The Lepas L6 EV will arrive in Australia in October, giving the Chinese automotive group another entrant in the increasingly competitive mid-size electric SUV segment.
Lepas, which blends the words Leopard and Passion, says the L6 will be the first model to introduce the brand to Australian buyers and will sit on a new architecture known as the LEX platform.
The platform has been developed specifically for Lepas and is designed to support a range of vehicle sizes and electrified powertrains, including both battery electric and plug-in hybrid models.
For Australia, the L6 EV will be powered by a 65kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery paired with a single electric motor mounted at the front. The motor produces 160kW of power and 275Nm of torque, with drive sent exclusively to the front wheels. Lepas is claiming a WLTP driving range of 440km and energy consumption of 17.5kWh/100km.
Quite a few details are yet to be confirmed including a maximum DC charging rate, but Lepas says the battery can charge from 30 to 80 per cent in approximately 22 minutes.
That places the L6 squarely in the part of the market now occupied by an expanding range of relatively affordable electric SUVs, meaning its eventual Australian pricing is likely to play a major role in how competitive it is.
Lepas is pitching the L6 as a more upmarket offering, with a relatively long list of standard cabin technology. There is a 13.2-inch central infotainment touchscreen and an 8.88-inch digital driver display, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the brand’s “Hello LEPAS” voice-control system.
Other equipment includes an eight-speaker Sony sound system, 50W wireless phone charging, synthetic leather upholstery and heated and ventilated front seats. A panoramic sunroof with a powered sunshade is also included, together with selectable ambient lighting, a powered tailgate and puddle lights.
On the outside, the L6 rides on 19-inch machined-finish alloy wheels and features slim LED lighting, with Lepas saying the lighting signature was inspired by the eyes of a leopard.
The L6 will also come with automatic parking assist, allowing the vehicle to steer itself into reverse, parallel and perpendicular parking spaces.
There is also a 360-degree around-view camera system, which Lepas says can provide centimetre-level distance information during low-speed manoeuvring.
The safety and driver-assistance package includes seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane departure prevention, along with automatic and remote parking assistance.
The L6 is the first step in Lepas establishing itself as a standalone brand in Australia, despite drawing heavily on the technology and engineering resources of parent company Chery Group.
It also arrives at a time when Australian EV buyers are being presented with a rapidly growing number of brands and models, particularly from Chinese manufacturers.
That means the specifications alone may not be enough to make the L6 stand out, with price likely to be one of the most important unanswered questions. We expect to see pricing sit below the $50,000 mark. Australian pricing and further specifications will be confirmed closer to its October 2026 launch.
The L6 EV will make its first Australian public appearance at the Everything Electric show at Sydney Olympic Park from September 18 to 20. You can get 30% off tickets to Everything Electric Sydney by using the code DRIVEN at checkout.
