Lepas L8 kicks off from £34,900 with Jaecoo’s plug-in hybrid power
After Jaecoo, Omoda and Chery, is the new Lepas L8 too late to make an impact on the UK market?
Lepas has announced pricing for its first ever model in the UK, the L8. Two trim levels will be available to order in July, the £34,900 Essence and the £37,900 Elevate, with first customer deliveries due from September.
Right now the Lepas L8 is only offered as a plug-in hybrid, but in 2027 Lepas will bring out an all-electric version as well.
Lepas is yet another brand brought to the UK by the Chery Group. The massive Chinese conglomerate is responsible for the successful Jaecoo and Omoda brands, plus Chery. The Lepas L8 will act as the firm’s flagship, topping a range soon expected to encompass at least three SUVs of varying shapes and sizes.
Underneath, the Lepas L8 is based on the Chery Tiggo 9 – with the same generous 2,800mm wheelbase. Yet while the Chery gets seven seats, the Lepas makes do with five. At almost 4.7m long, that should result in generous cabin dimensions, although we’ll have to wait a little longer before we can try one for size.
Confusing things slightly is the fact that while the the Tiggo 9 comes exclusively with the maker’s Super Hybrid System (SHS) featuring a sizeable 33.46kWh usable battery, the L8 gets the smaller 18.4kWh battery unit from the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8. That still allows for 56 miles of electric-only running, however, plus 40kW DC fast-charging speeds.
During our first drive of the L8 in China, we struggled to find much difference in its driving dynamics to its Chery siblings. We know an EV version is coming, but pure-petrol Lepas L8s are also offered in global markets and could make their way to the UK later.
Rivals for the L8 include plug-in hybrid versions of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, as well as the BYD Sealion 5. There’s also the MG HS which recently won our 16-car plug-in hybrid mega test and can be had for under £30,000 on the Auto Express Buy A Car service now.
As for kit, the Lepas L8 in base Essence form gets LED lights front and rear, 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, tinted windows, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control and keyless go.
The Essence also comes with a 13.2-inch touchscreen and 10.25-inch driver’s display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus the ability to receive over-the-air updates. There’s a wireless smartphone charger, voice assistant and four USB charging ports, too.
The Elevate model adds 20-inch wheels, sound-proofed front windows, power-adjustable front seats with heating, ventilating and massage functions, faux-leather upholstery, an electric bootlid, an eight-speaker sound system from Sony, plus a 540-degree panoramic camera.
Design wise, the Lepas shares plenty with the equivalent Chery models, with subtle differences to mark out the closely related SUVs. The Lepas, for example, gets slimmer daytime running lights and a different grille, with brand lettering emblazoned on the leading edge of the bonnet. Those LED headlights are hidden in the bumper, and are said to “echo the focused intensity of a leopard’s eye”. Yes, really.
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