated and ventilated front seats, Sony sound system and a 50W wireless phone charger.
Australian specification and pricing are yet to be confirmed.
There is also another card Lepas could play. International markets also get a plug-in hybrid version with a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined 205kW/365Nm. It has an electric-only range of 90km and a total range of over 1100km. Plug-in hybrid popularity continues to grow as Chinese brands lowered the price to a competitive level.
For now, however, Lepas is focused on establishing its electric range topper.
It won’t have an easy task because Australia’s EV market is far more crowded than it was only a couple of years ago. New brands continue to flood in, prices plunged over much of the sector and buyers now have more choice than ever before, particularly in the mid-size SUV segment.
Like all new brands, Lepas wants to combine practicality with personality, but buyers will talk with their wallets. In the end, the L6 will need to deliver on its promises. Chinese brands have shown us that what legacy brands said wasn’t possible, is not only possible but can be done now, not in a decade. Chery has generous equipment lists and prices, and Lepas will need to follow the same formula if it wants to make an impression.
Australian pricing, final specifications and the full model range are expected closer to the November launch.
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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