As we eagerly await to see what the next move is for all the recent market entrants, the soon-to-launch LEPAS brand has already made a statement by welcoming the first units for the South African market at the Durban Port Terminal.
The occasion was celebrated and initiated by Jay Jay Botes, General Manager of LEPAS South Africa, and Luke Cao, Country Director at LEPAS. As the L4s rolled onto South African soil for the first time, the event took place just after months of preparation, as the brand had been busy setting up a dealer network on the ground and a central parts warehouse exceeding 6,000 square meters, stocking over ZAR 180 million in genuine inventory and achieving more than a 98% parts fulfillment rate to ensure rapid parts availability.
This was a proud and exciting moment for us,” said Jay Jay Botes. “Seeing the first L4s driven off the vessel and onto our roads made everything feel real. The L4 combines intelligent technology, strong performance, and unmistakable design. We are bringing something truly special to South African drivers.”
Luke Cao added, “South Africa is a very important market for LEPAS. Being here to mark this arrival reflects our commitment to the region. We are not just launching a vehicle; we are establishing a brand with a clear vision, premium product, and strong local support network.”
For a more broader context, the Lepas brand is a new premium, export-focused sub-brand of the Chinese automotive giant Chery, launching in South Africa and other international markets in 2026. The brand will first introduce the L4 model which is a Midsize SUV that sits on the brands smart LEX platform, which integrates what the brands says is a blend of intelligent architecture, safety, and performance into every vehicle.
This midsize SUV looks to bring a fight to legacy brand offerings like the Volkswagen T-Cross, Kia, and the Sonet, while also confronting opponents from the same descendent in the form of the Jaecoo J7, as well as the parent company's very own Chery Tiggo Cross offering. This then begs the question of how this vehicle will be priced against these rivals ; it will be interesting to see and get to grips with the product when it finally launches.
With the arrival of the 500 units, LEPAS is sure that showrooms across major cities and regional centers will soon be receiving stock, and sales and service teams are fully trained to provide a premium customer experience. They also promise to provide strong and robust after-sales network support built on the proven service expertise of LEPAS's parent company, Chery.