Lepas L4 News

Aussies holding out for Lepas' budget electric SUV will have to wait a little longer. The Lepas L4 small electric SUV will be the Chery sub-brand’s second model to go on sale in Australia.  Lepas had previously said the L4 would launch Down Under in 2026, but it now won’t be available until 2027. The L4 SUV was slated for launch in December 2026, following the Lepas L6 mid-size electric SUV that will arrive in showrooms before the end the year, but now the L4 has been pushed well back into 2027. Lepas has now said it has a view to launching the L4 in the first half of 2027, which could mean a delay of anywhere between one to six months. The L4’s compact size at 4420mm long sees it shaping up as a rival to the BYD Atto 3 Evo ($41,990) and Hyundai Kona Electric ($46,000).  It will use the same battery and electric motor set-up as in the L6, but it has an improved 450km range due to reduced weight. The brand itself was originally projected to launch in mid-2026, but Lepas pushed it back to the late second half of 2026.  It comes as fellow Chery sub-brand Omoda Jaecoo needed to delay the arrival of its Omoda 4 and Omoda 7 electric SUVs to the first half of 2027. Lepas has big plans in Australia. The brand will introduce plug-in hybrid variants of its L6 and L4 models in March and June 2027, respectively. It is unclear if the L4 plug-in lauch will be delayed now, too. The L8 PHEV will then arrive towards the end of 2027 as a large mid-size SUV rival to the 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year Overall Winner, the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento.  There will also be a full-size L9 SUV following after that in 2027.  In 2028, there will be fully-electric variants of the L8 and L9, followed by a budget-focused L2 hatchback.  

Lepas is hardly a household name, but that is all about to change. The Chinese brand is the latest Chery sub-brand to arrive in Australia, joining Chery, Omodoa, Jaecoo and followed by Freelander, iCaur and Jetour. Lepas is going to fish where the fish are. It will soon be offering Australian customers electric and plug-in hybrid options in all the most popular SUV segments where 65 per cent of all new cars are sold. Both electric and plug-in hybrid passenger car sales are skyrocketing, showing it is giving Aussies more of what they want. The company will launch the Lepas L6 mid-size electric SUV this October, but then it will get very busy for the brand. The L4 compact electric SUV will follow in December, with plug-in hybrid versions of the L6 and L4 landing in March and June, respectively. Then the slightly larger L8 plug-in hybrid SUV will arrive towards the end of 2027, as well as the big L9 plug-in hybrid SUV. Lepas isn’t slowing down in 2028, with electric versions of the L8 and L9 due to arrive and a hybrid and electric version of the L2 small hatchback. At its heart the L6 uses a 65kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a climate electric driving range of up to 440km. The brand hasn’t confirmed maximum charging rate, but Lepas claims it can refill the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in about 22 minutes, which puts its DC charging max speed at 80kW. A single electric motor makes 160kW and 275Nm, which drives the front wheels. Lepas won’t conduct local suspension or handling tunes, instead it is relying on the European tune for Australia. This will likely mean a more engaging, but firmer and bumpier ride. It is packed with kit, including: 8.88-inch LCD digital driver display 13.2-inch LCD infotainment touchscreen  Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto  “Hello LEPAS” intelligent voice command  Eight-speaker Sony premium sound system  50W wireless smartphone charging  Heated and ventilated front seats  Synthetic leather upholstery  Panoramic sunroof with slide and tilt function and powered sunshade Colour selectable ambient lighting Powered tailgate Puddle lights Lepas SUVs will be packed with safety, and the company made a point of stating it had worked hard on its driver aids for them to work only when needed rather than sounding the alarm all the time. The L4 shares the same underpinnings as the L6, but with a smaller body. It is 4420mm long, 1817mm wide, 1629mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2700mm, which puts it firmly in the BYD Atto 3, Hyundai Kona Electric category. It will use the same battery and single electric motor set-up as the bigger L6, but range is boosted to 450km due to the reduced weight of the L4.

Buyers are about to get their first look at the next wave of EVs coming to Australia.  The 2026 Everything Electric Sydney event will showcase many of the latest EVs headed Down Under, and will have a record number of new examples on show. Many affordable Chinese plug-in hybrid and fully-electric cars will be available to look at, as well as some of the most anticipated new cars on their way to Australia.  There will be plenty of new models put on show for the first time by Chery.  Chery’s European-styled sub-brand Lepas will have two of its new models about to hit Aussie showrooms on display.  The Lepas L6 electric mid-size SUV will be the brand’s first car put on sale in Australia, due in October 2026.  Lepas will also show off its smaller L4 electric SUV that is expected to arrive Down Under in 2027.  Chery’s adventure-focused sub-brand iCaur will introduce its V25 rugged SUV for the first time. The V25 is scheduled to arrive in early 2027 with a range-extender hybrid set-up to rival the plug-in hybrid Denza B5.  Chery and Omoda Jaecoo will debut new models at the show as well, with more details to be revealed closer to the event.  Zeekr will unveil its hugely-anticipated 7GT electric wagon publicly for the first time.  The 7GT takes aim at Europe’s elite luxury models the Audi S5, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.  Earmarked for a late 2026 or early 2027 arrival, the 7GT will be the popular Chinese brand’s fourth model on sale Down Under.  Geely will continue its new model surge in Australia, with the introduction of two SUVs to its line-up.  The brand has not revealed any more specific details about what the models are.  They will join the mid-sized fully-electric EX5 and plug-in hybrid Starray EM-i that have both experienced a positive sales return so far.  Geely is on the up in Australia, with its methodical approach to introducing models seeing it claim solid sales results. GWM is another brand to have a strong presence at Everything Electric.  The brand’s new-generation Haval H7 mid-size SUV will be on show, scheduled to launch Down Under later in 2026.  It is expected to be available in both five- and seven-seater configurations, giving it a wider family appeal.  GWM will also have a more affordable PHEV ute on display.  The GWM Cannon PHEV is pitched as a cheaper and smaller sibling to the Cannon Alpha PHEV, and could undercut the confidently-selling BYD Shark 6.  The Cannon PHEV is expected to officially launch in Australia in October 2026.  MG’s U9 electric ute will be on display for the first time in New South Wales at the show.  The U9 is one of few electric utes targeting the Australian market, along with the low-volume Toyota HiLux BEV.  MG’s luxury sub-brand IM will put its LS9 large SUV on display.  The LS9 is a six-seater SUV that provides competition for the popular Zeekr 9X.  It could launch in Australia in later 2026 or early 2027.  Hyundai will present its Staria Load Electric van for the first time in Australia.  The Staria Load EV will join diesel- and hybrid-powered variants of the car already on sale.  It will battle in an increasingly competitive electric van segment against the Kia PV5 and affordable Chinese rivals, including the LDV eDeliver 7.  Forthing will show off an electric people mover that will launch in 2027.  Forthing currently only sells its Taikon 5 mid-size SUV in Australia, available as a range-extender hybrid or fully-electric.  Cadillac’s new Lyriq V performance SUV will be on show.  It is the brand’s first of its V-Series, boasting as the fastest Cadillac ever.  It will join the standard Optiq, Vistiq and Lyriq SUVs Down Under in early 2027.  Cadillac Lyriq-V Chery and Omoda Jaecoo new models  Forthing electric people mover Two Geely SUVs GWM Haval H7 and Cannon PHEV Hyundai Staria Load Electric iCaur V25 IM LS9 Lepas L6 and L4 MG U9 EV Zeekr 7GT