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Chinese premium brand Lepas enters the EV market with this L6. It's a lower-mid-sized electric crossover with a bit more polish than you might be expecting. If you want lots of kit and smart looks, it might be worth adding to your wish list.
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Background
It's good to cater to your target market. That's certainly the plan for Chinese premium maker Lepas with this important lower-mid-sized electric crossover model, the L6 EV.
This was the company's first BEV model in our market and its second UK design (after the slightly larger L8 PHEV). From a brand that likes to think of its products as being very tailored to our continent. Its motto is 'In Europe. For Europe. Be Europe'. Well the L6 isn't built in Europe and doesn't originate from engineering that's very European.
It's actually a rebadged version of a Chinese market model called the Fulwin T7, which is sold by Lepas parent company Chery. And it sits on what's called the LEX platform, which is basically the same as the T1X underpinnings used by another similarly-sized Chery Group family crossover product the Jaecoo 7.
That Jaecoo model has become a surprise success here, but it's not offered as an EV. The L6 is primarily an EV (though a PHEV version's also planned). So should you consider it as a credible lower mid-sized EV crossover contender?
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 32000 | 35000 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 111 | 111 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 7.9 | 7.9 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 279 | 279 |
| Length (mm) | 4570 | 4570 |
| Min | Max |
| Width (mm) | 1852 | 1852 |
| Height (mm) | 1676 | 1676 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 410 | 410 |
| Power (ps) | 217 | 217 |
| Torque (lb ft) | 275 | 275 |
Driving experience
Our focus here is on the L6 variant Lepas is launching first, the EV. It's the company's first full-electric model on sale here and bolts to this model's LEX platform an integrated 12-in-1 electric drive system using a front-mounted 217PS motor energised by a 65kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery apparently good for up to 279 miles of range. There's no dual motor AWD alternative, but few likely owners will need that, with the single motor model developing 275Nm of torque and making 62mph in 7.9s en route to 111mph.
The brand's keen to stress that this is more than simply another imported Oriental product, the L6 developed for our continent's roads by a dedicated European chassis team, who say they've tuned the electric power steering to the tastes of Western drivers. All the technology you might hope for is built in, including active noise cancelling and a lengthy roster of standard ADAS features.
The brand has also worked closely in Europe with braking experts Bosch to develop what it calls 'IBP 2.0' braking technology. This is supposed to refine the sometimes less-than-seamless combination of friction and regenerative braking you get in some other EV models in this segment. An electric brake booster is incorporated and Lepas says there's been a reduction in the pitching sensation you sometimes get in affordable EVs when slowing down sharply.
The L6 EV alternative, due later, is a PHEV version which uses the Chery Group's usual Super hybrid powertrain (as used by brands like Jaecoo and Omoda). This sees a 1.5-litre petrol engine, an e-motor and a battery all combined. Lepas claims this PHEV model will manage about 700 miles on a single tank and charge.
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Design and build
Lepas, never a brand prone to understatement, says the L6 has been visually designed to embody 'the agility of a running leopard'. Hence the 'Leopard Aesthetics' design philosophy in play here, most notably epitomised by the 'Hunting Eye' LED headlamps that characterise the front end. It's a cleanly-styled crossover but despite all the hyperbole, actually very little different in its aesthetic concept from the many C-SUV segment competitors it goes up against.
The price here dictates that those can potentially be of the lower-mid-sized segment kind (think plusher versions of the Skoda Elroq, Kia EV3 or Nissan LEAF). But the 4,570mm body length makes this model significantly bigger than those rivals, though it's 118mm shorter than the Lepas L8 PHEV crossover model it sits alongside in the showroom. Big 19-inch wheels and a super-thin LED tail light strip add finishing touches. The PHEV Hybrid version that will join this EV variant in the line-up in future has a completely different front end.
Inside, the expected big central touchscreen is of the portrait format variety and 13.2-inches in size, featuring what Lepas calls a 'waterfall' design. And it features a super-fast Qualcomm 8155 infotainment processor and an AI-powered voice assistant. The wraparound cockpit also incorporates an 8.88-inch Retina LCD digital driver's display which as usual in Chinese cars has rather over-small fonts.
The light, airy cabin is facilitated by a standard panoramic roof. Which obviously helps with the feeling of space you get in the rear. There, the relatively generous 2,700mm wheelbase length means a little more leg room than you get in some rivals. But many of those competitors better the 410-litre boot capacity offered by this L6. So it's fortunate that there's a further 99-litres of 'frunk' space provided beneath the bonnet, so the charging leads don't need to be stashed in the boot. With the rear bench folded, there's 1,334 litres of space.
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Market and model
For this L6 EV, expect pricing in the £32,000-£35,000 bracket, which is very class-competitive. There are two trim levels - 'Essence' or plusher 'Elevate'. Both feature 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED headlights with Intelligent High Beam Assist, LED daytime running lights and LED rear lights. Electrically adjustable, heated and power-folding door mirrors with puddle lights are also standard. Privacy glass is fitted to the rear windows and tailgate, while acoustic laminated front side windows help reduce outside noise.
Inside, both models come with a panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade, dual-zone climate control, rear air vents and a heated multifunction steering wheel, whilst a heated front windscreen, keyless entry and go and 40/60 split-folding rear seats are also standard.
'Elevate' trim adds Basalt Black full leather-effect upholstery and six-way power adjustment for both front seats, with the driver also benefiting from four-way power lumbar adjustment. Heated and ventilated front seats are standard on the 'Elevate' version, along with a power tailgate, a Nano-Aqua Ion Air Purification System and 256-colour ambient lighting.
Both models feature 22 advanced driver assistance functions. These include Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Emergency Lane Keeping, Blind Spot Detection and Traffic Jam Assist. Rear Traffic Cross Alert and Rear Traffic Cross Braking are also standard. Other features include Rear Collision Warning, Door Open Warning, Intelligent Speed Limit Control and Front Distance Monitoring.
Front and rear parking sensors and a 540-degree panoramic camera system are standard on both models, with 'Elevate' trim adding Advanced Parking Assist (APA) and Remote Parking Assist (RPA).
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Cost of ownership
Chinese EVs don't generally have very fast DC charging speeds and this one isn't much different, with a quoted DC charging rate of up to 120kW, a modest figure allowing for a 30-80% charge in around 22 minutes. At home, you'll need around 10 hours for a full charge using a single-phase 7.4kW AC wallbox; obviously, you could reduce that a bit if you had a three-phase 11kW AC supply.
A standard 3.3kW Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function also allows owners to use energy stored in the L6 EV's battery to power compatible external electrical equipment - adding useful flexibility for everything from outdoor activities to camping trips.
Every LEPAS L6 EV comes with a 7-year/100,000-mile manufacturer warranty and an 8-year/100,000-mile high-voltage battery warranty. A 12-year/unlimited-mileage corrosion perforation guarantee and 3-year/unlimited-mileage paintwork guarantee is also included.
RAC Roadside Assistance is provided for the first 12 months and is automatically renewed for up to seven years when scheduled servicing is completed at an authorised LEPAS service centre, whilst Over-the-Air (OTA) and Firmware-Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates allow software and vehicle functions to be updated throughout the car's life.
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.
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Summary
Lepas says it wants to target customers 'looking for emotional products'. We're not sure that this is one of them, but there's plenty here to interest you if you like lower mid-sized Chinese EV crossovers and you want something different from what's on offer from the usual Oriental brands. Who actually don't populate this car's particular specific market segment as densely as you might think.
This class is still largely populated by the European and Korean brands, who may feel inclined to sneer at this L6 model's marketing slogan ('Lepas is a way of living'). But they'd do well not to underestimate the brand or, to some extent in this case, the product it's selling. We can't help thinking that the L6 might be at its best in PHEV form, but the EV version we look at here will be crucial for the marque's progress in our market. Its brand's name is derived from the words 'leopard' and 'passion'; its product here is engineered from Chery Group parts. But put it all together and there might be something for you here.
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