JAKARTA: The Lepas L8 sport utility vehicle (SUV) stole the spotlight at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2025 (July 24 to August 3).
It was also the overseas debut for Chery Auto's premium Lepas brand, after its formal launch in China in April this year, under the Chinese automaker's internationalisation strategy.
At GIIAS 2025, Lepas highlighted its brand philosophy of "Colourful Life, Masterful Drive" and featured vibrant booth designs and immersive interactions.
Lepas displayed its full product lineup - the L8 for elegant lifestyle seekers, L6 as a mobile workstation for creators, and L4 for refined young drivers.
The L8 features Lepas' "Leopard Aesthetics" design — streamlined body, vertical-pupil headlights and rounded grille.
The L8 is focused on comfort, with a spacious interior and user-friendly cockpit for a "refined third space," adaptable for work or relaxation.
The L8 is built on the T1X platform with internal combustion engine (ICE), battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) options.
The platform also underpins the Chery Tiggo 7, Omoda C7, and Jaecoo J7.
Series production of the plug-in hybrid L8 was announced in April, with the smaller L6 and L4 SUVs being previewed at the launch event in China.
Lepas — pronounced “Lay-pass” — combines “Leap” and “Passion,” drawing on leopard-inspired aesthetics and other natural motifs.
Lepas aims to target younger customers with a focus on elegant mobility, blending intelligent technology with refined design.
Sedans and even smaller cars are planned.
Chery aims to roll Lepas out to 89 markets with over 1,200 outlets by 2027, targeting regions such as Southeast Asia — where SUV demand remains robust — to broaden its customer base and offset slowing sales of its core models.
