Lepas L6 Electric SUV Confirmed for Australia Q4 2026: Another Chery Sub-Brand Joins The Mid-Size EV Fight

Image credit: Lepas / Chery International

If you are a Chery dealer principal, this week was probably a long one. Chery Group has now locked in a third local brand in four years, with Lepas confirmed for an Australian launch in the fourth quarter of 2026, kicking off with a mid-size electric SUV called the L6. For a buyer trying to make sense of the affordable EV shelf, the question is no longer whether another Chinese mid-sizer is coming. It is whether this one is different enough from the BYD Atto 3, the Geely EX5 and the steadily cheaper Tesla Model Y to justify a look.

On paper the L6 is the cleanest entry yet from the Chery family. A 67kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, a single 160kW front motor and a claimed 450km of WLTP range place it almost exactly on top of the Geely EX5 Extended Range we covered last week. The bigger story is the way Chery is positioning the brand. Lepas Australia gets its own dealer network, its own showroom identity and a price ladder that sits roughly 5 per cent above Omoda Jaecoo, which is the segment Chery already plays in. That is a different play from Geely or BYD, both of which run a single brand through a single network. It also means more dealer foot traffic, more demo stock, more service capacity and more competition for the customer dollar, all from a group that already owns a sub-brand or two.

Pricing

Lepas Australia has not released Australian list pricing for the L6. What the brand has said is that L6 and L4 retail will sit a little above the Omoda Jaecoo line. Using that as a guide, plus what comparable Chinese mid-size EVs are doing now, here is where the L6 is likely to land. Treat the figures below as our forecast, not a Lepas announcement, until the brand confirms.

For context, the Geely EX5 Complete opens at $41,990 before on-road costs with a 60.2kWh battery and 430km of range, and the BYD Atto 3 Premium sits at $44,990 driveaway with a 60.5kWh blade pack. If Lepas wants to win the comparison, the L6 needs to land at or below those two numbers, or it has to back its premium positioning with genuinely better kit, finish and software. A 5 per cent walk above Omoda Jaecoo lines up at roughly $40,000 to $45,000 before on-roads, which is the right neighbourhood, but it is not a free lunch.

Powertrain and Range

The Australian-bound L6 launches as a single-motor electric, with the petrol Super Hybrid sitting on the global menu but not yet locked in for local showrooms. The headline numbers are a 67kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, a 160kW and 275Nm front motor, and a WLTP range that Chery quotes at around 450km. DC fast charging tops out at 120kW, with a claimed 30 to 80 per cent recharge in roughly 20 minutes on a fast charger. AC charging speed has not been confirmed for Australia, although the global spec runs an 11kW onboard.

A 67kWh pack feeding a single 160kW motor is not a stretch in 2026. What matters is the consumption number it backs up. 450km from 67kWh works out at roughly 14.9kWh/100km on the WLTP cycle, which is acceptable but not class leading. The Geely EX5 Extended Range now claims 475km from a similar 68.4kWh, the BYD Atto 3 Premium claims 420km from 60.5kWh, and the Tesla Model Y RWD still claims 466km from 62.5kWh. Lepas is in the middle of the pack on efficiency. The 120kW DC peak is also a step behind the 800V offerings from Hyundai and Kia, but ahead of the 88 to 100kW that most rivals in the segment actually achieve.

Inside and Equipment

Image credit: Lepas / Chery International

Final Australian equipment lists are not out, but the global L6 sets the floor. Expect a large landscape-oriented central touchscreen, a slim digital instrument display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, climate control with a separate rear vent set, synthetic leather seats, a powered driver pew, and at least one USB-C port per row. A panoramic glass roof is on the global feature list and is part of how Lepas wants to differentiate from Omoda and Jaecoo, alongside softer trim materials and ambient lighting.

The interior architecture leans on the new LEX platform Chery built for its sub-brands. We expect a 12.3 to 15.6 inch screen as standard, voice control with native and cloud processing, and a fairly heavy reliance on the touchscreen for climate. That suits some buyers and frustrates others. We will run the same hard-button audit we did on the BYD Seal and the Geely EX5 once a press car lands.

Safety

The Lepas L6 has not yet been assessed by ANCAP. We would expect submission well before the Q4 launch, with Lepas chasing a 5-star result to match the Chery, Omoda Jaecoo, BYD and Geely lines already on sale here. Standard driver-assist hardware on the global spec includes AEB with cyclist and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a 360-degree camera. Until ANCAP confirms a rating, we will list the L6 as not yet rated and update it the day a star count appears.

How It Compares

The mid-size electric SUV slot at $40,000 to $50,000 before on-roads is the most crowded in the Australian EV market right now. Here is where the L6 fits, based on the figures Chery has put on the table.

The L6 needs to either price under the Geely EX5 or out-equip it. On range and motor output it is a very close match, so the differentiation has to come elsewhere. The biggest unknown is what trim, what audio, what driver-assist software and what warranty Lepas pairs with the Australian car. If it lands at $44,990 with a 5-year warranty and average kit, it will be a tough sell against the cars above. If it lands at $39,990 with 7 years of cover, a panoramic roof, and a sharper UI than the Geely, that conversation flips.

Warranty and Service

Lepas has not confirmed an Australian warranty term. Chery currently offers 7 years and unlimited kilometres on its mainstream range, with an 8-year battery warranty. We would be very surprised if Lepas opens below those figures, given the brand is positioned above Chery on price. Capped-price servicing detail is still pending, as is the service interval. For a head-to-head with the rest of the market, see our warranty comparison.

The CarSorted Angle

The interesting bit is not the L6 itself. It is the fact that Chery is willing to run three separate dealer networks across one country. On CarSorted, the existing Chery-group lineup already covers the Tiggo 4 from around $23,990, the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid PHEV from $39,990, the Omoda E5 EV from $42,990 and the Jaecoo J7 SHS plug-in hybrid from $47,990. Slot a Lepas L6 BEV in around $44,990 and a buyer walking into a mall now has four Chery-built mid-size options at the same price point, sold under four different signs. That is more confusing than it is helpful, and it is the strongest argument we have for using the CarSorted electric SUV directory instead of trying to keep track on foot.

If you want to see where the L6 will likely sit on a side-by-side basis, our BYD Atto 3 vs Geely EX5 comparison is the closest live benchmark, because the L6 effectively splits the difference on battery, motor output and footprint. When Lepas confirms Australian pricing, we will add the L6 directly to that page so the maths is one click rather than three browser tabs.

What This Means For Buyers

If you were already cross-shopping the Geely EX5 at $41,990 and the BYD Atto 3 Premium at $44,990, hold fire if you can wait until October or November. Lepas is the third Chery brand in four years, and history says it will launch with sharp introductory pricing, a long warranty and at least one feature the Geely and BYD do not match, because that is the only way a fourth Chinese mid-size EV gets traction in this market. Even if you end up buying the Geely or the BYD, the L6 arriving will almost certainly drag a few thousand dollars out of both of those cars over Q4 and into the first half of 2027.

If you have a 60-month novated lease window opening late in 2026 and you can plug in at home, the L6 is worth a serious look on the FBT-exempt side. A 67kWh LFP pack with a claimed 450km range covers more than 95 per cent of Australian household commutes on a single charge, and the 120kW DC peak is fine for the occasional long weekend. Just understand that you are buying brand 1.0 from a sub-brand 1.0, on a model 1.0. Resale value forecasts for Lepas in Australia are guesswork at this point, and warranty service depends on dealer rollout pace. If that risk reads as too much for your situation, the Geely EX5 is the safer mid-size EV play right now, with the BYD Atto 3 a close second.

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