Chinese state-owned carmaker Chery has announced the launch of a fourth brand in the United Kingdom, named Lepas. The brand will focus on battery and hybrid SUVs aimed at younger families, primarily for the European market. This move continues Chery's rapid expansion in the British market, where it has quickly become a significant player.
The Lepas cars will initially be built in China and imported to the UK, which does not have the tariffs imposed by the US and EU. However, the UK government hopes Chery will eventually decide to manufacture cars in Britain. Chery's UK director, Victor Zhang, indicated in June that the company was “actively considering” building a UK plant as part of a “localisation” strategy, though no commitment has been made.
Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s largest automotive employer, is in early-stage discussions about potentially using its factories to make Chery cars, but no agreement has been announced. The launch of Lepas comes a week after Chery said it would open a research and development headquarters in Liverpool for commercial vehicles.
Chery, which has been the largest exporter of cars from China for 23 years, has made significant inroads into Europe thanks to the rise of electric cars and heavy government subsidies for Chinese manufacturers. The company launched its Omoda brand in 2024, Jaecoo in January 2025, and its eponymous brand last summer. It sold 53,600 cars in the UK in 2025, capturing 2.7% of the market and outperforming BYD, Tesla, and Mini.
In January 2025, Chery sold nearly 6,100 cars in the UK, most of which were hybrids. The Lepas brand, whose name is a made-up word vaguely referring to leopards, is positioned as a mass-market offering emphasising “fun”, contrasting with Jaecoo which has been described as a “Range Rover clone” at a lower price point.
