Lepas L6 SUV Completes Australian Testing Ahead of November Debut

Chery's newest export brand, Lepas, has completed an extensive local testing and adaptation program ahead of its Australian launch. The program covered thousands of kilometres of driving across the country in prototype vehicles, run by a mix of local engineers and specialists from Chery's head office in China.

Lepas will debut in Australia in November 2026 with the electric L6 SUV as its first model. Pricing and full specifications have not yet been announced and will be released closer to launch.

What the testing program covered

Testing was carried out across metropolitan, regional and rural roads, including coarse-chip bitumen, country highways, winding mountain roads and urban environments. Vehicles were also exposed to a range of Australian climate conditions, from cold-weather testing through to high-temperature durability and air conditioning performance.

Engineers focused on tuning driver assist and active safety systems to work with Australian road markings, signage and traffic conditions, alongside software integration and general vehicle refinement.

“Australia presents some of the toughest vehicle conditions anywhere in the world,” said Lepas Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris.

“Road surfaces vary enormously, distances are long, temperatures can be extreme and customers have very high expectations for ride, handling and refinement. Rather than simply bringing a global vehicle to market, we've invested significant time validating and tuning Lepas for Australian conditions, and will provide confidence for our customers.”

Lepas L6: What we know so far

The electric L6 straddles the small and medium SUV segments, making it a direct rival to the BYD Atto 3, Geely EX5 and Leapmoto B10. It uses a single electric motor producing 160kW and 275Nm, with a claimed range of 450km.

A combustion-powered L6 is also sold in some overseas markets with a different front fascia, but only the electric version has been confirmed for Australia.

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How the L6 compares on paper

Without confirmed pricing, a direct comparison is limited, but the L6's power and range claims can be lined up against three of its closest rivals: the Geely EX5 Extended Range, the BYD Atto 3 Premium and the Leapmotor B10 Design LR.

On claimed figures alone the L6 sits between the two EX5 variants and slightly behind on range compared with the larger-battery EX5 Complete. It also claims more range than the Atto 3 Premium and Leapmotor B10 Design LR, though none of this is directly comparable until Lepas confirms an official test cycle and Australian pricing. The B10 undercuts all three rivals on price, reinforcing its position as one of the cheapest electric SUVs on sale in Australia.

Lepas's place in Chery's Australian expansion

Lepas will become the latest member of the Chery Group portfolio to launch in Australia as a new energy brand, joining Chery and Omoda Jaecoo. It's also not the last: Chery has confirmed iCaur, a brand specialising in boxy electrified SUVs, for 2027, along with Freelander, a Chery-JLR joint venture brand also offering boxy electrified SUVs, due mid-to-late 2027. Jetour, another Chery brand, has confirmed plans to enter the Australian market, understood to operate separately from the rest of Chery's brand portfolio.

Other Chery-owned brands have not yet confirmed Australian plans. These include Soueast, which has said it's eyeing right-hand-drive markets, and Luxeed, a premium brand developed with Huawei. Exeed, one of Chery's oldest brands, already has one model sold locally as the Omoda 9. Light commercial brand Rely is considered unlikely for Australia, given Chery has confirmed its upcoming Stockman ute will be sold under the Chery namesake brand instead.

With a range of crossover SUVs, Lepas's local lineup is expected to overlap with the existing Chery and Omoda Jaecoo ranges, both of which already offer small SUVs (Jaecoo J5, Chery C5/E5 and Tiggo 4) and medium SUVs (Jaecoo J7, Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8). Chery hasn't confirmed whether Lepas will share dealerships with its sister brands or run a standalone retail network.

The rollout is part of a broader global expansion strategy. Chery Group set a new annual export record last year with 1,344,020 units, an increase of 17.4 per cent, with exports accounting for 48 per cent of its total sales.

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