Lepas L4 EV makes Australian debut ahead of December launch
Australian homologation filing reveals new details of Chery’s 450km small electric SUVThe News
The Lepas L4 EV has made its Australian public debut and surfaced in local homologation documents ahead of its December 2026 launch as the new Chery-owned brand’s second model.
The Key Details
- Lepas L4 EV due in Australia in December 2026
- Follows larger L6 EV into showrooms by two months
- ROVER filing confirms 160kW front-wheel drive powertrain
- Australian L4 homologated to tow up to 1250kg braked
- 65kWh LFP battery delivers claimed 450km WLTP range
The Finer Details
Lepas is wasting little time expanding its Australian line-up, with the L4 small electric SUV set to become the new Chery-owned brand’s second model when it launches locally in December.
The L4 will follow the larger L6 EV, which is scheduled to kick off the Lepas brand’s Australian rollout in October.
The L4 made its Australian public debut at Everything Electric Sydney last weekend, shortly after being previewed to local media alongside the L6 and other members of the incoming Lepas range.
It has now also surfaced in the federal government’s ROVER vehicle homologation database, providing further confirmation of its impending launch while revealing previously undisclosed details of the Australian-market version.
The Road Vehicle Descriptor identifies the vehicle by its internal T371 model code and Lepas 4/L4 marketing designation, with a single front-wheel drive EV variant currently listed.
It confirms the five-seat L4 measures 4420mm long, 1817mm wide and 1629mm high, rides on a 2700mm wheelbase, and has 171mm of ground clearance.
The ROVER filing also lists a tare weight of 1750kg and gross vehicle mass of 2256kg, along with a 1250kg braked towing capacity and 750kg unbraked limit.
The Australian L4 is also listed with 18-inch wheels and 215/55 R18 tyres.
Power comes from a single 160kW electric motor driving the front wheels, matching specifications revealed by Lepas Australia at a media preview in Sydney last week.
Lepas Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris confirmed at the event that the L4 will use the same 65kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and 160kW motor as the larger L6, but will deliver a longer claimed WLTP driving range of 450km.
Despite being 150mm shorter than the 4570mm L6, the L4 shares its 2700mm wheelbase.
“450 kilometres of range, same battery, same power, a little bit shorter overall, but the same wheelbase,” Harris told Australian media.
“So you'll get the space and an easier car to park in. It goes a little further than the L6, but nothing has been taken out of it.”
The L4 and L6 are part of an aggressive Australian product rollout planned by Lepas, which will offer five model lines spanning a hatchback and four SUV sizes.
After the L6 EV arrives in October and the L4 EV in December, plug-in hybrid versions of the L6 and L4 are scheduled for March and June 2027 respectively.
The larger L8 PHEV is scheduled to launch in September 2027, with the flagship L9 PHEV also due in the second half of the year. Battery-electric versions of the L8 and L9 are slated for 2028, when the L2 hatchback is also scheduled to arrive with battery-electric and hybrid powertrains.
Harris said Lepas intends to have almost its entire initial five-model family in Australia by the end of 2027.
“We will have five cars initially. A small hatchback, and then a small, medium, large and extra-large SUV. Every one of them battery electric or plug-in hybrid,” he said.
“The first car will arrive in the fourth quarter ... and then by the end of 2027, we'll have the full range just about here, maybe the last one early 2028.”
Lepas says its new LEX architecture was developed from the outset for electrified vehicles, with battery-electric powertrains taking priority and plug-in hybrids offered across most of the range.
Australian pricing and full equipment specifications for the L4 have yet to be announced.
The Road Ahead
The L6 EV will launch Lepas in Australia in October, followed by the L4 EV in December. The L6 PHEV is due in March 2027 and the L4 PHEV in June, with the L8 and L9 expanding the SUV range later in 2027.
Lepas is just part of a continued Chery expansion in Australia, with the iCaur and Freelander SUV brands also incoming.
Chery-owned Jetour is also headed our way, but will be managed separately.
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