Lepas L4 hits the spot as ‘soft and chic’ Chery Tiggo 4 alternative

“What car are you driving? It is beautiful, but I’ve never seen that logo. Lepas? What kind of a thing is that?”

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That was the first response The Citizen Motoring we received during our week in the Lepas L4 last week. The short answer is that a Lepas is a “passionate leopard”, the two words the name is derived from. But the perplexed onlooker’s interrogation required a more detailed explanation.

Lepas is one of five local sub brands owned by Chinese carmaker Chery. The others being Omoda, Jaecoo, Jetour and iCaur. It is by far the newest of the lot, only revealed in China in April last year. And two of the three SUVs in its portfolio, the L6 and L8, are yet to make their way to Mzansi.

‘Young and fashionable’

Unlike the other sub brands, which identities are kept far removed from the mother brand, Lepas is more closely aligned with Chery itself. According to the manufacturer, the Chery badge only caters for half of the 35-million strong export market it operates in. It is now Lepas’ job to appeal to “young and fashionable” compared to the “traditional and moderate” Chery buyers.

Lepas sets out to be more upmarket and trendy than the comparative Chery Tiggo models. Introducing what Chery calls “chic and soft” styling, Lepas main rival is Mazda.

Like elsewhere in the stable, the Lepas is built from Chery components before presented in a different package. Differentiating the Lepas L4 from the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro on which it is largely based, are softer and rounder exterior lines. Exterior highlights include a trendy grille design pattern flanked by slim LED headlights representing a leopard’s eyes.

Lepas L4 plush on the inside

The inside of the Lepas L4 we sampled in flagship Pantera looks and feels is very plush for a car with a sticker of R419 900. Black artificial leather on the seats, steering wheel and centre console cover blend in with flowing patterns across the dash and diamond motifs on the inside of the doors to create an elegant atmosphere.

The Lepas L4 Pantera rides on 17-inch alloys. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe

Most of the features are controlled from the 13.2-inch infotainment system, with the only physical buttons underneath it reserved for the climate control. The flagship Lepas L4 also features an eight-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless charger, 540-degree camera, electric and ventilated front seats, sunroof and rain-sensing wipers.

We did have connection issues with the wireless Apple CarPlay. While it worked most of the time, there were moments when the system just refused to reconnect to a phone after restarting the ignition. Only for everything to be hunky dory again the next thing you get into the car.

Safe as a house

The Panthera comes standard with six airbags, traction control and electronic stability programme. A jam-packed list of driver assistance systems includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and lane departure warning.

Measuring 88mm longer than the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro at 4 406mm, the L4 offers 458 litres of boot space compared to the Tiggo’s 340 litres. Head and leg room in the second is also very acceptable for a car that is essence regarded as an compact SUV.

Powering the Lepas L4 is a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, a stalwart in the Chery stable. The blown four-pot mill produces 108kW of power and 225Nm of torque. The twist goes the front wheels via six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

A 13.2-inch infotainment system takes centre stage. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe

Gearbox well behaved

While no rocket, the powertrain is more than sufficient for getting around town. The DCT, which didn’t exactly thrill us when first introduced to the Tiggo 4 Pro, also performed commendably. That is after figuring out that you need proper input on the brake pedal when stopping against an incline to prevent unexpected and sometimes dangerous rollbacks.

Throttle calibration is still an issue, as to low-down turbo lag which can be eased by activating the Sport driving mode over Eco and Normal. But these are minor issues in the bigger picture which will bother few buyers in awe of what the bang they are getting for their buck.

What did impress us was the Lepas L4’s fuel consumption, often a contentious issue in the world of Chinese SUVs. The fuel economy of 7.8 litres per 100km we achieved was very commendable. It was in fact just 0.8 more that Lepas’ claim.

The Lepas L4 comes standard with a five-year/150 000km warranty and five-year/75 000 km service plan. As well as a 10-year/1 000 000km engine warranty for the first owner.

Lepas L4 hits the spot

It can still get lost in the vast sea of endless SUVs arriving from the People’s Republic, btu the Lepas L4 accomplishes what it sets out to do in our opinion. It offers good value for money in an attractive and well-specced package. One which is probably as premium as you can wish for at this price point.

Instead of cannibalising other Chery products, the Lepas L4 will more than likely lure buyers away from other Chinese. And from the heritage brands.

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