L8 1.5T PHEV Elevate 5dr 1DHT

Ten Second Review

The Chery Motor Group expands its portfolio of UK brands with Lepas, whose first car on sale here is this one, the L8. This lower mid-sized family crossover is a five-seat PHEV and comes very well equipped and smartly finished. But can it stand out in its crowded segment?

Background

Along comes another Chinese brand, Lepas, aligning itself with products from a conglomerate that is growing in importance in the UK market. The Chinese motor industry knows what it's doing. Take one of its biggest players, the Chery Motor Group. Ostensibly for the UK it's a portfolio of four brands - Omoda, Jaecoo, Chery itself and now Lepas. In reality though, all these marques form one concerted approach, simply repackaging the same engineering in subtly different ways. So the Lepas L8 we look at here, a lower mid-sized crossover to initially be sold here as a PHEV, is not much different underneath from an Omoda 5, a Jaecoo 7 or a Chery Tiggo 8. The name Lepas is said to be derived from the words 'leopard', 'leap' and 'passion'. And of course other repackaged Chery Group products will join the Lepas line-up in the future.

Engines and Tech Spec

Under the skin of the L8 sits the same T1X platform the Chery Group generally uses for its mid-sized models. This can undergird ordinary petrol or all-electric powertrains, but in this case, it provides for Plug-in Hybrid unit - and one that's actually quite advanced. It's a 1.5-litre petrol engine assisted by two electric motors (one on each axle) which are energised by an 18.4kWh LFP (lithium-ion phosphate) battery supplied by CATL. Combined output is a healthy 275PS with 365Nm of torque. And 0-62mph is completed in under 9 seconds. If you keep it charged, the car will be able to cover 56 miles before it is engine cuts in. Up to 745 miles is possible when fully using both power sources. As usual with hybrids, you have to have an automatic gearbox, in this case, Chery's single-speed 'dedicated hybrid transmission'. Only the front wheels are driven. Don't expect very much driving involvement - but customers in this segment are really looking for that. So they won't mind the light steering. What they will want is a complete set of ADAS camera safety features - and the L8 doesn't disappoint, though you can expect some of them to be quite intrusive. But you can expect exemplary refinement, aided by an active noise cancellation system which blocks external road and wind noise for a quieter cabin experience.

Design and Build

For the Chery Motor Group, having lots of brands selling essentially the same cars is fine as long as those models have clearly different visual identities. If you happen to have stopped at a Chery brand showroom on the way to consider this Lepas model, you may not be completely convinced that this L8 meets that requirement. Its looks, though smart, aren't that far removed from the Chery Tiggo SUVs its engineering is based on. Something the parent conglomerate is well aware of, which is why future Tiggos will pursue a more individual styling identity. Leaving Lepas as a brand for a more conservative customer? Perhaps. There's little you could object to in the L8's smooth, clean swept-back lines. And at almost 4.7-metres long, it's properly sized for its segment. Styling subtleties unique in the Chery Group to Lepas include slimmer daytime running lights, a differing front grille and a badge that is made up of lettering emblazoned on the leading edge of the bonnet. There are smart semi-recessed door handles. And the LED headlamps hidden in the bumper are supposed to 'echo the focused intensity of a leopard's eye'. Inside, as ever with a contender from the Orient, this is a Chinese car for people like Chinese cars. Which means a broadly button-less minimalist dashboard, an oddly-styled steering wheel, an over-busy instrument display (of 10.25-inches) and a big centre screen (in this case 13.2-inches), on which all the main controls reside, other than those directly engaged with driving. That central screen is in portrait format and is at least accompanied by a row of physical short-cut buttons on the centre console. As usual with Oriental cars, there's scratchy faux leather upholstery and a big wireless charging mat. What might really sell you an L8 though, is the space it offers on the rear seat. It shares its underpinnings (and 2,800mm wheelbase length) with the Chery Tiggo 9 - a seven-seater. This car lacks a third row, so you'd imagine that leg space in its second row might be generous; and so it proves, with 970mm of rear leg room. Plus the rear backrest reclines. Boot space generous (at up to 507-litres) and will take two large suitcases, plus there's plenty of under-floor storage.

Market and Model

To start with, this L8 comes only in a single PHEV SUV form (though an EV version will follow) and pricing starts from around £35,000, which gets you base 'Essence' trim. Ideally,you'd find another £3,000 for the plusher PHEV 'Elevate' version. Which is decent value for a family-sized Plug-in Hybrid SUV, considering the amount of equipment that Lepas includes as standard. Even with base 'Essence' spec, expect just about everything you could want. Which means a panoramic sunroof, a premium audio system, a 50W wireless smartphone charging mat and 10.25-inch digital driver display. Media connectivity's taken care of by a 13.2-inch portrait touchscreen, a large vertically-orientated central display that controls most of the vehicle's functions. As usual with a Chinese brand, there's a complete full portfolio of ADAS drive assist features, including autonomous emergency braking, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Adaptive Cruise Control. Plus a full suite of airbags, all linked to an eCall system. If you can stretech to top 'Elevate' spec, you'll also get larger 20-inch wheels (replacing the 'Essence' model's 19-inch rims), along with Active Engine Noise Cancellation, a powered tailgate, front parking sensors, a heated windscreen and an Advanced Parking Assist system with Remote Parking Assist. Inside with 'Elevate' trim, you get power-adjustable heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, leather-effect upholstery, a 540-degree Panoramic Camera System, a SONY Premium 8-speaker Audio System, 256-colour ambient lighting, acoustic laminated front windows and an Active Fragrance system that integrates cabin scenting to maintain an inviting environment. And there's a Negative-Ion air purification system designed to monitor air quality and purify the cabin air.

Cost of Ownership

As you'd expect given the shared Chery engineering, efficiency stats for the Lepas L8 aren't very much different from those that much the same powertrain delivers in the similarly-engineered Chery Tiggo 8. The combined consumption is quoted at 403.5mpg; in reality, expect the kind of returns you might previously have got from a good diesel in this class, so you'll get a decent range (up to around 745 miles) from the 60-litre fuel tank. The Super Hybrid's CO2 reading is 21g/km, qualifying the L8 to drive free-of-charge in London's ultra-low emissions zone. DC fast charging is available. Expect the L8 to charge at up to 40kW and you'll need about 20 minutes to charge from 30 to 80%. Or the car can self-charge on the go. There's an 8 year unlimited mileage battery warranty for the PHEV. Lepas customers can expect to get a 7 year unlimited mileage warranty and a year's roadside assistance. Affordable servicing plans will be available at point of purchase and servicing turnround times will be aided by a UK parts warehouse established in cooperation with DHL.

Summary

The Chery Motor Group multi-brand approach seems to be working because even without Lepas, the conglomerate is managing to keep up with BYD in our market with combined Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery sales. And the combined sales of those three marques out-strip those of established UK brands like Tesla and MINI. It's difficult to know how great the contribution of the Lepas L8 will be to that continuing upward momentum. It's a cleanly packaged, sensible product, but it's difficult to see what it offers that you don't already get with much the same engineering in a Jaecoo 7, an Omoda 5 or one of the various Chery Tiggo SUVs. Still, if you find styling of the Jaecoo and the Omoda divisive and the look of the Tiggo models too bland (and we can see why you might), then perhaps the L8 is your car. That's if you can ignore the other value-based family PHEV crossovers on the market, like for instance the Geely Starray EM-i and BYD's Sealion 6 U DM-i and Seal U DM-i models. One thing's for certain. If you're shopping in this segment and want to try something affordably new, you're not short of choice.