Lepas L6 EV planned for October Australian launch

October launch planned

Chery plans to introduce its Lepas brand to Australia in October 2026 with the L6 EV, a five-seat mid-size electric SUV. Cars24 reports that deliveries are due to begin in October, but does not give a specific delivery date. The L6 EV is planned as the first of several electric and plug-in hybrid Lepas models for Australia. ¹²⁵

CarExpert reports that Lepas previewed the L6 EV in Sydney alongside pre-production examples of the smaller L4 EV and plug-in hybrid L6 and L8. Lepas warned that specifications for the vehicles shown could change before launch. The brand calls its vehicle architecture LEX and says it can accommodate different vehicle sizes and powertrains; CarExpert says the extent to which it shares existing Chery Group architecture is unclear. ²¹

Battery, range and charging

Published specifications for the Australian L6 EV describe a 65kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and a front-mounted electric motor producing 160kW and 275Nm. Zecar says the motor drives the front wheels. The NRMA and Zecar both report rated energy consumption of 17.5kWh/100km and a claimed 30-to-80 per cent DC charging time of about 22 minutes. The NRMA lists a maximum DC charging rate of 120kW; Zecar’s earlier report said Lepas had not published a peak rate. The charging time is a published claim, not an independently measured result. ¹²⁶

The L6 EV’s claimed WLTP range is reported inconsistently. Zecar gave 440km in its 4 September report, and CarExpert and GoAuto also gave 440km in reports dated 15 September. The NRMA reported 450km on 15 September. A Drive article summarised on Ground News likewise gives 440km, but the summary does not establish that the Drive article was published after the NRMA report or explain the difference. The figures should not be treated as measured real-world ranges. ¹²⁴⁶³

CarExpert lists the L6 EV at 4570mm long and 1852mm wide, on a 2700mm wheelbase. It says the smaller L4 EV shares the L6’s battery, motor outputs and wheelbase, but measures 4420mm long and 1817mm wide. CarExpert gives the L4 EV a claimed 450km WLTP range; that is a specification for the L4, not a resolution of the conflicting L6 figures. ²

Equipment outlined

The NRMA lists an 8.8-inch driver display, 13.2-inch central touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice commands, an eight-speaker Sony sound system and a 50W wireless phone charger as standard L6 EV equipment. Its list also includes heated and ventilated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, selectable ambient lighting and a powered tailgate. Zecar separately lists 19-inch alloy wheels. These are published specifications, subject to Lepas’s warning reported by CarExpert that details could change before launch. ¹⁶²

The NRMA says the L6 EV will have seven airbags, a 360-degree around-view monitor and a self-parking function. Zecar’s account of Lepas’s equipment list also names adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure prevention and remote parking assistance. Those listings describe proposed vehicle equipment rather than the outcome of an independent safety assessment. ¹⁶

Price and dealership plans

Lepas had not announced an Australian L6 EV list price in the September reporting, with the NRMA saying pricing would be released closer to launch. A Drive report summarised by Ground News says the SUV is slated to start below $50,000 before on-road costs, referring to Drive’s earlier reporting. That is a reported price expectation, not an announced manufacturer list price or a drive-away figure. ¹²³

The reported opening dealership counts also conflict. CarExpert said on 15 September that Lepas expected 40 dealerships at launch; a Drive account summarised by Ground News says it would open with 14. Both accounts give a target of 50 by the end of 2027, but neither explains the difference in the opening figures. CarExpert says Lepas plans separate sales dealerships from Chery and Omoda Jaecoo, while existing Chery Group outlets may be used as service agents. It reports Lepas’s intention to use Chery Motor Australia’s established warranty, parts and technical systems. ²³⁷

Models scheduled to follow

The smaller L4 EV is scheduled for December 2026. CarExpert and GoAuto place the plug-in hybrid L6 and L4 in March and June 2027 respectively, followed by an L8 plug-in hybrid in September 2027. These are planned introductions, and CarExpert notes that the L4 and plug-in hybrid vehicles displayed at the Sydney preview were pre-production examples. ¹²⁴

CarExpert and GoAuto also report plans for an L9 plug-in hybrid in the second half of 2027, electric L8 and L9 versions in 2028, and an L2 hatchback with electric and hybrid powertrains in 2028. The schedule makes the L6 EV the opening model in Lepas’s planned Australian range rather than its only proposed electric vehicle. ²⁴