Chery-backed Lepas to lean on its parent's Australian support network as it launches

Lepas, the newest brand under Chery Group, arrives in Australia in October, and its leadership argues the brand's key advantage over other incoming Chinese players is that it doesn't have to build an operation from scratch. While sales will run through a standalone dealer network, the warranty, parts and technical systems already in place at Chery Motor Australia can carry much of the load behind the scenes.

Chery Motor Australia COO Lucas Harris told CarExpert that selling cars is the easy part — the real work lies in aftersales integration, a stage Lepas gets to skip. The brand launches with 14 dealers and aims for 50 by the end of 2027.

On the service side, existing Chery Group outlets can be enlisted as "service agents", which is especially useful for regional coverage, since the tooling and ordering systems are largely shared. The Chery brand's own network counts roughly 120 sites, tipped to reach around 150 by late 2027. Parts supply is also claimed to be robust: 98 per cent of each model's bill of materials is to be physically stocked in the country from launch day.

The lineup opens with the L6 EV, a mid-size electric crossover, before the smaller L4 and larger L8 and L9 SUVs roll out through 2028 and the L2 hatchback follows in 2028. With Lepas on board, Chery Group will have three brands in Australia, with Freelander, iCaur and Jetour set to join in 2027.