And another one…Lepas set for UK launch
Chery International has confirmed that its new brand Lepas will launch in the UK in 2026, with the first models expected to go on sale in the third quarter of the year. Lepas was developed with European markets in mind and will be Chery’s fourth brand here, joining Chery itself, Omoda and Jaecoo. The company says the first UK-market models will be revealed in the coming weeks, with sales beginning towards the end of the summer.
Early reports suggest the initial lineup will include a range of SUVs such as the L4, L6 and L8, offered with electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains based on Chery’s modular T1X platform. The rollout will take place through Chery’s growing dealer network across the UK, and further details on pricing, specifications and exact launch dates are expected ahead of the public launch later this year.
On paper, Chery’s move to bring Lepas to the UK sounds like momentum. In practice, it raises a fairly obvious question: what exactly is Lepas bringing to the party?
From the first official images and early details, Lepas doesn’t immediately appear to carve out a clearly different identity from Chery’s existing offerings. The design language, proportions and general positioning feel familiar, and at face value it’s hard to see how a typical buyer would instantly understand why they should choose a Lepas over an equivalent Chery, Omoda or Jaecoo.
That’s not to say the cars won’t be good. Chery’s recent UK launches have shown strong value, solid perceived quality and competitive tech for the money and a decent warranty - my trip to their manufacturing facility last year was also a memorable and impressive experience. But when brands sit this close together, differentiation becomes critical. Without it, there’s a real risk of internal competition – effectively fighting for the same customers with slightly different badges (as we’ve seen from Stellantis, VAG etc). Much will depend on how Lepas is positioned once pricing, trim structure and powertrains are fully revealed.
The real test will come with seat time. On the road, small differences in ride tuning, cabin quality, infotainment behaviour and driver assistance calibration can add up to a genuinely distinct experience. Until then, Lepas feels like a brand that needs to prove it earns its place rather than simply expanding the portfolio for the sake of it.
Interestingly, this cautious approach to differentiation stands in contrast to what Chery has sitting quietly in the background.
In its domestic market, the group has far more distinctive and arguably more exciting brands waiting in the wings. iCaur is a great example – bold, angular, unapologetically different, and clearly aimed at a younger, more EV-focused audience. Then there’s Luxeed, which leans heavily into high-end technology and digital integration through its close relationship with Huawei.
Whether we’ll see either of those brands in the UK remains unclear. Homologation requirements alone are enough to slow things down, but Luxeed in particular faces another hurdle: Huawei-based systems are unlikely to translate easily into the UK or European markets without significant reworking, both technically and politically.
For now, then, Lepas is the next step in Chery’s UK expansion rather than its most adventurous one. If the brand can establish a clear identity and avoid overlapping too heavily with its siblings, it could strengthen Chery’s overall presence here. If not, it risks becoming another badge competing in an already crowded internal showroom.
Either way, it’ll be fascinating to see how it stacks up once the first UK cars land – and whether Lepas can justify its existence beyond simply adding another name to the lineup.