Chery has confirmed a new small car for Australia that it says will not look, or drive, like the budget electric cars filling showrooms right now. It is called the Lepas L2, and it is due here in 2028.
A hatchback, not another jacked-up micro SUV
Chery's local team is pitching the L2 as a genuine hatchback rather than the raised, small-SUV shape that most cheap EVs wear today. It is said to sit closer to Corolla size than a tiny city runabout.
That matters for buyers. The affordable end of the market is crowded with high-riding small SUVs, and a proper sporty hatch is getting rare, especially one built around a battery.
How it differs from the BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2
The cars topping the value charts right now, like the BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2, are compact, tall and city-focused. Chery is drawing a clear line between those and the L2.
The company describes the L2 as bigger, lower and sportier, with a sports-luxury look it reckons nothing else in the segment offers. The design is said to be almost locked in, even though it has not been shown publicly yet.
EV or hybrid? Chery has not decided
Here is the honest part. Chery has not settled on whether the L2 arrives as a full electric car or a hybrid, and says it will make that call closer to production.
That flexibility is deliberate. The cheap-car market is shifting fast, and Chery wants to match whatever buyers actually want in 2028 rather than lock in a powertrain years early.
For now, treat any specific range or power figure as guesswork. Chery has not published the L2's battery size, outputs or price, so anyone quoting hard numbers today is filling in the blanks.
Lepas is a whole new brand, and the SUVs come first
The L2 is part of Lepas, a new Chery sub-brand aimed at style-led buyers. Before the hatch arrives, Lepas plans to roll out a family of SUVs, and those will be the first Lepas models Australians can actually buy.
So the L2 is the tail end of the plan, not the opening act. If the design lives up to the talk, though, it could be the one worth waiting for.
What it means for your money
A 2028 arrival is a long way off and prices are unconfirmed, so there is no rush and no reason to accept a thin trade offer or a padded finance rate in the meantime. If you are shopping the affordable-EV wave that is already here, Carseekers is built to show you what these fast-moving Chinese models actually cost before a dealer sets the number.
And when it comes to paying for a cheap EV, the sticker price is only half the story. Dealer finance on a budget car can quietly add thousands, so it pays to shop around. Loanseekers runs your loan across more than 70 lenders, the same way Carseekers pushes the car price down, so you are not overpaying on the repayments while you wait for cars like the L2.
The finer details
Your questions answered.
When is the Chery Lepas L2 coming to Australia?
Chery has flagged the Lepas L2 for an Australian launch in 2028. It is still years away and the brand has not locked in whether it will be a full electric car or a hybrid, so timing and specs could shift before it arrives.
How much will the Chery Lepas L2 cost in Australia?
Chery has not announced pricing for the Lepas L2, and with a 2028 launch any figure floating around today is guesswork. Given it sits in the affordable small-car segment, expect it to be priced to fight budget rivals, but wait for confirmed numbers before you plan a budget.
Is the Chery Lepas L2 electric or a hybrid?
Chery has not decided yet. The company says it will choose between a full EV and a hybrid closer to production so it can match what buyers want in 2028. That means published range and power figures do not exist for the L2 today.
How is the Lepas L2 different from the BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2?
The BYD Atto 1 and Geely EX2 are compact, tall, city-focused small cars. Chery describes the Lepas L2 as bigger, lower and sportier, closer to Corolla size and styled with a sports-luxury look rather than the micro-SUV shape those rivals use.
Should I wait for the Lepas L2 or buy a cheap EV now?
A 2028 arrival is a long wait if you need a car sooner. If you do wait, do not let a dealer use it as leverage on your current trade-in or finance. If you buy now, compare what similar affordable EVs actually cost across sellers before you sign.
What is Lepas and where does the L2 fit in?
Lepas is a new Chery sub-brand aimed at style-led buyers. It will launch in Australia with a range of SUVs first, and the L2 hatchback is set to follow later, making it the tail end of the rollout rather than the first model you will be able to buy.
