Chery's new Lepas brand lands in Australia with L6 electric SUV priced from $47,990

Pricing, ordering and delivery timing

Lepas, the upmarket new-energy brand of Chery Group, has priced its first Australian model, the five-seat L6 BEV Signature mid-size electric SUV, at $47,990 before on-road costs, with order books now open ahead of first customer deliveries in November 2026. CarExpert, which detailed the local announcement, reports the introductory offer includes premium paint at no extra charge, a saving of $800, with Black available at no cost as a pre-sale exclusive. GoAuto adds that test drives begin at Lepas dealers in early November, ahead of that month's deliveries. ²³⁴

The $47,990 figure is the manufacturer's list price excluding on-road costs. Zecar notes the L6 is offered as a single grade at a single price with no other variants announced, and that Lepas has not given an end date or conditions for the free premium paint offer. Cartell reports a firm on-sale date beyond the November delivery window has not been confirmed, and suggests buyers watch for any sharpening of the price once test drives open in early November. ³⁴⁶

Head of Lepas Australia Brad Ryan described the launch as an important milestone for the brand, saying the $47,990 MSRP would give customers "a bold option to consider in the increasingly competitive electric SUV market". His comments were quoted by GoAuto and, in similar terms, by Zecar citing Lepas. ³⁴

Powertrain, battery and claimed range

The L6 BEV uses a 65kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery feeding a single electric motor with peak outputs of 160kW and 275Nm, with a claimed driving range of 440km on the WLTP test cycle. DC fast-charging capability of up to 120kW delivers a 30 to 80 per cent charge in about 22 minutes, according to CarExpert and GoAuto. Zecar notes Lepas has not published a peak DC charging speed beyond the 120kW figure, so a slower charger would take longer. ²³⁴

There is an unresolved discrepancy on drivetrain layout: CarExpert and GoAuto both describe the 160kW/275Nm motor as driving the front wheels, while Cars24's specification table lists the L6 as a single-motor, rear-wheel drive SUV. All three agree on the outputs, battery chemistry, claimed WLTP range and charging figures. ²³⁵

Lepas has not released a local 0–100km/h time or energy consumption figure. GoAuto reports the UK-market L6 uses the same powertrain and is claimed there to reach 100km/h in 7.9 seconds with a 179km/h top speed; those figures are overseas claims and have not been confirmed for Australian examples. ³²

Size, platform and standard equipment

The two-row L6 measures 4570mm long, 1852mm wide and 1694mm tall on a 2700mm wheelbase. GoAuto and Zecar describe it as built on Chery's LEXP platform, which the automaker says was created specifically for Lepas and is not shared with its other sub-brands such as Omoda Jaecoo, iCaur or Jetour; CarExpert names the platform 'LEX' rather than 'LEXP', a naming discrepancy the coverage does not resolve. ²³⁴

Standard equipment detailed by CarExpert includes 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED headlights with intelligent beam assist, a 13.2-inch portrait centre touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.88-inch digital instrument cluster, a 50W wireless phone charger, an eight-speaker Sony audio system and a panoramic sunroof with a powered sunshade. Zecar, citing Lepas material, additionally lists acoustic glass for the front doors and puddle lights, and says CarPlay and Android Auto are available wired and wireless; Cars24 lists wired CarPlay with wireless Android Auto only. ²⁴⁵

The only interior colour offered on Australian models is beige regardless of exterior paint, with synthetic leather seats including a 10-way power-adjustable, heated and ventilated driver's seat and a six-way power-adjustable, heated and ventilated front passenger seat. Boot space is 323 litres, expanding to 1255 litres with the second row folded, plus two underfloor compartments adding a further 99 litres, with a power tailgate standard. ²³

Safety and driver-assist equipment includes seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition or speed sign detection depending on the report, automatic parking assist and a surround-view camera. Zecar notes the Lepas release does not name individual ADAS systems or mention an ANCAP safety rating, so no independent crash-test result has been established for the L6. ²³⁵⁴

Warranty and ownership terms

Lepas will offer a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty with seven years of roadside assistance and seven years of capped-price servicing, plus a separate eight-year, 200,000km warranty on the high-voltage battery. Both CarExpert and GoAuto report the capped-price servicing costs have not yet been disclosed. ²³⁵

Price position against rivals

At $47,990 before on-road costs, the L6 is dearer than the similarly sized BYD Atto 3 Evo and Geely EX5, which both start at $41,990 before on-roads, and above the larger Leapmotor C10 BEV at $45,888 plus on-roads, according to GoAuto. CarExpert frames the price not only against those cheaper rivals but against a cluster of comparably priced electric SUVs: the Skoda Elroq 60 Select matches the L6 at an identical $47,990 before on-roads, while the MG S5 EV Essence 62 sits at $47,990 drive-away; the MG figure is a drive-away price and should not be compared directly with the list-price figures. ²³

Zecar's like-for-like list-price comparison, drawn from its earlier coverage and noted as potentially changed, places the L6 above the XPeng L03 RWD Standard Range at $41,900 and the Geely EX5 Inspire at $45,990, and below the XPeng G6 Standard Range at $51,800 plus on-roads and the BYD Sealion 7 Premium at $54,990 before on-roads. It observes the L6's 440km claimed range is close to the L03's 445km and EX5 Inspire's 450km while costing more, and that Lepas has not published a peak DC charging speed while the L03 lists 193kW and the EX5 Inspire 100kW. ⁴

Cartell's assessment is that the L6 arrives late to a busy, price-sensitive segment roughly $6,000 above a Geely EX5 or BYD Atto 3 Evo, arguing that being well equipped is now the floor rather than the ceiling in this class and that holding at $47,990 asks buyers to pay more for a newer, less proven name. That is the outlet's own evaluation, not a market outcome. ⁶

Chery's wider Australian brand plan

Lepas is positioned above Chery and Omoda Jaecoo on price, though CarExpert reports it is not aiming as high as luxury players such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It will be sold through both Chery dealers and standalone sites, with 40 targeted by the end of 2026, and joins Chery, Omoda Jaecoo, iCaur, Jetour and Freelander in Chery's expanding Australian portfolio, according to GoAuto. ¹²³

The L6 is one of five Lepas model lines planned for Australia. CarExpert lists the smaller L4 BEV SUV for December 2026, larger L8 and L9 SUVs in 2027 and 2028, and an L2 hatchback in 2028, though GoAuto reports the L4 has reportedly slipped to the first half of 2027 and is expected to share the L6's motor and battery with a claimed 450km WLTP range. Cars24's timeline adds a PHEV version of the L6 due in March 2027, with further L4, L8 and L9 PHEVs through 2027 and 2028, and reports that Lepas intends to introduce a new model roughly every three months from now on, mixing battery-electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains; CarExpert and GoAuto say only that the L6 PHEV, expected to cost less, follows in 2027. ²³⁵

The launch sits within a broader Chery premium push. Speaking to CarExpert in China, Chery International president Zhang Guibing said the slow adoption of new technology by some established luxury brands creates opportunities for Chinese newcomers, arguing many premium brands still keep internal combustion as their main powertrain while high-level customers are more willing to try new technologies. Separately, CarExpert reports Chery's next premium brands for Australia, Exlantix and Luxeed, are expected in the first half and second quarter of 2027 respectively, though their Australian prices and final specifications are yet to be announced. ¹