Leap made as Lepas pounces on South Africa with promising L4

L4 opens Lepas’ product range in South Africa. Picture: Charl Bosch Officially China’s newest vehicle brand, Lepas launched its South African operations this week with the first of three planned models. Later to be joined by new energy vehicle brand iCaur, Lepas becomes the five Chery-owned brand in South Africa after its parent company, Omoda, Jaecoo and Jetour.

Founded last year as a means of breaching the gap between Chery and Omoda, the brand describes itself as premium, elegant, sophisticated and technology driven. As with its parent, Omoda & Jaecoo and Jetour, though, Lepas will operate separately from an initial dealer network of 33 outlets across the country. Its name derived from “leap” and “passion” – the former referencing a leopard – the official launch in Johannesburg this week involved the L4, which becomes the brand’s entry-level product.

Later to be joined by the L6 and L8, the L4 slots-in between the most affordable Chery Tiggo 4 Pro and Tiggo Cross, with a line-up comprising three derivatives. The launch route stretching from Randburg to the Cradle of the Humankind and then back, the first meet with the L4 involved the flagship Pantera. Its design said to be main reference to the leopard, the L4 rides on a platform called LEX, with dimensions of 4 406 mm in overall length, a wheelbase of 2 700 mm, height of 1 635 mm and width of 1 802 mm.

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Providing seating for five, the L4’s boot can accommodate 458-litres of luggage or 1 284-litres with the rear seats folded flat. In the Tiggo 4 Pro, packing space varies between 340 and 1 100-litres.

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