Omoda and Jaecoo's Sister Brand Lepas Introduced with the Aura Concept
Share This Page
The European journey that the Chery group started with a single brand four years ago is now a matter of a seven-brand portfolio. Lepas, the newest link in this portfolio, unveiled its first global concept vehicle, the Aura, at the Global Elegance Night event held on October 22, 2026 in Wuhu, China. Positioned in the compact class between a hatchback and a shooting brake, the vehicle shows the direction of the brand's design language; the decision on series production has not yet been officially announced.
Highlights
- The Aura concept was introduced to the world on October 22, 2026 at the Global Elegance Night in Wuhu.
- The design language is named Natural Energy; leopard-inspired proportions and flowing surfaces stand out.
- 22-inch aerodynamic wheels, customizable light screens and three new colors were featured at the unveiling.
- The series production decision has not been confirmed; technical specifications have not been disclosed.
- Lepas is the fourth brand of the Chery group, launched in Europe in April 2026.
What Is the Lepas Aura Concept and Where Was It Unveiled?
The Aura is the Lepas brand's first global concept vehicle. The unveiling took place at the Global Elegance Night event, part of the first-ever LEPAS Global Elegant Lifestyle Week held in Luolan Town in the city of Wuhu, in China's Anhui province. This was more of a lifestyle event than a trade show launch; the brand is clearly seeking to position itself not merely as a vehicle manufacturer but as a design-focused brand.
The name Lepas comes from the combination of the words leopard and passion, and the brand is part of the brand portfolio that Chery International has structured exclusively for export markets. The group also includes Chery, Exeed, iCaur, Omoda and Jaecoo; Lepas is described in this line-up as the sister brand of Omoda and Jaecoo and is positioned slightly higher up the segment than the others. As someone who has been through the thick of it, let me say this: The multi-brand strategy followed by Chinese manufacturers in recent years has replaced the old European approach of gaining prestige with a single top brand, substituting a layered marketing logic. Lepas sits right in the middle of this layering.
Leopard Aesthetics and the Natural Energy Design Language
The design philosophy the Aura carries is named Natural Energy. The core motifs are familiar but the execution is striking: leopard-inspired proportions, flowing surfaces and a distinctive lighting signature. A long wheelbase, short overhangs and a wide stance give the car a planted posture; shoulder lines are taut and surface transitions are smooth.
At the front, there is no classic grille. In its place, there is a backlit screen with the Lepas lettering in the center. The headlights are resolved with a Leopard signature inspired by a leopard's eyes. The front and rear light screens allow customizable lighting and animation; at the rear, too, illuminated Lepas lettering is used instead of a physical logo. Transferring this approach from concept cars to series production is not always easy, but illuminated surfaces becoming carriers of brand identity is now considered a rule in the industry. The grille used to be the face of the brand; now that face is increasingly turning toward the screen, and Aura is one of the striking examples of this transformation.
On the wheel side, 22 -inch-diameter wheels stand out, shaped for aerodynamic efficiency and featuring red spoke details. The color palette is also a separate layer of the unveiling: Three new colors named Dawn Pearl, Bacalar Blue and Provence Twilight are inspired, respectively, by a Tahitian sunrise, the midday light of Lake Bacalar, and a Provençal sunset. Although color naming on concept cars often seems like decoration, it is clear that the brand's marketing language here is built on an axis of nature-inspired elegance.
Which Body Type Is the Aura? Hatchback or Shooting Brake?
The Aura's body type became the most debated topic after the unveiling. Some describe the car as a compact hatchback, while others point to its closeness to the station wagon or shooting brake class. This is not entirely arbitrary terminological confusion: the car's compact platform length combined with its long, flowing rear volume places it between the two classes. When the production version comes up, this definition will become clear; for now, the most honest description is that it is a compact between a hatchback and a shooting brake.
This detail is not an empty debate either. The Chery group's portfolio is almost entirely SUV-focused, and the Aura signals a conscious departure from that portfolio. The group's European target is to grow from a single brand in 2023 to seven brands and 21 models by the end of 2028; but all of those models are SUVs. The Aura's low, long roofline shows that a structure intent on imposing the same body type on every tier of a multi-brand strategy also needs diversity in the short term.
Production Signal: Will the Aura Be Seen on the Roads?
Lepas has not confirmed whether the Aura will get a production version. The tone of the official statement suggests that the concept is not a final product but a source of inspiration for the brand's design future. The front-end design, lighting signature, porcelain finish approach, and color palette are expected to influence future models. So it is a reasonable reading not to expect the Aura as a concrete model entering the production line, but to look for traces of this design language in Lepas's upcoming products.
On the technical side, there is no official data: headings such as battery capacity, motor power, range, and price have not been announced. Readings based on the design language point to a fully electric powertrain; the absence of an air intake at the front is the clearest indicator of this. The possibility that the production version could arrive with electric and hybrid options is industry commentators' prediction, not official information. That much needs to be said; at this stage, turning rumor into news benefits no one.
Lepas's Place Within the Chery Group and Its Market Strategy
Lepas's journey so far is a textbook example of a rapid globalization story. The brand, which made its global debut at the 2025 Indonesia Auto Show, completed its global rollout at Auto China in April 2026 and also launched in Europe as the group's fourth Chery brand in April 2026. The brand's targets are ambitious: 500,000 global sales within three years of launch, five models in three years, and a network of 1,200 sales points.
On the product side, here is the situation: The brand's only production model at the moment is the plug-in hybrid version of the L8 family SUV. L8 PHEV shipments began to Middle Eastern markets and to six European markets in July 2026. In the UK, the first dealership has opened and the L8 PHEV is approaching launch. In Australia, the launch model is the fully electric L6, which entered the market with a price tag of AU$47,990. Malaysia was entered in the first half of 2026, and South Africa in early 2026. In short, Lepas has established a distribution network spanning four continents within just a few months.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
| First global launch | 2025 Indonesia Auto Show |
| European launch | April 2026, the group's fourth brand |
| Model in the lineup | L8 family SUV (PHEV) |
| Australian launch model | L6 BEV, AU$47,990 |
| L8 PHEV European shipments | July 2026, six markets |
| Three-year sales target | 500,000 global sales |
| Model target | Five models in three years |
| Sales point target | 1,200 |
Is the Seven-Brand Strategy Risky?
Chery's multi-brand move in Europe has not earned its reputation for nothing; in the industry, this strategy has met with both praise and caution. The praise stems from the fact that filling different segments and price tiers with separate brands adds depth to the market; the warning comes from the risk that a growing number of brands creates confusion among consumers and makes it difficult to allocate sufficient resources to each one. This concern is not unfounded; at a time when even established manufacturers in the European market are trying to simplify their brand architectures, adding six new brands in six years is an ambitious marathon.
Lepas's share in this equation, positioned slightly above Omoda and Jaecoo, is to take on the design and elegance axis. If Aura's production signals develop as expected, a low-slung, design-focused model could be added alongside the brand's SUV-heavy portfolio. This would be the first concrete indication that the group's 21-model target in Europe does not necessarily have to consist entirely of SUVs.
What the Aura Concept Says to the Industry
On its own, Aura is simply a concept car with a body made of screens, animated light signatures, and leopard-eye headlights. But when placed in its context, it shows the maturation stage of the Chery group's European strategy: an era of no longer just grabbing market share with bulky SUVs, but of building a distinct character for each brand. Lepas has chosen to define this character with an elegance inspired by nature.
The production decision, technical data, and Aura's actual market position are still unclear. But the design language being reflected in upcoming Lepas models is almost certain. Long-time followers of this business know: a concept car's value is determined by the products we see on the road three years later. That is why Aura's story is, for now, a story of a promise; time will show how much of the promise will be kept.