Chinese auto giant Chery says its newest Australian brand, Lepas, has completed an extensive local engineering and validation program as the countdown accelerates toward the launch of its first model, the Lepas L6, in November.
It says the Australian testing program has seen prototype vehicles cover thousands of kilometres across a wide variety of local road conditions, with engineers focusing on adapting the new SUV range for Australian buyers rather than simply importing global-specification vehicles.
It’s an important move, as Chery’s first models imported into Australia were poorly set up for Australian conditions.
READ MORE: Chery confirms Lepas L6 EV: This is the Chinese giant’s fifth brand to launch in Australia, with more to come
READ MORE: Latest Chery-owned electric brand confirms timing for Australia: Lepas SUVs will be here before 2027
READ MORE: Confirmed: Electrified Freelander 8 locked and loaded for Australia. Coming to fight Denza B5, Toyota Prado and Ford Everest
Lepas, which will become the fourth Chery Group brand to launch in Australia, behind Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda, says the local program included ride and handling development, ADAS calibration, software integration and overall refinement to better suit Australian conditions.
Testing took place on metropolitan, regional and rural roads, including coarse-chip bitumen, country highways, mountain routes and urban environments.
Engineers also subjected the vehicles to Australia’s broad range of climate conditions, from cold-weather testing through to high-temperature durability and air-conditioning performance.
According to the company, the work was designed to ensure the new SUVs meet Australian expectations for comfort, durability and driving confidence.
“Australia presents some of the toughest vehicle conditions anywhere in the world,” said Lepas Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris.
“Road surfaces vary enormously, distances are long, temperatures can be extreme and customers have very high expectations for ride, handling and refinement.
“Rather than simply bringing a global vehicle to market, we’ve invested significant time validating and tuning Lepas for Australian conditions, and will provide confidence for our customers.”
Engineers also evaluated the vehicles’ advanced driver assistance systems to ensure consistent operation with Australian road markings, signage and traffic conditions.
The announcement follows Lepas’ confirmation that the battery-electric L6 SUV will spearhead the brand’s Australian launch in November before additional models arrive.
Lepas has previously described itself as a new-energy brand focused on combining distinctive SUV styling with advanced technology and intelligent mobility, with further details on the Australian model range, specifications and pricing expected closer to launch.
Power for the L6 comes from a single electric motor producing up to 160kW and 275Nm. Lepas is targeting a driving range of around 450km.
While full Australian specifications and pricing remain under wraps, the L6 is expected to compete in the increasingly crowded mid-size electric SUV segment against rivals such as the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7, XPeng G6, Deepal S07 and Geely EX5.
Chery will continue to expand its brand line-up beyond Lepas, with iCaur and Freelander both expected in Australia in 2027.
It will also launch its first ute, the diesel-electric plug-in Stockman, before the end of 2026..
