- Upcoming car
- Cross-compatibility across multiple powertrains
Chinese marque, Chery, has multiple sub-brands under its umbrella – Jetour, iCAUR, Omoda, FULWIN, and Lepas, to name a few. The carmaker has now patented the Lepas L6 in India. While the Tiggo 8 Leopard was just one surprise for us, this is a second one, since it hasn’t officially launched. A few of their models – the Jetour T2, iCAUR V23, and the Jaecoo J5 – are highly likely to wear the JSW top hat in India.
From the patent, we can see an open grille with a spider web design, ‘leopard’ LED headlights, and an overall silhouette that resembles the Tiggo 8 lineup. From what we officially know, Lepas is a sub-brand that targets a young demographic. The upcoming L6 will be officially sold in Malaysia, Indonesia, and African markets.
Platform and Powertrain Expectations
The Lepas L6 is highly likely to be built on top of the T1X or a T1X-derived NEV platform, and this means that any car based on this platform is cross-compatible across pure petrol, hybrid (CSH or Chery Super Hybrid in brand speak), and BEV powertrains. Here’s what we expect:
- Petrol: 1.6-litre turbo, 197bhp/310Nm (same as the Tiggo 8 Leopard) motor paired with a 7DCT system, with CVT likely in budget-conscious markets
- Hybrid: 1.5-litre inline-four petrol (154bhp/220Nm) + LFP battery paired with a 221bhp/390Nm motor; 3DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transimission) system – same as the Jetour T2
- BEV: 207bhp/288Nm FWD motor paired with a 61kWh battery (461km NEDC range) – same as the Jaecoo J5 EV
With multiple patents, Chery seems to be readying a product defensive for India – all likely to sell as JSW cars.
