New model to enter SA's hotly contested market

HOT on the heels of the new Lepas brand’s L8 flagship SUV, which made its global debut last month, the first example of the Lepas L4 compact SUV has rolled off the assembly line.

- JASON WOOSEY

As with the L8, the new L4 has been confirmed for South African introduction. The Chery-owned Lepas brand is set to debut locally in the first quarter of next year.

A midsize L6 model will also be launched globally, with local introduction also a possibility.

Lepas has not yet released detailed specifications for its new L4 compact model, but reports from abroad indicate that it will be based on the Chery Tiggo Cross, which is known as the new-generation Tiggo 4 in most overseas markets.

Power is likely to come from a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and given Chery’s new energy push, a hybrid version will surely be in the running too.

Pricing points remain unknown at this stage, but Lepas models are expected to carry a premium over their Chery equivalents.