Lepas

L8

The Lepas L8 is a stylish, affordable and practical SUV that has kick-started another new Chinese firm for the UK market. With its standard plug-in hybrid powertrain, generous equipment list and spacious cabin, is this another Chinese brand that’s going to dominate the UK’s best-sellers’ list?

Test Drive

Lepas L8 – First Drive (2026)

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you but there is another new Chinese brand that has arrived here in the UK.

Lepas is owned by the Chery Group who have already enjoyed a sales phenomenon with its Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda brands and now Lepas is adding to this successful mix. Named after a leopard (Le) combined with passion (Pas), the brand is not holding back and has gone straight to the premium midsize SUV market with its first model, the L8.

Starting with its looks, the L8 seems to be a styling mix up of lots of different cars with its Audi-esque silhouette and Porsche Cayenne-looking rear end.

The L8 will be offered in just two trim levels called Essence and Elevate, while all models are very well priced with the entry-level car coming in at £34,900 and rising to £37,900 for the range-topping model.

In terms of design, the L8’s front end features narrow LED headlights that resemble feline eyes from a leopard and there is a huge diamond-patterned front grille. The L8 doesn’t do anything radical in its appearance, though it’s not offensive to the eye, either.

The interior is typical of any Chinese product in which it focuses on minimalism with touchscreens given priority over physical controls. The main focal point is a 13.2-inch portrait infotainment screen which is a bit sluggish among input, though you do get a physical control dial and a couple of shortcut buttons located below the screen.

Powering the car is Lepas’ Super-Hybrid set-up which uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor and 18.4kWh battery pack. This new format promises exceptional efficiency, while Lepas claims the car can travel up to 56 miles on electric power.

There’s no shortage of creature comforts, as our range-topping Elevate car comes with a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, an eight-speaker Sony premium sound system, ambient lighting and leather-like upholstery. It’s just a shame that the car lacks a heated steering wheel, which has become a common standard piece of equipment on lots of the L8’s rivals.

The portrait infotainment screen features wireless smartphone mirroring with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while there is a voice-activated personal assistant which allows you to say certain voice commands to control various features within the vehicle.

With 275bhp and 365Nm of torque, the L8 provides a decent amount of power, while the car has been set up for European roads, according to the firm’s bosses. Behind the wheel, the L8 is smooth, composed and refined, but hit a large pothole and the suspension seems to send a rather large shudder through the car. On a twisty road, the handling is not class-leading but it’s perfectly acceptable and body lean is kept in check which makes it feel more stable. On the motorway, the car can hold its own but we did notice some tyre and wind noise entering the cabin, making it not as quiet at 70mph than some of its rivals.

There are drive modes called Eco, Comfort, Sport, Custom and Pure – Sport adds weight to the steering and gives a sharper throttle response. Although in Comfort mode the steering feels too light and lacks any feedback, which doesn’t give total confidence when driving on a faster road.

Space and practicality is where the L8 really stands out as the boxy design means that four adults can sit in the car with lots of head, leg and shoulder room. Furthermore, the middle-seat passenger won’t be struggling for foot room as there is a completely flat floor.

The cabin is complemented by a large storage area beneath the centre console, a deep central cubby, a glovebox, wide door bins with space for a water bottle, front and rear cup holders, seat back pockets, a wireless charging pad with active cooling to prevent phones from overheating, plus two USB-A and two USB-C ports.

In the boot, the L8 can accommodate 507 litres of space, while the 60:40 split-folding rear bench swells that room to 1,314 litres. There is also a false boot floor which is perfect for storing the car’s charging cables, too.

When it comes to running costs, Lepas claim that the L8 can achieve up to 47.1mpg on the WLTP cycle and produces just 21g/km of CO2. That equates to a first-year road tax charge of £115, increasing to the standard £200 in year two.

The L8 comes with lots of standard safety kit as well as featuring the latest driver assist systems, though the car has not yet been crash tested by Euro NCAP. Every L8 is backed up by a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, which increases to eight years or 100,000 miles for the battery pack.

Overall, the Lepas L8 is a competent and well-equipped entrant into this thriving market. Its driving dynamics and space are perfectly acceptable, though the jiggly ride, hesitant infotainment system and lack of steering feel let the side down a little.

But with competitive prices, an efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain, premium looks and a large boot capacity, this could be enough to tempt any family into this new Chinese entrant, and with the success of Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda, Lepas will likely follow in their footsteps.