Peter Lyon
August 4, 2025
China’s major auto manufacturer Chery is set to debut in Malaysia in the very near future. Its new brand Lepas is a new international sub-brand of Chery, and with its official Instagram profile now live, it looks like the unfortunately named brand may soon make its way to Malaysia.
Shortly after Lepas made its global premiere at the 2025 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS), the company launched their Instagram presence in Malaysia.
The company claims that the name “Lepas” is derived from the words “LE,” which means “leap,” or “leopard,” and “PAS,” which means “passion.” Like Omoda Jaecoo, Lepas will only function as an international brand, with the Middle East, South Africa, and Southeast Asia serving as its primary markets. Chery’s eight global R&D centres will support Lepas.
Lepas celebrated the launch of its first car, the Lepas L8, in April of this year. Seemingly based on a Chery Tiggo 8 Plus, the Lepas L8 is around the same size as the Omoda C9 and Jaecoo J8, measuring 4,715 mm in length, 1,860 mm in width, and 1,745 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,710 mm.
Although the L8’s official specifications were not disclosed by Lepas, they should be similar to those of its donor vehicle, the Chery Tiggo 8 Plus, which comes with two powertrain options in China.
The first is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox that produces 197 horsepower and 290 Nm. There is also a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder option that comes with an eight-speed automated gearbox and produces 254 horsepower and 390 Nm.
The Lepas L8 is also expected to be available with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and fully-electric (EV) drivetrains, according to certain Chinese media.
The Chery Super Hybrid (CSH) system, which debuted in Malaysia recently and is said to have a combined driving range of 1,200 km, would probably serve as the basis for the PHEV powertrain.
The Chery Tiggo 8 Plus’s interior features include a 12.2-speaker Sony sound system, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a central 15.6-inch infotainment display driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chipset, and a zero-gravity front passenger seat.
As of today, Lepas Malaysia has not disclosed any details on the date of its official Instagram debut. But we do expect to see a formal launch before the end of 2025, given the brand’s international debut at GIIAS and its significant social media presence in Malaysia.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
With new groundbreaking brands, you always hope that the carmaker with find a memorable yet suitable name. To us, it sounds more like a disease than a new brand name. The origins—‘Le’ from Leopard and ‘pas’ from passion certainly have potential, but this time unfortunately—when the two words are combined, the name just doesn’t seem to work. It kind of reminds me of the Mitsubishi Dingo or the Nissan Fuga.
