Chery International has only been selling cars from its various brands in the U.K. since the start of last year, but the Volkswagen Group rival company already sells its Chery cars, OMODA, Jaecoo and now LEPAS cars here.

The LEPAS L8 is the first premium oriented car to arrive from Chery International utilising the groups super Hybrid System, a highly efficient 1.5-litre turbocharged plug-in hybrid. However, an electric version is promised for 2027.

Prices

Launching in Essence and Elevate trims, Prices for the L8 PHEV Essence start at £34,900 RRP on-the-road, while the L8 PHEV Elevate starts at £37,900 RRP one-the-road.
When you consider this is near 4.7 meter long, large SUV, it represents outstanding value for money when compared to the entry level, lower spec, Volkswagen Tiguan Life PHEV that starts at £42,875, for example.

Efficiency

The 18.4kWh battery in the LEPAS L8 can be DC fast charged from 30% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes, perhaps add 10 minutes for a 10-80% recharge.
Combined with the efficient 1.5 litre turbo-charged petrol engine, the L8 can deliver a range of up to 745 miles, with 56 miles of that coming from the battery in EV mode alone, making for very inexpensive commuting, for example.

LEPAS quotes a combined fuel consumption of up to 403.5 mpg, but take this number with a large pinch of salt as fuel economy depends on too many variables to provide an accurate one-off MPG figure, but if its plugged in frequently invariably the fuel economy will improve significantly than if it wasn’t.

Exterior

LEPAS will tell you that the L8 “embodies a design philosophy inspired by one of nature's most captivating predators—the leopard”, but in reality it is a handsome design, albeit it doesn’t move the game on. There are attractive elements such as the narrow headlights with a squinty leopard stare that sits above an Audi-esque grille with almost Porsche-like tail lights around the back.

The curves and haunches are subtle and add to its visual appeal, but it has been played safe which is no bad thing as it’s unlikely to cause offense. Instead, it will appeal with good looks, and some interesting colour options.

The no-cost colour is metallic Expressive Emerald which works curiously well on this SUV, but for an extra £500, it opens up more choice with Instinct White, Leopard Black, Mystic Purple or Impulse Red. Splash out £750 and there’s a Stoic Grey in a matte finish.

The Essence rides on 19-inch wheels, with the Elevate getting the larger 20-inch wheels.

Both variants come with powerful LED headlights (with Intelligent High Beam Assist) and LED rear lights, an acoustic laminated windscreen for noise reduction, electrically adjustable heated and power-folding wing mirrors and privacy glass on the rear windows and rear windscreen.

Elevate models also includes acoustic laminated front windows for extra soundproofing, Active Engine Noise Cancellation for a more hushed cabin, plus there are puddle lights built-in to the wing mirrors.

Interior

Inside, the brief LEPAS designers and engineers received was to make the “L8 more intelligent than your smartphone and comfortable as your home”.

With a wheelbase of 2,800mm the L8 has a truly cavernous interior, with generous legroom and a 507 litre boot.

Rear passengers get just under a metre of rear legroom (970mm) for limousine levels of comfort and space, ideal for family life.

Both trim levels include a glass panoramic sunroof with sunshade, dual-zone-climate control, keyless entry and go and remote engine start, that allows customers to de-ice the car remotely while also pre-heating or pre-cooling the cabin.

Step up to the Elevate trim and there’s a hands-free power tailgate, heated windscreen and power-adjustable front seats with heating, cooling and massage functions. The ambient interior lighting has 256 colours to create just the right mood, and the in-car fragrance will keep the interior smelling fresh and pleasant.

Safety

Essence drivers share the same core suite of protective ADAS systems as found in the top Elevate trim.

This includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), emergency lane-keeping (ELK) and front distance monitoring (FDM) as well as driver assistance functions such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and intelligent speed limit control (ISLC).

There are also 10 airbags as standard to offer maximum protection of all passengers in the event of a collision.

What the Elevate adds over the Essence is front parking sensors, a 540° owl-like panoramic camera system, advanced parking assist (APA) and a remote parking assist (RPA) that LEPAS says “allows the vehicle to steer, brake, and shift gears into or out of a parking space while the driver stands outside”, handy for those occasional tight spaces.

Infotainment

Both trims include a 13.2-inch central waterfall touchscreen display that curves into the centre console, a connected navigation system, the ‘Hello LEPAS’ AI voice assistant, 4G connectivity, wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 50W wireless phone charging with active cooling, and four USB ports front and back.

Step up to the Elevate and it comes with a superior SONY Premium 8-speaker audio system.

Warranty and Availability

The LEPAS L8 comes with a comprehensive 7-year/100,000-mile warranty on all models and an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on all high-voltage battery systems.

There’s also up to 7-years’ RAC Roadside Assist included provided customers keep up with the full manufacturer service schedule through an authorised LEPAS service centre.

Pre-orders open in July with the first deliveries to customers in September

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About the Author

Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.

You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb

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