Lepas launches in Australia as Chery executive plays down brand-overlap concerns

Chery's brand count grows with Lepas launch

Chery has added another brand to its Australian lineup with the arrival of Lepas, a premium-leaning marque launching locally with the L6 electric mid-size SUV. CarExpert reported Lepas is one of eight brands the Chery Automobile group will have on the Australian market by 2028, making it either the third or fourth group brand introduced locally depending on how Omoda and Jaecoo are counted, given the pair share combined showrooms under one network. ¹

According to CarExpert, five more Chery-owned brands are still to come before 2028: Exlantix, Freelander, iCaur, Jetour and Luxeed. It is not yet clear how each will operate in Australia, though both Freelander and iCaur have announced plans for separate dealer networks, and CarExpert separately reported Jetour will operate as a standalone entity when it lands in early 2027. ¹²

"Zero" risk of confusion, says Chery executive

With so much shared componentry expected between incoming group models, Lepas Australia head Brad Ryan told CarExpert at the local launch of the L6 EV that some overlap is unavoidable but relatively minor. "In one direction, we've got a bit of Chery overlap; in another way, we've got Omoda Jaecoo overlap. The intention is for us to compete for those customers legitimately in the open market," he said. ¹

When asked directly about any perceived risk of buyers confusing individual Chery group vehicles in the interim, Chery Motor Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris replied "Zero", telling CarExpert the general public are "quite intelligent" and can easily determine the difference between the brands. ¹

Mr Harris told CarExpert the group's brands will increasingly diverge over time, not only in design but also in function and performance. "The future Lepas product, which is not that far in the future – frankly, it's right around the corner, is a very different design aesthetic to any of the other group products," he said. ¹

Platform claims and Chinese-market twins

CarExpert reported Mr Harris emphasised Lepas's distinctiveness by outlining that the L6 uses a new, Lepas-specific "LEXP" platform. He described Lepas as "blessed with being the first product family in the group to have its own unique platform", while noting other brands will develop unique platforms over time. This is an executive claim rather than an independent technical verification. ¹

However, CarExpert noted every Lepas vehicle revealed so far is either currently sold in China as a Chery or has plans to be. The L6 is already sold there as the Chery Fulwin T7, which is claimed to use Chery's established T1X platform. CarExpert further reported the incoming Lepas L4 is set to be sold in China as the Chery Tiggo 5, and the L8 appears to be a rebadged version of the new-generation Chery Tiggo 8. Neither the Lepas brand nor Omoda Jaecoo is sold in China. ¹

Product timeline through 2028

CarExpert reported Lepas has provided a provisional timeline of vehicles arriving in Australia between now and 2028. The L6 EV will be joined by the smaller L4 EV in the first half of 2027, followed later that year by the L6 plug-in hybrid. The as-yet-unrevealed L2 hatchback is due in 2028 and is said to be a 'halo' vehicle for the brand with aggressive angular styling not seen elsewhere in the mainstream Chery group portfolio. These timings are brand-provided and should be treated as a forecast rather than confirmed on-sale dates. ¹

Earlier CarExpert reporting on the brand's local plans also listed larger L8 and L9 SUVs among the models slated for Australia through 2028, alongside the smaller L4 and the L2 hatchback. Separately, Lepas Australia head Brad Ryan tentatively confirmed at least eight additional models for Australian launch before 2028 following the L6 debut, telling CarExpert the range could reach nine "before you even blink". ²³

A freestanding dealer network backed by Chery infrastructure

CarExpert reported Lepas aims to establish itself outside the Chery umbrella in the public's eye. "We want to be a distinctive brand, and we can't do that if we're just part of a mall of product," Mr Ryan told CarExpert. "We will be freestanding for as long as we exist, which is forever." Lepas becomes Chery's third standalone dealer network in Australia, following the Chery brand and the combined Omoda Jaecoo network established in 2025. ²

Lepas expects to open 23 dealers across Australia during November 2026, CarExpert reported. Mr Ryan said the brand doesn't feel the need to have more than 50 dealers at full flight, adding "I would argue not more than 30 by the time we're finished". These figures supersede earlier reporting from September 2026, when CarExpert was told Lepas would launch with 40 dealers and grow to 50 by the end of 2027. ²³

Behind the scenes, Lepas will still leverage Chery Motor Australia's established infrastructure. CarExpert quoted Mr Harris saying back-office functions such as HR, finance, parts warehousing and distribution give the brand stability and significantly reduce operating costs because they already exist within the broader group. Earlier CarExpert reporting detailed plans to use existing Chery Group dealerships as service agents, with the Chery network of around 120 locations expected to grow to around 150 by the end of 2027, and a stated launch threshold of 98 per cent of each model's bill of materials physically stocked in Australia. ²³

The aggressive multi-brand expansion has drawn comment from rivals. CarExpert reported Leapmotor's local boss Andy Hoang saying, without naming names, that some brands bring models to Australia simply because there is excess supply elsewhere in the world. CarExpert noted no Chinese automaker has announced an expansion as ambitious as Chery's, which will have eight brands in Australia by the end of 2027 alongside a glut of new models. Mr Hoang's remarks are unattributed criticism and CarExpert could not identify which brands he meant. ⁴