The first UK-specification LEPAS L8 premium SUVs are on their way to Britain after making their public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Image: LEPAS
Almost 1,300 examples of the flagship LEPAS L8 have left the production line and boarded the carrier AICC Kunpeng, bound for the Port of Tyne. From there, the vehicles will be distributed to the brand’s growing UK dealer network before reaching customers, with pre-orders already gathering pace.
The shipment marks a major milestone for LEPAS as it prepares to launch in the UK. New dealerships are currently being completed across the country, with many of Britain’s largest dealer groups, including Arnold Clark and Marshall Motor Group, set to represent the brand.
The first LEPAS dealerships are expected to begin offering customer test drives in late August, ahead of registrations on the new 76-plate from early September and the first customer deliveries shortly afterwards.
Ray Wang, Managing Director of LEPAS UK, said: “The whole LEPAS UK team was emotional seeing images of the first LEPAS L8 models boarding the transporter ship and setting sail for the UK.
“This moment comes after months of hard work by the whole team, making sure that everything is in place for the launch of our brand and for our customers to have the best possible experience of LEPAS.”
Image: LEPAS
Reflecting on the model’s debut at Goodwood, he added: “The public’s reaction to the LEPAS L8 when they saw it for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed underlined for me just how popular this model is going to be. We already have a very healthy order bank and hundreds of potential customers waiting to take test drives so we cannot wait for the boat to dock in the UK.”
Developed specifically for European markets and further refined for British roads, the LEPAS L8 will be available in two trim levels: Essence and Elevate. The Essence model is designed to offer a strong combination of technology, safety and comfort, while the range-topping Elevate adds premium features and enhanced levels of luxury and refinement.
The LEPAS L8 PHEV Essence is priced from £34,900 on-the-road, while the L8 PHEV Elevate starts from £37,900 on-the-road.
Both models are powered by the LEPAS Super Hybrid system, combining a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), electronic gear selector and an 18.4kWh next-generation battery. The battery supports DC fast charging from 30% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain delivers a combined driving range of up to 745 miles, an electric-only range of up to 56 miles and combined fuel economy of up to 403.5mpg*. CO₂ emissions are rated at just 21g/km, with a fully electric version of the LEPAS L8 scheduled to join the line-up in 2027.
