Lepas L8 driven: The premium Chinese SUV at a family-friendly price – but can it stand out from the crowd?

It’s a new day, which means yet another Chinese automotive brand is arriving in Britain.

The latest badge you’ll soon start seeing dotted on every street is Lepas.

The name is a mix of leap, leopard and passion. And the brand is the fourth – yes, fourth – launched by the Chery Group in less than two years.

It follows the path forged by sister marques Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery, whose combined 12,117 deliveries last month were enough to outsell Ford in the UK. 

In fact, for every eight new cars registered last month, one was a Chery Group vehicle. Not bad in 24 months, right?

The L8 SUV is Lepas’ debut model – and also its flagship. That means the weight of the brand’s initial impression and reputation going forward rests firmly on its wheel arches.

Powered by the group’s highly rated Super Hybrid System – which offers 56 miles of electric-only range and 745 miles on a full battery and fuel tank – this plug-in hybrid family car wants to help drivers get from A to B in the style they’d expect from a premium brand for a fraction of the price.

But is there really room in the already-congested market for another Chinese SUV to blossom? Freda Lewis-Stempel has driven the Lepas L8 to find out…

Where Lepas fits in Chery’s already-crowded line-up 

Lepas faces significant competition from the outset.

But while it will undoubtedly go head-to-head with established brands like Korean powerhouses Hyundai and Kia, much of its opposition will come from within Chery’s own stable.

That’s because all three sister brands are already proving immensely popular in Britain.

Based on this year so far, Jaecoo is already the 17th most popular manufacturer in the UK, outperforming Land Rover, Mini and Tesla.

Omoda (22nd) and Chery (23rd) aren’t too far behind, both individually outselling big established players including Citroen, Dacia, Mazda and Honda. That’s some feat in such a short amount of time.

Like Jaecoo has already proven with its volume-selling ‘Temu Range Rover’ 7 SUV, undercutting premium brands is its recipe for success.

The L8 is unquestionably aiming to be the budget alternative to cars like the BMW X5 and Audi Q5 for those less fussed about badge snobbery.

But how does Lepas stand out against its twinned vehicles?

The L8 has a more sophisticated design than the Jaecoo 7 and Omoda 7, and is less rugged and more urbane than the seven-seat Jaecoo 8.

The front is marked out by leopard-eye headlights and a diamond-mesh grille (which sets it apart from Jaecoo’s now-distinctive waterfall grille), while the rest of the SUV is moulded into a porcelain-inspired shape.

Is it the most interesting SUV I’ve ever seen? No.

It’s the car equivalent of smart casual fashion; if it were a high-street brand, it would probably be H&M rather than Massimo Dutti.

What’s the Lepas L8 like inside?

It claims to offer best-in-class comfort, and that rings true.

Inside, it’s roomy, impressively so. That’s my first thought of the L8.

Thanks to its flat floor and generous proportions, there’s an amazing amount of headroom and legroom. Even with the driver’s seat positioned as far back as a six-footer would have it, there’s still space for an adult to sit behind.

The panoramic roof and large windows make the interior feel even more spacious, turning the cabin into a very pleasant place to spend time.

The seats, made from a leather-effect material, are very comfortable; padded but not overly shaped. The front seats are heated and ventilated and come with an eight-point massage function on the top trim. The rear ‘therapeutic cloud-comfort’ seats even recline to 180 degrees, so you can sleep in them if you want to.

Throughout the rest of the cabin there are leather-effect materials, with only a few harder plastics, alongside chrome-effect dials and air vents.

There’s also (on the higher trim) a Nano-Aqua air purification system, an in-cabin fragrance system, which comes with small scent vials, and a premium Sony eight-speaker audio system if you opt for the higher trim.

A useful family feature is the smart table tray on the back of the front passenger seat. Rather like an aeroplane tray table, it folds down for children to eat meals from or prop up their iPads.

And for families in need of practicality, there’s plenty of storage throughout, including a multi-level centre console and generous door bins. 

The boot offers 507 litres of space, expanding to 1,300 litres with the rear seats folded down.

Technology consists of a 13.2-inch portrait infotainment screen, which I found responsive and easy to use, and a 10.25-inch driver display. Wireless Apple CarPlay, which was again very quick and easy to connect to, and Android Auto are both standard, as is 50W wireless smartphone charging.

The cabin is one of the SUV’s biggest selling points, with a premium, upmarket and executive feel.

What’s the Lepas L8 like to drive?

This is where the L8 loses marks.

Starting in Comfort mode, the ride is on the firmer side, which is fine for an SUV of this size, especially as it deals with speed bumps and poor road surfaces adequately.

However, once I got onto back roads and more challenging bends, the steering showed its true colours – and they aren’t particularly impressive.

There’s very little feedback through the steering wheel and it’s weighted to the point of feeling feathery, so you’re never quite sure whether the wheels are heading exactly where you intend.

Add the ridiculously intrusive Lane Keep Assist safety feature on top of this and you can end up feeling completely disconnected from the car.

I thought dialling it up to Sport mode would tighten the steering up but I was wrong. Bizarrely, turning the wheel in Sport mode felt like trying to steer through jelly.

In the end, I decided Comfort mode was the best setting, that I was never going anywhere near Lane Keep Assist, and that this car is best suited to motorways and dual carriageways.

On smaller roads and through corners, it has about the precision of a wobbly Lime Bike rider.

Its saving grace is that it does have a decent amount of punch when you put your foot down.

The 275bhp 1.5 TGDI hybrid powertrain delivers a useful amount of grunt when you need it most. For instance, getting out of tight junctions rapidly, overtaking slower-moving traffic on B-roads and accelerating off a slip road onto a fast-moving motorway.

The official 0-62mph sprint time is 7.9 seconds, but it feels faster than that.

The brakes are responsive and well tuned, too.

In Pure mode, it glided around like an EV, incredibly smooth and silent thanks to the extensive soundproofing and noise-cancellation measures.

It’s this EV-only range, 56 miles of it, that will appeal most to cost-conscious buyers, as it means you can complete most of your weekly running-around on a single charge.

The L8 can also fast charge from 30 to 80 per cent in just 20 minutes at speeds of up to 40kW, making it incredibly practical to boot.

In total, you get a claimed range of 745 miles from the Super Hybrid System, which the L8 shares with the Jaecoo 7 SHS-P. On paper, it can achieve up to 403.5mpg, but that’s based on a flawed efficiency cycle. In reality, on a mix of roads, it should easily return over 50mpg.

We’ve had many Jaecoo 7 SHS-P owners tell us how much money they’ve saved running the same system, so Lepas L8 owners will likely find their fuel bills drop substantially too.

That’s something most drivers will probably care about more than whether the driving experience is outstanding or merely ample.

How much will the Lepas L8 cost?

There are only two Lepas L8 trims, and both are well equipped.

The Essence trim is the entry-level version and comes with privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, the 13.2-inch infotainment screen, the 10.25-inch digital driver display, 50W wireless charging, a full suite of 20 ADAS features, keyless entry and start, and vehicle-to-load capability.

It costs £34,900, which takes a decent chunk out of the Kia Sportage PHEV’s starting price of £38,595 and sits significantly below the Peugeot 5008 PHEV’s starting price of £43,005.

The second and top-spec trim, Elevate, adds active engine-noise cancellation, a hands-free tailgate, heated, ventilated and massage front seats, a heated windscreen, 256-colour ambient lighting and an in-cabin fragrance system.

It also gets the rear-seat fold-out table, air purification, a Sony audio system, front and rear parking sensors, a 540-degree camera system and advanced parking assist.

Elevate costs £3,000 more, coming in at £37,900, meaning even the range-topping version is cheaper than the Peugeot 5008 PHEV.

Compare that with the Audi Q5 PHEV, which starts at almost £60,000, or the BMW X5 PHEV, which will set you back more than £80,000, and you’ve got yourself a proper bargain.

The Lepas L8 comes with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Lepas L8: The Cars & Motoring verdict

Lepas will be hoping the L8 enjoys the same kind of instant sales take-off as the Jaecoo 7, a car that captured the attention of social media and proved that going viral can help sell cars.

Whether that happens or not, we can’t predict. 

What is clear, however, is that this is a very affordable option for family buyers who prioritise value for money over badge prestige or where a car is manufactured.

Driving shortcomings aside, which will be acceptable to the majority of motorists, the L8 delivers a huge combined range, an interior that is difficult to beat at this price point, and enough space to ensure there are no arguments or complaints on the family summer holiday.

It’s definitely got the potential to capture the attention of today’s cost-conscious car buyers but with Chinese brands beginning to congest the market, it’s going to struggle to stick out from the crowd.