Behind the wheel of the Lepas L8 Super Hybrid: 279 CV, 90 km of electric range, up to 1,040 km of total range and a "bargain" price

The Chery family is starting to grow in Spain. Following Omoda and Jaecoo and the revival of Ebro, Lepas now arrives with the aim of carving out its own space within the group… and in a market where Chinese brands keep arriving with all kinds of proposals. Lepas makes its official debut with the Lepas L8 Super Hybrid, a 4.69-metre SUV that shares technology with models such as the Omoda 7 SHS, the Jaecoo 7 SHS and the Ebro s700 and S800 PHEV, but that seeks to stand out through a more elegant design and greater attention to detail.

The brand makes it clear from the outset that it does not intend to compete with premium manufacturers. Its goal is to offer an alternative with its own personality, a carefully considered presentation, plenty of equipment and technology already proven in other models in the group. And after this first contact, I think the L8 manages to mark a clear distance from its “cousins”. Moreover, it doesn’t limit itself to changing logos or certain bodywork elements. The L8’s personality is also evident in the cabin, in the configuration of the screens and in a specific chassis tuning that represents a step forward compared with some of the first Chinese models to reach our market.

A large SUV, but with balanced proportions

The LEPAS L8 measures 4,688 mm in length, 1,871 mm in width and 1,686 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm. It is therefore a SUV of considerable size, although its design disguises the volume of the bodywork quite well. The brand calls its design language “Leopard Aesthetics”, inspired by the shapes and movements of a leopard. Setting aside the usual design explanations, the result is a bodywork with clean lines, without excessive ornamentation and with an image that is more sober than aggressive.

At the front, the slim LED light units stand out and, above all, a large grille with a geometric lattice pattern. The profile combines a rising shoulder line with flush door handles and darkened pillars, while at the rear a light strip joins the tail lights and visually accentuates the car’s width. Personally, I think that seen from a three-quarter front view or head-on the L8 has its own personality; however, from a rear three-quarter view the design seems much more conventional, even similar to other Chinese SUVs.

The Essence trim uses 19-inch wheels with 235/50 tyres, while the Elegance increases the diameter to 20 inches, with 235/45 tyres. The colour range offers five options: Oceanic Green, Glacier White, Boreal Violet, Onyx Black and Lunar Grey. It is not a car that seeks to attract attention through extravagant solutions. Its appeal lies precisely in a fairly balanced combination of elegance, presence and formal simplicity.

An interior different from its relatives

The cabin is one of the areas where Lepas has put the most effort into differentiating the L8 from other SUVs in the Chery Group. The presentation is pleasant, the fit and finish feel solid and there is a good combination of soft-touch surfaces and harder materials in the less visible areas, without ever, as I said at the beginning, becoming a premium model. The element that most influences the design is the 13.2-inch vertical central screen. Lepas thus departs from the large horizontal screen found, for example, in models such as the Ebro s800 or Jaecoo 8.

I wouldn’t say one layout is objectively better than the other, because it depends greatly on each driver’s preferences. Personally, when it comes to operating the menus I find a horizontal screen more comfortable, which in the aforementioned models, with this layout, can also be larger. However, the L8’s vertical solution frees up more dashboard surface and gives the interior a certain personality. The instrumentation is entrusted to a separate 10.25-inch digital screen.

The multimedia system uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 processor and offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its operation is smooth, although the number of menus and options requires a short adaptation period. Lepas has kept physical buttons for some of the main functions, which makes things easier while driving. There is also a rotary dial on the console for selecting the driving modes. The gear lever is located on the steering column, which makes better use of the space in the centre console, where we find a cooled 50 W wireless charging pad, cup holders and a generous lower compartment. In total, the brand advertises no fewer than 47 storage spaces spread throughout the cabin.

Plenty of room for passengers and 507 litres of boot space

The 2.80-metre wheelbase translates into a very spacious interior, especially in the rear seats. Longitudinal space is one of the L8’s best selling points and allows tall adults to travel with plenty of legroom. There is also good headroom, and the rear seatbacks can be adjusted in three positions. The front seats can be reclined almost completely and, through the various folding combinations, LEPAS advertises up to 16 interior configurations. It is possible to create a flat loading surface or carry long objects while retaining part of the rear seats.

The boot offers 507 litres of capacity, a figure that includes a 45-litre compartment located under the floor. When the rear seatbacks, split 60:40, are folded down, the volume increases to 1,314 litres. It is not the best figure in its class, but it is about average.

The Essence version features a mixed cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, with manual adjustment for the front seats. In the Elegance, the upholstery is black or brown synthetic leather and the front seats incorporate electric adjustment, heating, ventilation and massage. The driver gets memory settings and lumbar adjustment. The top trim also includes a panoramic sunroof that opens, an electric tailgate, ambient lighting with 256 colours, an eight-speaker Sony audio system and an active noise cancellation system.

A well-known and very pleasant hybrid system

The powertrain is one of the Lepas L8’s best selling points. It combines a 1.5 TGDI four-cylinder petrol engine, 143 CV, running on the Miller cycle, with two electric motors. One of them is linked to the combustion engine and works mainly as a generator, while the second, with 204 CV, drives the front wheels. The 1DHT transmission uses a single ratio. Combined maximum power reaches 279 CV, with 365 Nm of torque. These figures are sufficient to move with confidence a car that weighs 1,945 kg kerb: the L8 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 180 km/h.

Beyond its raw performance, the best thing about the hybrid system is its smoothness. Under normal conditions the electric motor takes the lead and provides an immediate, progressive and silent response. The petrol engine starts up discreetly and only becomes noticeable when full power is demanded. The transmission can operate in electric mode, in series—with the combustion engine generating electricity—or in parallel, also sending power to the wheels. The driver does not need to choose each strategy, since the electronic management automatically decides the most efficient combination.

In addition to the different strategies of the hybrid system, the car offers three driving programmes—Eco, Pure and Sport—that modify the throttle response and the way energy is managed. Pure mode prioritises electric running, Eco seeks to reduce consumption and Sport offers a more immediate response. The emphasis is on simplicity and ease of driving, something many will appreciate, although personally, in this type of car, I like to have paddle shifters on the steering wheel so I can manage deceleration and energy recovery myself.

90 km of electric range and up to 1,040 km of total range

The battery is lithium iron phosphate and has a capacity of 18.4 kWh. It allows a homologated electric range of 90 km on the WLTP combined cycle, which can reach up to 123 km in urban use. This figure falls behind the latest PHEV SUVs arriving on the market, as it is increasingly common to use larger-capacity batteries in order to comfortably exceed 100 km of electric range. But those 90 km are more than enough to cover the daily journeys of many users, provided there is the possibility of charging regularly at home or at work, because it is not difficult to get close to that figure in real use.

When the battery and the 60-litre petrol tank are combined, the total range can reach 1,040 km, a figure that makes it possible to tackle long journeys without depending on charging infrastructure. Even so, the L8 accepts AC charging at a maximum of 6.6 kW and, unlike many plug-in hybrids, also has DC fast charging. In this case it reaches 40 kW, sufficient to go from 30 to 80 % battery in about 20 minutes. It also has a V2L function, which allows external electrical devices to be powered with up to 6.6 kW.

The homologated combined consumption is 2.2 l/100 km, accompanied by an electricity consumption of 13.7 kWh/100 km. As with any plug-in hybrid, this figure is only representative if you start with a fully charged battery and recharge frequently. When the battery reaches its minimum reserve level, the official consumption is 6.0 l/100 km. In real use, and depending on the route and pace, it is reasonable to expect around 7.5 l/100 km once the electric range is exhausted. Considering the car’s size, weight and performance, this remains a competitive figure.

A setup that is increasingly European

One of the aspects I liked most about the LEPAS L8 is its chassis tuning. This is something I experience more and more often when testing a new Chinese car: it is clear that manufacturers are learning quickly how to adapt suspension and steering to European tastes. The L8 uses a McPherson layout at the front axle and an independent multi-link suspension at the rear. The result is a good balance between comfort and body control. The suspension absorbs potholes well, but it no longer has the excessively soft and floaty feel that still characterises some Chinese models.

It is still a car geared mainly towards comfort and does not aim to offer a sporty feel, but it reasonably contains body movements and inspires confidence in corners. Its acoustic insulation also stands out, especially when running in electric mode or when the petrol engine is working under light load. The steering has an adequate weight and suits the character of the car well, although it still lacks a bit of precision and the ability to communicate to the driver what is happening under the front wheels. It is one of the areas where the best European models still make a difference.

Overall, the L8 is easy and pleasant to drive. Power delivery is progressive, the transition between the different operating modes of the hybrid system is well executed and performance is sufficient to overtake or join fast roads with a comfortable margin.

The safety equipment includes more than 20 advanced driver assistance systems, supported by seven high-definition cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors and three millimetre-wave radars. These include adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, lane keeping and centring, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed control and driver monitoring system. All L8s include a 540-degree panoramic camera and front and rear parking sensors. The Elegance trim adds automatic parking and remote manoeuvring via a mobile app.

In terms of passive protection, the Elegance version has ten airbags, including rear side airbags, a front centre airbag and a driver’s knee airbag.

Two trims: Essence and Elegance

The range is structured into two levels. From the Essence trim onwards, the equipment includes two-zone automatic climate control, digital instrumentation, a 13.2-inch multimedia screen, wireless phone connectivity, a 540-degree camera, 50 W wireless charging, 19-inch wheels, LED headlights and the extensive suite of driver assistance systems.

The Elegance adds 20-inch wheels, the panoramic sunroof, the electric tailgate, electric front seats with heating, ventilation and massage, ambient lighting, the Sony system, active noise cancellation and automatic and remote parking systems.

The list price is €41,700 for the Essence and €45,200 for the Elegance. With the launch campaign, financing and the incentives offered by the brand, plus the Plan Auto+, the advertised prices start at €33,990 and €36,490 respectively, a very competitive price. Lepas offers a seven-year or 150,000-kilometre warranty, plus three years of roadside assistance.

Lepas L8 – Image gallery