The new Lepas L6 is officially locked in for a South African release.
The Chinese carmaker has announced that pre-orders for the new SUV will open today, 12 June 2026, and that the first 200 customers will receive an “Early Bird Offer.”
As a reminder, Lepas is a new car brand under the Chery Group that launched in South Africa in April this year.
It is actually one of two new Chery brands to hit the market in recent months alongside iCAUR, which made its debut at the end of May.
Lepas is positioned as a premium alternative to Chery’s own Tiggo range of crossovers and SUVs, currently offering a single product called the L4.
The L4 is the automaker’s entry-level model and is comparable to models like the Chery Tiggo Cross, Omoda C5, or Jaecoo J5.
Outside of the Chery family, the L4 is competing with crossovers like the Suzuki Fronx, Toyota Starlet Cross, Hyundai Venue, and Kia Sonet.
The new L6, which is scheduled to arrive by the end of the second quarter, is expected to compete with midsize SUVs like the VW Tiguan, Ford Territory, and Toyota RAV4.
Lepas has yet to confirm the pricing and specifications for the L6, but we can look to the Chinese market to get a sense of what is heading our way.
What to expect
In China, the L6 is offered with both an ICE (internal combustion engine) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain.
The former is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which generates a total of 108kW and 285Nm.
This is the version that will undoubtedly be available at launch, as the Chery brands typically release the hybrid models further down the line.
The PHEV version is called the LSH (Lepas Super Hybrid), which combines the 1.5-litre engine with an electric motor to produce a total of 205kW and 365Nm.
It also has a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) that connects everything to the front wheels.
Powering the e-motor is an 18.4kWh battery, which provides an electric range of 107km.
As for the rest of the package, Lepas has provided a list of a few of the highlights motorists can expect.
For starters, it will be sold with a 10-year/1-million km transferable engine warranty – something we’ve come to expect from Chery and its sub-brands.
Depending on the trim level, it will also feature a 540-degree camera system, 19-inch alloy wheels, an electric tailgate, a 13.2-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated and ventilated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof.
Lepas added that the L6 has 22 Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) functions, which presumably means we can expect things like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, driver attention alert, blind-spot detection, and rear cross-traffic alert.
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