2027 Lepas L6 review: Quick drive

If you thought there weren't enough Chinese car brands operating in Australia, Chery has you covered.

First there was Chery itself, then came Omoda Jaecoo, and now it's time for Lepas. It gets better, too: there are five more Chery-owned brands coming to Australia by the end of 2027, so try to keep up.

Unlike the more family-oriented Chery brand, the tech-heavy Omoda brand, and the adventure-focused Jaecoo brand, Lepas is being pitched as a premium brand with value pricing. And of course, Chery doesn't expect you to confuse them all.

Initially focusing entirely on electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), Lepas is launching with just one SUV but aims to have a whole host of models on sale in Australia by 2028, including a 'halo' hatchback.

For now, that one SUV is the L6 EV. It's a mid-size electric SUV priced above existing mid-size SUVs from Chery and Omoda Jaecoo, albeit with slightly different styling.

It's a front-wheel drive model with around 440km of driving range, and it'll be joined by a different-looking L6 PHEV version at some point in 2027. Oh, and Lepas cars will be sold via independent Lepas dealerships, not existing Chery or Omoda Jaecoo ones.

Confusingly, Lepas insists the L6 utilises a bespoke platform built specifically for the brand, known as LEXP. That's despite various online sources stating the L6 is closely related to the Jaecoo J7 and the Chinese-market Chery Fulwin T7, both of which use Chery's established T1X platform.

Regardless, the fact of the matter is there's another new electric SUV in town, promising to shake up the same-same establishment with bright paint colours and a "non-conformist" design. To see how that works, CarExpert attended the brand's Australian media launch in Sydney for a first taste of the new L6 EV.

Is it really as unique as the brand promises?

How much does the Lepas L6 cost?

The sole Lepas L6 Signature variant now available is priced at $47,990 before on-road costs.

There's a glut of rivals on sale in Australia, so we've picked three that are close in size and price. This includes the Geely EX5 Inspire at $45,990 before on-road costs, the GAC Aion V Luxury at $44,590 plus on-roads, and the BYD Atto 3 Evo Premium at $46,990 plus ORCs.

Outside the Chinese cohort, a decent alternative might be the Skoda Elroq 60 Select, priced at $48,990 plus ORCs. A useful price yardstick is still the top-selling, Chinese-built Tesla Model Y, which starts at $58,900 plus ORCs.

Within the Chery stable, the L6 EV ranks among the more expensive models. It costs more than the top-spec Jaecoo J7 and the base version of the larger Jaecoo J8 once on-road costs are applied, as well as the top-spec Chery Tiggo 8 PHEV.

To see how the Lepas L6 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Lepas L6 like on the inside?

The L6's cabin certainly isn't visually distinctive, but it is serviceable in the real world.

On first impressions, build quality feels quite good. There's a solid vibe to everything, and some material choices appear nicer than we're used to from Chery – as you'd hope, given the price.

Additionally, the woodgrain-like plastic on the centre console and dashboard has a satisfying texture, and the generally restrained, mature colour palette is nicely accented by subtle metallic hints scattered about.

It isn't revolutionary, though, and the general cabin layout is practically identical to most other Chinese SUVs. But if you enjoy other Chery interiors, you'll probably feel right at home in the L6.

And because the Signature is technically the L6's flagship trim level, there's no shortage of amenities. The quilted synthetic leather seat upholstery is the real highlight, because it brings a touch of visual flair to seats that are quite soft and generally comfortable.

Unfortunately, it still lacks seat-base angle adjustment, which is disappointing but not surprising, given the vast majority of Chinese SUVs also lack it. There's otherwise a decent range of powered adjustment, and heating and ventilation functions are included as standard.

The steering wheel appears to be lifted straight from the Jaecoo J7. It has a flat bottom, thin rim, and a large-ish diameter, and it's wrapped in smooth synthetic leather – it gets the job done.

As with Jaecoo vehicles, we don't love the glossy haptic 'buttons' on its horizontal spokes, as they're not tactile to use and show fingerprints like nobody's business. Still, at least there are 'physical' controls here, because you'll notice the cabin is largely button-averse.

As ever, digital screens are the name of the game here. The 13.2-inch portrait-style touchscreen in the middle is your main control hub, as it houses climate settings, vehicle settings, and of course entertainment options.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and there are some easy gestures programmed for convenience. You can swipe up from the bottom of the screen for quick access to the climate menu, or swipe down from the top for a mountain of customisable widgets.

The screen looks nice graphically and was responsive during our short drive. There's also a small strip of buttons below the screen, but it isn't as useful as it could be. The most worthwhile inclusion here is the drive mode button, simply because it's convenient.

The instrument display, meanwhile, is quite slim in front of the wheel. There isn't much to play with here, but you can flick through a couple of menus using the steering wheel controls. Also, there's an optional dark theme for both screens if you prefer.

Storage-wise, the front of the L6's cabin is decent. You get a standard wireless phone charger next to a 'blank' pad on the centre console, along with two cupholders, and there's a sizeable storage box under the armrest. Underneath the centre console 'bridge' is also a large tray.

The second row is spacious, and the panoramic sunroof doesn't eat into headroom. There's plenty of space to slide across the bench seat if need be, and legroom shouldn't be an issue for most people.

The seats themselves are also nicely padded and finished in more of that quilted fake leather. There's a pleasant feel to the area back here, and it's capped off by a soft fold-down armrest and a series of rear-facing air vents, the latter found on the back of the centre console and the floor.

Moving to the boot reveals plenty of cargo-carrying capacity. The quoted space of 435 litres is slightly larger than the Jaecoo J7, and practically identical to a front-wheel drive BYD Atto 3.

Unfortunately, there's nothing under the floor beyond some extra storage cubbies – only a tyre repair kit is included. There's also a disappointing lack of anything under the bonnet; another storage compartment would be greatly appreciated.

To see how the Lepas L6 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

Just one powertrain is currently available for the Lepas L6 – a front-wheel drive EV with one electric motor. Peak power and torque outputs are quoted at 160kW and 275Nm, with energy sourced from a 65kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

A PHEV version is tentatively locked in for an Australian launch in 2027, though specifications have yet to be confirmed.

We didn't get enough time in the L6 on the Lepas launch event to record a representative real-world energy consumption figure, but one vehicle was showing 14.2kWh/100km on its trip computer after nearly three hours of driving.

To see how the Lepas L6 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Lepas L6 drive?

The L6's drive experience is, commendably, just fine. There's nothing necessarily bad about it, even if it's far from outstanding.

Almost all the negative things we've complained about with other Chery models don't apply to the Lepas, and it seems the company's engineers have genuinely taken feedback on board.

Nowhere is that more obvious than the L6's safety gear. Our limited impressions from the launch event suggest it's well-calibrated, and it seems to be one of the least obnoxious Chery cars we've driven so far in terms of ADAS execution.

There are caveats, of course. We didn't get a full test of driver-assistance systems like cruise control, nor did we really have enough time to see whether any issues eventually cropped up. But other safety systems like lane-keep assist and driver attention monitoring were unintrusive; the latter only piped up once during a prolonged head-check, which is refreshing.

When it comes to the L6's on-road manners, they're again inoffensive. There's an undeniably nondescript character about it all, because nothing really jumps out as disappointingly bad or surprisingly good.

Take the steering. It feels less wobbly than we've experienced in Cherys of the past, but it's still very light and numb feeling by default. There's almost no communication between the front wheels and your hands. While the L6 isn't a sports car, this makes it difficult to meter your inputs as precisely as you may like.

The same is true of the brake pedal. While it feels reasonably solid underfoot, it's weirdly difficult to gauge exactly how much pressure you're applying. For many, these won't be dealbreakers, and the L6 is still better than many Chery models in these respects.

As for the powertrain, it's a straightforward setup that works well. Throttle calibration is good, and it's very easy to modulate power delivery. Sharp inputs will still spin the front wheels though, especially while turning.

The available power is solid but not phenomenal; it's enough to get the L6 moving in a hurry. There's even pronounced propulsion noise under load that sounds more spaceship than synthesised four-pot.

And naturally, it's very smooth. If you want to slow down without the brake pedal, there are three equally smooth regenerative braking settings that do what they say on the tin. There's no one-pedal driving capability, however, even in the strongest regen strength.

An odd quirk here is the on-screen integration of these regen controls. You can assign the 'star' button on the steering wheel as a regen controller, but pressing it opens a widget in the middle of the central touchscreen that doesn't close on its own, blocking whatever you had open.

The convenience of a regen shortcut button is therefore somewhat eroded. Lepas is at least aware of this and has promised to make improvements where necessary.

Ride quality, meanwhile, appears to have been tuned 'European-style' in fairly typical Chinese EV fashion. That's to say it's relatively firm and doesn't feel too floaty, but isn't by any means uncomfortable.

Body control could still be better, however, as harsh bumps will often buck the cabin more than we'd like. Perhaps slightly softer damping could offset the firm initial hits.

Handling-wise, there's an acceptable amount of body roll, and the L6 remains mostly composed. Again, that numb steering lets it down, as it doesn't telegraph enough of the car's physics to accurately place it in turns.

Overall on-road composure is well sorted, though, and it helps that the L6 gets reasonable Kumho rubber from the factory. It certainly feels more sure-footed than plenty of other Chinese EVs.

Similarly, general refinement levels are solid. Road and wind noise are kept at acceptable levels, though we'd be interested to see if that holds up on coarse-chip country road surfaces – the curated drive route at the launch was quite smooth.

There are just a handful of drive modes on offer, selectable using one of the few physical buttons on the centre console. They all perform as expected, with Eco mode softening throttle response and Sport mode sharpening it back up.

It also adds weight to the steering, though it feels quite artificial and doesn't really improve road feel. Normal mode is where the L6 feels best.

All up, the L6 provides a pleasant driving experience. It may even have a slight edge in key areas over other Chery products, but we're yet to assess whether they're worth the not-so-slight price premium.

To see how the Lepas L6 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

At launch, the Lepas L6 is available in one highly equipped variant.

2027 Lepas L6 Signature equipment highlights:

• Heat pump
• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Kumho Ecsta PS71 tyres
• Tyre repair kit
• Auto LED headlights
• LED front and rear fog lights
• LED tail-lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Power-folding heated side mirrors
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• 'Premium' steering wheel
• Synthetic leather seat upholstery
• 6-way power driver's seat with lumbar and position memory
• 6-way power front passenger seat
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• 8.88-inch digital instrument display
• 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Bluetooth
• DAB+ digital radio
• Intelligent voice command
• 8-speaker Sony sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• 2 x front USB-C ports
• 1 x rear USB-A port
• 1 x rear USB-C port
• Dual-zone climate control
• Interior ambient lighting
• Panoramic sunroof
• Rear privacy glass
• Power tailgate
• Keyless entry

To see how the Lepas L6 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Lepas L6 safe?

The 2027 Lepas L6 has yet to be crash-tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP and is therefore unrated.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 7 airbags, incl:
• • Front
  • Front-side
  • Front-centre
  • Curtain
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Autonomous parking assist with remote parking assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver attention monitoring
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane-centring
• Lane-departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safe exit warning
• Surround-view monitor
• Tyre pressure monitoring

To see how the Lepas L6 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Lepas L6 cost to run?

Lepas Australia offers a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, and an eight-year, 200,000km high-voltage battery warranty.

Lepas Australia says it will offer a capped-price servicing program, but it has yet to announce pricing or specific maintenance intervals.

To see how the Lepas L6 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Lepas L6 Signature

The Lepas L6 is a fine vehicle with slight improvements over most other Chery models in several key areas, but it needs to do more to stand out from the crowd.

Its interior is solid, if a little too screen-heavy, and its on-road manners are more than acceptable. Chery has also clearly improved its safety tech, which leaves us with positive first impressions.

But the L6 is more expensive than most existing Chery-built SUVs, even those larger than it. More than $50,000 on the road is a tough ask when this car is only a little bit better than some related SUVs that are a lot cheaper.

Maybe the bespoke dealer network will help it stand out, but it just doesn't feel like there's enough distinction within the model itself. Two bright colours only go so far, unfortunately.

It's almost like the Lepas L6 has an identity crisis. It's certainly among the better models from the Chery stable to both sit in and drive, but many may find its more 'premium' positioning hard to justify – maybe the incoming Lepas hatchback will make more sense when it arrives here.

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MORE: Explore the Lepas L6 showroom