Chery intends to bring several fresh brands to Australia, starting with Lepas as the initial offering.

The Chinese manufacturer has wrapped up an extensive program of local testing and vehicle calibration for these models.

Lepas, available only in markets outside China, will reach Australian showrooms in November 2026, led by the electric L6 SUV. Full pricing, specifications and exact timing will be revealed nearer the launch date.

Local engineering experts joined colleagues from Chery headquarters to complete the evaluation work.

Prototype vehicles covered thousands of kilometres across some of the nation most demanding routes, mixing city streets with regional highways and rural tracks.

Engineers concentrated on calibrating active safety and driver assistance systems so they respond correctly to Australian road markings, signs and traffic patterns.

They also refined software integration, overall vehicle composure and air conditioning efficiency for extreme summer temperatures.

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 have invested significant time validating and tuning Lepas for Australian conditions to give buyers added confidence.

The electric L6 sits between small and medium SUV classes and will compete directly with the BYD Atto 3 and Geely EX5.

It uses a 160kW single motor delivering 275Nm of torque and a 65kWh battery claimed to provide 450km of range. A petrol powered version with different front styling is sold in other countries.

Lepas also plans to introduce the smaller L4 and larger L8 models locally, promising a fresh generation of striking, design focused SUVs that combine flair with everyday usability and bold colour choices.

Chery has not yet confirmed whether Lepas vehicles will share showrooms with existing Chery and Omoda Jaecoo models.

The new brand range will overlap substantially with current Chery and Omoda Jaecoo line ups in both small and medium SUV segments.

The arrival of Lepas forms part of Chery Group ambitious worldwide expansion that delivered a record 1,344,020 export units last year, up 17.4 per cent, accounting for 48 per cent of total sales.

The name Lepas draws from a type of goose barnacle, though the company describes it as a blend of leopard and passion.

Chery already operates its core brand here alongside the export focused Omoda Jaecoo and intends to add further marques after Lepas launches.

iCaur, known for boxy electrified SUVs, is slated for 2027, while another similar brand called Freelander is expected in the second half of that year.

Jetour has also signalled plans to enter Australia and will run independently from other Chery operations.

Soueast, purchased by Chery in 2024, is assessing right hand drive opportunities but has not confirmed an Australian launch.

Additional Chery brands without confirmed Australian timelines include the Huawei partnered premium marque Luxeed and the established premium SUV name Exeed, one model of which already appears locally as the Omoda 9.

Light commercial vehicle brand Rely has been revived yet is unlikely to reach Australia because Chery plans to sell its upcoming Stockman ute under the main Chery name.