The Chinese giant Chery arrived in Spain less than two years ago with Omoda and Jaecoo. Over this time, both brands have been very well received in our market, which is why Chery has decided to bring another brand: Lepas.
The first model from this Chinese brand is the Lepas L8, a 4.69-meter-long SUV that is offered exclusively with a plug-in hybrid powertrain delivering 279 hp, with 90 km of electric range and rapid charging up to a maximum of 40 kW in direct current.
Well-equipped, good interior quality, spacious, powerful and with the DGT’s ZERO badge
Among all the Chinese brands that have arrived and continue arriving in Spain, there are some that are making more noise than others simply because they are achieving commercial success.
That is the case with Omoda and Jaecoo. Both brands are part of the Chinese giant Chery and since they arrived in Spain in 2024 they have accumulated more than 62,000 registrations; only between January and September 2026 they registered 29,475 registrations, making clear the good reception they are enjoying in our market.
It is no surprise, therefore, that Omoda and Jaecoo continue expanding their respective ranges; in fact, just a few days ago we learned about the new Omoda 4 and Omoda 5. But this does not seem enough for the Chery Group, which has decided to launch a third brand in Europe: Lepas.
For now, Lepas has debuted in Spain with a mid-sized plug-in hybrid SUV, the Lepas L8. More models will soon join, but Lepas has chosen this SUV as the spearhead of its European offensive, and it makes sense because it is a safe bet.
Why? Very simple, because it shares many things with the Jaecoo 7 and the Omoda 7, two models that are performing well commercially. This is an advantage that neither Omoda nor Jaecoo have exploited; taking advantage of the synergies within the Chery group, Lepas lands in our country with much more sense of how our market works than when Omoda and Jaecoo arrived as the vanguard two years ago.
That not only implies understanding the preferences of Spanish buyers, but also knowing how to deploy a sales network and a after-sales network, including the same spare parts warehouse located in Azuqueca de Henares that Omoda and Jaecoo use. To give you an idea, Lepas already has more than 30 operating dealers in Spain and its goal is to reach 50 before the end of the year.
Here is how the Lepas L8 performs
Returning to the Lepas L8, it has only been launched with a plug-in hybrid setup. Lepas is aware that this technology is very well received in this segment, so for now it does not commit to other drivetrains, such as the non-plug-in hybrid system offered in the Jaecoo 7 SHS.
The PHEV setup is identical to the one used by the Jaecoo 7 SHS PHEV and the Omoda 7 SHS PHEV: a system consisting of a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors, and an 18 kWh battery with which it homologates 90 km of electric range.
It is a powertrain that has already been on the market long enough to be considered well known, because not only do Omoda, Jaecoo, and now Lepas use it, but also Ebro, the Spanish brand that is under the Chery umbrella and that uses the same technology, in this case in the Ebro s800 PHEV.
In the Lepas L8, this PHEV setup presents no novelty. With its 279 HP, it is more than enough to move freely in any situation. It is not that the Chinese SUV is a rocket, but it holds its own: 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h.
For most drivers, the performance is more than adequate, and also, thanks to the immediate power delivery from the electric portion, there is always muscle available to unleash it whenever needed, whether for a overtaking maneuver or merging onto the highway.
In any case, it is not a car that invites you to run. You know it can perform when you need it, but its tuning is entirely focused on comfort, so when driving it you feel inclined to take it at relaxed speeds.
The main advantage of this hybrid system, beyond the power and the 90 km of electric range, is that it operates smoothly and pleasantly. It is fairly quiet, there are no vibrations, and the transition from hybrid mode to full electric, and vice versa, is not noticeable.
Moreover, the one-speed automatic transmission helps because there are no jolts and, unlike in other hybrids, it is not very noisy when accelerating hard.
Also pleasant to drive is the suspension because, without being as soft as the Jaecoo 7’s, it is not stiff and it smoothly absorbs road irregularities and those pesky urban speed bumps. That said, it is not designed for aggressive driving.
And the same goes for the steering, which I also find better calibrated than the Jaecoo 7, but it does not measure up to Lepas’s European rivals because it is not very direct and gives little feedback. It is one of the pending items in the rest of the models sold by Chery in Spain, and the Lepas L8 is no exception, confirming that it not only shares advantages but also areas to improve.
And we cannot talk about advantages without mentioning the enormous space in the rear seats. The boot, with 507 liters of capacity (to the roof, i.e., without a tonneau), is decent, but the rear-seat spaciousness is outstanding, one of the best in the segment.
It also stands out for its equipment, both in the base trim, called Essence, and in the higher-end one, Elegance. Right from the base version it comes with 19” wheels, Full LED headlights, 540-degree surround-view camera, keyless entry and start, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a vertical 13.2” central touchscreen, and a 10.3” digital instrument cluster.
The Elegance adds 20” wheels, automatic and remote parking, synthetic leather seats in black or brown at no extra cost, an electric tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, and a Sony sound system.
Lepas L8 Price
As for price, the Lepas L8 PHEV Essence is on sale from 41,700 euros, but that is its recommended retail price, and as with almost all cars, it has little to do with its final price.
With the launch campaign, the Auto+ Plan (the brand offers it interest-free) and financing (note, at 0% APR for now), it becomes available from 33,990 euros.
The Lepas L8 PHEV Elegance has a starting MSRP of 45,200 euros and it stays at 36,490 euros in the best-case scenario.
Images | Lepas
