PODCAST: Where new Lepas brand will fit into Chery strategy

China carmaker Chery is set to introduce yet another new brand to South Africa in the form of Lepas early next year.

Lepas will follow in the footsteps of Omoda and Jaecoo, two Chery brands which share a dealership

floors but each has its own identity, and iCaur, which is set to be formally introduced locally this year.

Another brand associated with Chery, Jetour, is operated entirely independently.

Lepas makes a Pitstop

In this week’s episode of The Citizen Motoring’s Pitstop podcast, we take a closer look at Lepas. We attended the world premiere of its first model, the L8 SUV, in Wuhu, China last month.

In the overall Chery strategy, Lepas will take aim at Mazda in offering “soft and sleek” cars. The core Chery models rival Toyota, Hyundai, VW and MG, Omoda and Jaecoo rival Kia and BYD and iCaur will target Jeep.

Chery says the Tiggo Pro family SUVs cater to a moderate and traditional buyer, while Lepas is aimed at younger buyers with a fashion sense.

Lepas is a combination of the words “leopard” and “passion.” Chery says the car’s shoulder lines were sculpted on the contours of an American leopard, and its LED headlights resemble the eyes of the said leopard.

Innovative cabin options

The Lepas L8 goes into production at the end of the year. It should be rolled out locally by early next year. Smaller L6 and L4 models are set to follow the L8.

ALSO READ: New Chery-owned brand Lepas launched, coming to South Africa

The L8’s configurable cabin enables the driver’s seat to be almost fully reclined to create what Chery calls “Nap Mode”.

The front seats can also be reclined, along with a pull-down screen providing what is called “Cinema Mode”. “Sleeping Mode” provides a double bed with the rear seats folded down, and the dashboard double acting as a headrest.

No powertrain details were divulged.