Chery International chose to give the first preview of its new Lepas L8 SUV direct to brokers and funders at this week’s Fleet Procure Live, underlining the importance it places on this channel to deliver volume to the market.
THE Lepas brand was introduced to leasing brokers and leasecos at Fleet Procure Live on 13 May 2026.
The new Lepas brand joins the Chery Group of Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo and the L8 model will be followed by smaller SUVs: the Lepas L6 and L4 this year.
The L6 will be available as a pure EV or Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) and the L4 is pure EV. The flagship model Lepas L9 and hatchback Lepas L2 will be added next year.
Previews on both days of Fleet Procure live (13-14 May) have been hosted by Chris Clayton, Fleet Director of Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery with a presentation from Lynn Du, Marketing Director for Lepas in the UK and a video message from Ray Wang, Lepas UK Managing Director.
“We've never launched a lineup of a brand like Lepas, with both plug-in hybrid and EV, which means that Fleet's going to be more important to all of the lifetime of this brand than the others.”
Clayton told the audience that Lepas is positioned higher than Chery and similar to Jaecoo but with a different design language. It’s pitched as a premium brand, added Lynn Du: “A credible alternative to the brands people are moving away from…not because they cannot afford them, but because they no longer feel right in today’s age.”
The Lepas L8 is described as a D-segment SUV engineered for European roads and designed for European tastes. At 4.6-metres long, the five-seater is a little over the length of the best-selling Jaecoo 7.
It’s launched as a Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) combining a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and an 18.4kWh battery. Pure electric range is a claimed 55 miles and a combined range of 800 miles.
There will be two high-spec trim levels, and a standout feature is fully reclining electric front seats for ‘180° ‘executive nap mode’ which also give you a massage.
In line with the other Chery Group International brands there’s a seven-year warranty and a 24-hour parts service is promised from DHL. Full RAC breakdown cover will be provided.
You tell us the price as terms readied
Terms for fleets and brokers will be announced in June with sales starting in September when Lepas aims to have 50 to 60 dedicated showrooms nationally.
Clayton said that 41showrooms had been signed to date and that the total would number 70 by end 2026, 90 in 2027. Dealers include familiar names such as Arnold Clark.
With a 50/50 retail/fleet split Lepas is targeting an ambitious 6,000 registrations this year, and 40,000 for the first full year in 2027.
Pricing for the L8 is still to be set, but Clayton invited brokers and funders to give their input before this, saying that it will be under £40,000 but above the top Jaecoo 7 which is £35,000.
He said Lepas will be giving terms out in the next month, planning to go live for fleet ordering on 1 July to build an order bank for September.
“I'm really pleased to say that we have Arval on board to provide a white label dealer finance, which ensures our dealer network is able to offer competitive solutions to customers and support broker sales which have been a massive part of Omoda, Jaecoo, Chery and will be massive for Lepas.”
Read our interview with Chris Clayton
Used monthly electric van sales pass 1,000 for the first time
April 2026 was the strongest month ever recorded for used electric van sales in the UK, according to MarketCheck
Charging remains biggest barrier to EV adoption for fleets – Arval
Many fleets still believe there are insufficient public chargers according to the 2026 Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer
P+B in new partnership to help businesses improve their vehicle strategies
Pike+Bambridge has announced a new partnership with The CFO Centre UK, which supplies part-time Chief Financial Officers
Anxiety around EV residuals is evaporating, reports Cazana
Cazana says that consistent demand and strategic pricing have kept recent residual values robust, with EVs leading the charge
Steve Cocks receives Funder of the Year trophy from BVRLA’s Toby Poston
Steve Cocks was presented with the Lex Autolease Funder of the Year trophy at the BVRLA Committee Summit by BVRLA CEO Toby Poston
VWFS and Kwik Fit Fleet agree tyre partnership
VOLKSWAGEN Financial Services (VWFS) is partnering with Kwik Fit Fleet, which will manage the tyre requirements of the VWFS fleet
Russell Hayes’ early career was 14 years of motoring journalism in print (for What Car?), television (for Top Gear), as well as online. Since 2007 he has authored 12 motoring history books on subjects including TVR, the Earls Court Motor Show, the Volkswagen Golf and Aston Martin – see Russell Hayes on Amazon. However, he’s not forgotten how to be a motoring journalist and now writes for UK consumer motoring sites – not to mention Broker News. When he’s not writing, Russell can be found in the cinema or planning his next travel adventure.
