LEPAS AURA concept debuts in China as design study with no production details

First concept car makes global debut in Wuhu

LEPAS, Chery Auto's premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand, has unveiled its first concept car, the AURA, at Global Elegance Night on October 22, 2026, closing the first LEPAS Global Elegant Lifestyle Week held in Wuhu, China. The company describes the premiere as the world debut of the LEPAS concept car, rooted in the brand's "Natural Energy" philosophy and exploring what it calls the future of elegant mobility. ⁶²

The event ran within the 2026 Chery International User Summit. Chery's own release describes the AURA debut as presenting "the evolution of Leopard Aesthetics through an all-new design expression", alongside new models from sibling brands EXEED, LUXEED and iCAUR. ¹

The presentation was staged before an audience of more than 500 international guests, including customers, partners and journalists, according to Italian outlet Adnkronos, which also notes LEPAS awarded representatives from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Thailand at the event. ¹¹

LEPAS describes itself as Chery Auto's premium NEV brand, supported by a global dealer network of more than 500 sales and service outlets. Chery Auto says it operates in more than 130 countries and regions and has been China's leading passenger vehicle exporter among Chinese brands for 23 consecutive years. ⁶

Leopard-inspired proportions and a new family face

LEPAS chief designer Ivan Dulanović framed the design philosophy as "Elegance is not a matter of decoration, but of composure", identifying elegance, confidence and mystery as AURA's defining qualities, expressed through proportions, surfaces and details. ⁶²

The company says its design team studied how a leopard shifts its weight and holds muscular tension, translating that into a long wheelbase, short overhangs, a wide stance and pronounced shoulder lines. AURA retains LEPAS's porcelain-inspired design language, with sculpted volumes, flowing surfaces and a glossy finish, plus integrated air channels that guide airflow along the body contours. ⁶²

The most consequential change is the front end. AURA merges the rounded grille and side intake areas of the current design into a single clean black surface, flanked by slim 'Leopard' headlamps inspired by the eyes of the animal. LEPAS says both features will carry through to future models, establishing a consistent family design language — a point the company repeated directly to media, including Bulgarian publication Mediapool.bg. ⁶²³

GoAuto, the Australian industry publication, reports the body sits somewhere between a shooting brake and a three-door hatch, a notable departure for a group that has concentrated almost entirely on SUVs. British outlet EV Powered similarly describes a three-door body blending hatchback and shooting brake elements, with a cab-rearward stance and large red-spoked wheels. ⁵¹⁰

Exterior screens and personalisation remain concept-stage

AURA explores personalisation through front-screen graphics, lighting and animations, alongside an elliptical rear screen for customisable taillight displays. Spanish outlet lasexta notes LEPAS has not explained how these devices would work in real conditions, what limits the animations would face, or whether they would be adopted for production, and that any application would need to satisfy homologation and safety requirements in each market. ⁶⁴

Mediapool.bg explicitly describes these as concept-stage solutions and states LEPAS has not confirmed which, if any, would reach series production. The same applies to the show car itself: no technical parameters or market launch date for AURA have been announced. ³

The concept was shown in three colours inspired by natural landscapes: Dawn Pearl, drawn from sunrise in Tahiti; Bacalar Blue, from the midday waters of Bacalar Lagoon in Mexico; and Provence Twilight, capturing lavender fields at sunset in southern France. ⁶²

A Russian outlet reviewing the car observes that, despite the concept status, AURA carries semi-concealed door handles and conventional physical mirrors rather than cameras, and reports the model is built on a new multi-energy architecture capable of underpinning petrol, hybrid and fully electric vehicles. That architectural claim has not appeared in LEPAS's own materials. ⁸

GoAuto adds that Dulanović has said the new face is designed to suit any powertrain, which is relevant because LEPAS sells petrol, plug-in hybrid and electric models overseas on Chery Group hardware, including the T1X platform shared with Tiggo SUVs. ⁵

No production details — but brand context for Australian buyers

LEPAS has confirmed no production timetable, powertrain or technical specifications for AURA. Italian outlet TuttoTech notes no data on motors or batteries was released, and describes the concept as a statement of intent rather than a confirmed production model. ¹³⁹

For Australian readers, the brand context is concrete. GoAuto reports LEPAS has launched locally with the L6 electric SUV in a single Signature grade priced from $47,990 plus on-road costs, with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty — $6000 above the Geely EX5 and BYD Atto 3 at $41,990 plus ORC. Test drives began in early November with deliveries later that month, and a plug-in hybrid L6 is due in March 2027, with more models planned by 2028. ⁵

GoAuto also cites reports from the United Kingdom, where LEPAS deliveries began in September, of 739 cars sold that month — mostly the large L8 plug-in hybrid SUV — with the smaller L6 starting there in October. ⁵

Elsewhere, Mediapool.bg reports LEPAS will enter the Bulgarian market with official sales beginning in the first half of 2027, with the L8 as the first model, citing Cage Xu, LEPAS director for Bulgaria. R7 reports the brand arrives in Brazil in 2027 with the L4, L6 and L8 under consideration. LEPAS's position varies by market and no Australian rollout of any AURA-derived model has been announced. ³⁷

The show car's purpose, per LEPAS, is directional: its proportions, surfaces, lighting and colours will shape the brand's next-generation models and bring new expressions of "Drive Your Elegance" to everyday mobility. Which of the exterior-display ideas survive contact with production regulations remains an open question. ⁵⁶⁴