Update: Introduction, Specifications, and Price & Release Date sections revised.
Chinese automaker Chery’s new lifestyle-focused brand, Lepas, has officially confirmed that the flagship L8 will be its first model for the UK market.
Ahead of its Q3 2026 launch, we spent time with a global-spec Lepas L8, and here are our first impressions of the new mid-size SUV, which is a corporate cousin to the Chery Tiggo 8 and Jaecoo J7.
Design
The Lepas L8 boasts an aggressive exterior and appears more premium than one would expect from a mass-market mid-size SUV. Much of that upmarket appearance can be attributed to design elements similar to those of luxury cars from British and German car brands.
Seeing the car up close, at the front, its split headlamps look inspired by the Audi Q3, while the shape of the radiator grille and the pattern are reminiscent of Bentleys and Jaguars. On the sides, the semi-recessed door handles, the flush roof rails, and sleek mirrors give the Lepas L8 a dynamic look.
The sloping roofline, curvy greenhouse, and raked D-pillar have strong references to the Porsche Cayenne. At the rear, the coast-to-coast tail light again reminds us of the German SUV, but feels well executed.
Interior
Inside, the Lepas L8 has a minimalist layout typical of modern Chinese cars. The slim dashboard appears to float and integrates with the front doors through a continuous curve. The fluted trim running across the width of the dashboard, the two-spoke steering wheel, and chrome highlights in the centre console deliver a premium look, though some finishes feel less nuanced.
The waterfall-like effect created by the floating portrait touchscreen integrated into the centre console echoes Mercedes-Benz interiors, a layout that reminds us of the seventh-gen S-Class launched in 2020. It measures 13.2 inches diagonally, and there’s a bank of physical controls for the climate control system as well.
Experience in the Lepas L8
At 5’7″, ingress and egress are straightforward in the Lepas L8. The doors feel solid when opening and closing. Visibility from the driver’s seat is good in all directions.
The front seats provide roughly six to six and a half inches of headroom. Back support is good, and the seat shape offers noticeable shoulder support. The side bolsters are slightly extended, which adds to comfort without feeling restrictive. Under-thigh support is adequate for most use cases.
The dashboard features a faux wood decor panel, the finish of which looks consistent and feels smooth. The upper dashboard near the windscreen uses soft-touch material, and the same attention to detail extends to the doors, where the patterned trim continues onto the armrests.
The speaker surrounds and trim inserts are neatly integrated. The centre console uses gloss black surfaces, which are prone to fingerprints. The rotary control is finished to resemble metal.
In the rear, the seatback does not recline, but the fixed angle is comfortable. Under-thigh support is limited, although there is ample legroom. Knee room exceeds ten inches, and there is a raised section under the front seats to rest the feet. Headroom is about five inches for a person of similar height.
The floor is flat, which helps usability in the middle seat. Sitting in the centre requires a slightly knees-up position, but headroom remains around seven inches. During our experience, we found space in the second row usable across all three positions.
Material quality remains consistent in the rear. Soft-touch surfaces extend to the rear doors, and the fluted trim with vertical lines continues here as well. The door handles feature chrome-finished inserts, and the switchgear feels solid in operation.
Features at the rear in the unit I experienced included one Type-A and one Type-C USB port, a small storage area for a smartphone, two AC vents, seatback pockets, coat hooks, and bottle holders.
Specifications
The L8 measures 4,688 mm in length, 1,871 mm in width, and 1,694 mm in height, riding on a 2,800 mm wheelbase. The global-spec plug-in hybrid pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor, driving the front wheels through a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).
The petrol engine produces 105 kW (143 PS) and 215 Nm of torque, while the electric motor develops 150 kW (204 PS) and 310 Nm. Combined system output is rated at 205 kW and 365 Nm.
The PHEV powertrain uses an 18.4 kWh battery pack and delivers an electric-only range of up to 100 km (62 miles) on the WLTC cycle, with a comprehensive total range exceeding 1,300 km WLTC.
DC fast charging is supported at up to 40 kW, taking the battery from 30 to 80 percent in around 20 minutes, while AC charging tops out at 7 kW.
Lepas claims a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h, with five selectable drive modes: EV, Eco, Comfort, Sport and Custom.
Release Date & Pricing
Lepas has officially confirmed that the L8 will launch in the UK in Q3 2026 as the first model from the brand in the market. The company says further details covering variants, specs, pricing, dealership expansion, and after-sales support will be announced closer to launch.
We expect the Lepas L8 PHEV to be positioned from around GBP 35,000 in the UK, putting it directly against mainstream mid-size SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid and VW Tiguan eHybrid.
Since 2014, I’ve worked as an international automotive editor, attending global motor shows, industry events, media drives, and tracking the latest developments across the sector, with a particular focus on electrified vehicles.
