Battery size: 18.4kWh
Company car tax: 10%
Emissions: 21g/km
Range: 56 miles
Fuel economy: 403.5mpg
Introduction and model history
It's the latest name to come from the enormous Chinese powerhouse Chery. The carmaker has already had huge success with its Omoda and Jaecoo marques in the UK, along with its very own Chery models, but now it has higher aspirations.
Lepas – which is a portmanteau of 'leopard' and 'passion' – has been introduced to sit above Omoda and Lepas, and is aiming to appeal to those who might otherwise be considering a Volkswagen Tiguan, Toyota RAV4 or even an entry-level Audi or BMW SUV. A more upmarket buying and ownership experience is promised, too.
The L8 is the first Lepas to launch, with a smaller L6 and even more compact Ford Puma-sized L4 set to arrive soon after. Plug-in hybrid power is the focus for the moment, but the brand will expand with pure-electric versions in the not-too-distant future.
Range, battery and charging
Just like the Volkswagen Group does with VW, Skoda, Seat and Audi, Chery shares technology between its brands. So, the 'Super Hybrid System' used in the Lepas L8 can be found in a number of Cherys, Omodas and Jaecoos.
It's a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor and an 18.4kWh battery. Total power comes to a healthy 275bhp, with Lepas claiming a combined petrol-electric range of 745 miles.
Of more importance to Electrifying.com is the pure-electric range, which comes to 56 miles. It's competitive rather than class-leading, as it's a higher figure than older PHEVs and roughly on par with models such as the Citroen C5 Aircross Plug-in Hybrid. But newer rivals like the Toyota RAV4 PHEV stretch to around 85 miles – that's something that company car drivers will be taking notice of.
The L8's charging credentials are good, though. While many plug-in hybrid SUVs of this size only have AC charging, the L8 supports DC. Rated at 40kW, it allows for a speedy 30-80% top-up in 20 minutes, although rivals like the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid are rated at 50kW. The L8 also gets Vehicle-to-Vehicle charging and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) – the latter is rated at 6.6kW, which is pretty impressive.
Practicality and boot space
Chinese cars are often more spacious inside than their European rivals, and the same is true with the Lepas L8.
There's plenty of room up front for six-footers to get comfortable, and both seats can even fully recline, but it's in the rear where the L8 really shines. It's positively limousine-like back there, with tons of rear leg and headroom, and the back rests can also recline.
Boot room comes to 507 litres, comfortably beating many rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid (490 litres) and the Toyota RAV4 PHEV (446 litres). There's also a handy underfloor compartment that is ideal for storing the charging cable.
Interior, styling and technology
If you've spent any time in a Chery or a Jaecoo then the L8 will feel instantly recognisable. There's a similar minimalist look with the dashboard dominated by a large 13.2-inch portrait touchscreen, with a very generic-feeling design and menu layout. It's accompanied by another screen behind the steering wheel, which acts as the driver's information display.
There are hardly any buttons on the dashboard, save a row positioned near the driver's right knee to open the filler cap and boot and switch on the lights, while another row under the touchscreen controls the temperature; what looks like a large volume knob actually scrolls through the different driving modes, weirdly. Disappointingly the touchscreen has no quick shortcut to disable the more intrusive driver assistance systems, although Lepas says a fix for this is on the way.
Cabin fit and finish is really very good indeed, although a large swathe of scratchy plastic that adorns the glove box lid and door-pulls seems a bit odd for a car that has premium aspirations. But most areas are covered in nice, squidgy plastics, and it all feels very solid. However, you could say this for all other, less-expensive Chery sister products, leaving me scratching my head at why you'd spend extra on the Lepas. The L8 struggles to establish a meaningful quality advantage. Perhaps the L6 and L4 will fix this, but I doubt it.
As for the exterior styling, there's a more European-like look, with a softer design compared to Omodas, for example. There's certainly a hint of Porsche Cayenne at the rear, but overall it's a simple, unassuming design. It's only really the front-end that shows off Lepas's hopes of being considered a more upmarket brand with the cat-eye LED light design and a grille that looks vaguely like a Genesis Electrified GV70's.
Motors, performance and handling
Having much of the same mechanicals as a whole host of Cherys, Omodas and Jasecoos, it'll come as little surprise to discover that the Lepas L8 drives in a similar fashion. It's quiet and relatively refined, but don't expect much enjoyment behind the wheel.
While the L8 is badged as a plug-in hybrid, in reality it actually drives far more like a range-extender such as Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV. A Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid feels more reliant on its petrol engine for the majority of the time, it's the opposite with the L8. For most of the time the car is zipping around on electric power, with the petrol engine kicking in when needed. It makes for a quiet and stress-free driving experience.
The L8 is also a pretty quiet car to be in. The top-spec car comes with laminated side windows and a fancy noise cancelling system, and they really do help filter our road, tyre and wind noise. But while the steering is slightly better calibrated compared to its sister Chery cars (it's feels slightly more connected to road), the L8 isn't an especially enjoyable car to drive – a Ford Kuga PHEV feels more engaging to drive, and the ride feels fidgety on all roads and at all speeds. But for a family-sized SUV, the L8 gets the basics right – it's quiet, refined and easy to drive.
Running costs and pricing
Prices kick off at £34,900, which undercuts many similarly sized plug-in hybrid SUVs – an entry-level Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid is nearly £8,000 dearer, for example. Standard equipment on this 'Essence' trim includes 19-inch diamond-cut alloys, panoramic sunroof with electric blind, fabric and leather effect seats, the two aforementioned screens, and a wireless charging pad with cooling. Bizarrely, the Essence is actually around £270 cheaper than the equivalent Jaecoo 7 SHS-P, despite Lepas being positioned as the more premium brand.
Top-spec Elevate trim comes in at £37,900 and looks pretty decent value; standard equipment includes 20-inch wheels (which look suspiciously identical to the 20-inch alloys you get on an Omoda 7), laminated front side windows and active noise cancellation, a six-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat and a four-way passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats with massage, 256-colour ambient lighting, an in-cabin fragrance system, a Bentley-esque folding table on the back of the front passenger seat, a Sony sound system, and much more.
For company car drivers, the official 56-mile electric range places the L8 in the 10% Benefit-in-Kind tax band for 2026/27.
Lepas claims over 400mpg, but even though this is a WLTP-tested figure it's highly unlikely you'll ever achieve this. Keep the battery topped up and drive the majority of your journeys in electric mode, and you might see something in the three-figures. Relying on petrol power with a depleted battery and something in the 40s would be far more likely.
Verdict
The Lepas L8 is spacious, comfortable, generously equipped and surprisingly refined, while offering technology and value that many established manufacturers struggle to match.
There is a but, though. Because Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo already offer such impressive interiors and generous equipment, the L8 doesn't quite deliver the obvious premium step-up the brand is hoping to achieve. I had expected the L8 to feel like a posh Jaecoo 7, but it doesn't. If anything it underlines what a great proposition the Jaecoo 7 is, rather than complimenting the L8.
As the opening act for the Lepas brand, it's a very promising debut — and if future models build on these foundations while carving out a clearer premium identity, there's every chance Lepas will become Chery's next success story in the UK.
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