Lepas, a brand from the Chinese Chery group, has unveiled the Aura. The shooting brake is the brand’s “first global concept car” and will inspire the design of future models.
Chery still might not sound as familiar to European customers as brands like BYD or MG. But with sales of its Jaecoo and Omoda brands soaring, it is among Europe’s top-selling Chinese automotive groups.
World domination
Chery is already on the market in other European countries under its own brand name. It plans to enter the Belgium market, starting with the Tiggo 7 Hybrid.
With its other brands, the group is doing relatively well in Belgium. According to Febiac figures, 1.853 Jaecoo models were registered in the country during the first 9 months of 2026, and 1.376 Omodas. That equates to market shares of 0,58% and 0,43%, respectively.
The UK is a major market for the group, and with a preliminary European registration number of 56,552 units across its brands in September 2026, Chery is growing fast across the continent. But Chery wants more. Last year, China’s 4th-largest auto manufacturer presented plans to become the world’s leading Chinese group, with a cascade of new models and brands.
New brands include Luxeed, a collaboration with Huawei, and Lepas. Lepas is already active in Europe, mainly in the UK market. There, customers can choose from three SUV models: the small electric L4, the mid-sized L6 with an EV or PHEV drivetrain, and the larger L8 PHEV. Other European markets will follow.
Interesting design features
At an event at its headquarters in Wuhu, China, Lepas unveiled its Aura concept car. Not an SUV, but an attractive shooting brake. It introduces the newest evolution of the brand’s ‘Leopard Aesthetics’ design language. Lepas Chief Designer Ivan Dulanović, a Serbian-born, Milan-trained former Italdesign Design Director, presented it.
As with most design concepts, Lepas’ press release uses a lot of bombastic language about the philosophy behind the design. Think “leopard-inspired proportions, flowing surfaces and expressive lighting” and a design that “embodies elegance, confidence and mystery”.
The Aura just looks good. Its sleek two-door shooting brake design with a long wheelbase and short overhangs is a welcome change from the usual SUVs. Interestingly, the rounded black surface in the Aston Martin-like grille is actually a screen. It can display graphics, lighting, and animations, as do the elliptical taillights.
Will Lepas actually produce it?
For now, the Aura is purely a design concept, with no plans to commercialize a production version. But Dulanović has said the concept will inspire Lepas’s future design.
Some interesting elements of the concept might make it into future production models. “Both the new front fascia and the lighting signature will carry through to future Lepas models, establishing a consistent design language across the brand,” said Dulanović.
As for the future of the Lepas brand in Belgium, things will get clearer once the Belgian Chery importing structure is up and running.
