Chery branches out from SUVs with dramatic Lepas shooting brake

Chery Group brand Lepas has introduced the Aura concept, a sporty two-door shooting brake that signals a potential departure from the group’s heavy focus on SUVs. Lepas is a sibling brand to Jaecoo and Omoda, having started delivering cars to UK customers in September, where parent Chery achieved a combined market share ahead of Hyundai-Kia for September, including the Jaecoo 7 as the UK’s best-selling car. The name Lepas combines leopard and passion, and the brand states the Aura draws inspiration from a leopard’s muscle tension. The car features a long wheelbase, short overhangs, and a wide stance.

Of the 739 cars Lepas sold in the UK in September, most were the L8 large plug-in hybrid SUV, with the smaller L6 launching this month. Lepas vehicles utilize the T1X platform shared with other Chery Group lines, including Tiggo SUVs. Positioned slightly more upscale than Jaecoo, Chery, and Omoda, Lepas focuses on softer designs and premium interior trims, describing itself as elegance without edges. The Aura expands on this with rounded, sculptured forms and no sharp bodyside creases.

Its headlights feature the leopard eye signature found on all Lepas models, and its blank grille can show graphics, lighting, and animations based on the driver’s mood. Elliptical rear screen tail-light displays are also customisable. The front grille design with its darkened, blanked-off finish and wide-mouthed frame will appear on future Lepas models. The car debuted at the Chery Group’s week-long event at its headquarters in Wuhu, China, alongside the new Tiggo X7 and Omoda X SUVs.