LEPAS UAE is live. Chery's new premium SUV brand announced its Middle East entry on 21 October 2026 and was reported open for business in the Emirates by 27 October, with Al Ghurair Mobility as exclusive distributor, showrooms in Deira and Sharjah, and a service centre in Al Quoz. Two models are on the floor now, the L8 and the smaller L4, with a mid-size L6 planned for 2027. What has not been announced is pricing, and that matters more than it sounds.
Who LEPAS Actually Is
LEPAS is Chery's premium SUV brand, positioned above the Chery badge in the same way Jetour and Jaecoo sit as separate marques within the group. That relationship is the first thing to understand, because it determines almost everything practical about owning one: the engineering lineage, the parts supply, and the dealer network behind the warranty.
The GlobeNewswire release of 21 October 2026 framed the brand around "elegant mobility": marketing language, but the product positioning behind it is real enough: these are design-led SUVs aimed at buyers who would otherwise look at a Jetour or a GWM and want something that feels a step up. If you have been following the Chinese brands here, our guide to buying Chinese cars in the UAE explains why the official-versus-grey-import distinction matters, and with a four-week-old brand it matters more than usual.
The L8 and L4 Specifications
| Model | Powertrain | Notable kit |
|---|---|---|
| L8 Super Hybrid | Plug-in hybrid, claimed up to 1,300 km combined range | Level 2 ADAS with 20+ functions, advanced self-parking |
| L8 ICE | Conventional petrol | Same design and driver-assistance suite as the hybrid |
| L4 | 1.5-litre turbo petrol, 6-speed DCT | 13.2-inch central display, ventilated seats, ADAS package |
| L6 | Hybrid and petrol, UAE 2027 | Specifications not released |
The headline number in that table is the one to treat most carefully. The L8 Super Hybrid's claimed 1,300 km combined range is quoted without a stated test cycle, and range figures vary enormously between NEDC, WLTP and real-world driving: in UAE conditions, with the air conditioning running hard, assume materially less. That is not a criticism of the car; it is how every manufacturer's range claim works. Ask the showroom which cycle the figure comes from, and treat a plug-in's electric-only range as the number that actually changes your fuel bill.
The L4's specification is the more interesting proposition: a 1.5-litre turbo with a dual-clutch gearbox, ventilated seats and a 13.2-inch screen is a lot of equipment for a compact SUV, and ventilated seats in particular are worth real money in a Dubai August.
Why the AED 140,000 Figure Online Is Not a UAE Price
Search for LEPAS pricing and you will find "from AED 140,000" near the top of the results. That figure comes from an article published in March 2026, seven months before the brand arrived here, and it is explicitly labelled an estimate extrapolated from UK pricing. It was never a UAE price, and repeating it as one is how buyers end up with the wrong budget.
The trade report of 27 October 2026 is clear that UAE pricing was absent from the launch announcement, with buyers directed to the brand's UAE site or the Deira showroom. Until Al Ghurair Mobility publishes a price list, the honest answer is that nobody outside the distributor knows. Walk in with that expectation rather than an anchor number, and get the quote in writing with the warranty terms attached.
Where You Can Buy and Service One
The network at launch is small but deliberately structured: dedicated showrooms in Deira and Sharjah, a service centre in Al Quoz, and Abu Dhabi named as next in the pipeline. Al Ghurair Mobility holds the exclusive distribution rights.
A separate Al Quoz service centre at launch is a better sign than it looks. Plenty of new entrants launch with sales points and lean on a shared workshop; a dedicated facility suggests parts stocking and trained technicians rather than an afterthought. The gap worth asking about is Abu Dhabi: if you live there, "next in the pipeline" means driving to Dubai for service in the meantime, and that is a real cost over three years of ownership.
The Resale and Warranty Risk Nobody Mentions
Here is the part the launch coverage skips. A brand four weeks old in a market has no used-car data, which means no resale benchmark, no insurance history, and no independent workshop familiarity outside the official network. For the first owner, that is the whole risk: you are funding the depreciation curve that later buyers will benefit from.
Jetour and Chery have both now been here long enough to have visible used values: you can see Jetour T2 money on our Jetour T2 valuation page and real listings across the Chery range. LEPAS has nothing equivalent yet. Two practical consequences: negotiate hard on the warranty rather than the price, because a long, transferable warranty is what protects resale on an unknown badge; and if you plan to sell within three years, the maths will almost certainly favour an established nameplate. If you plan to keep it seven years, the argument changes entirely.
Rivals You Can Price Today
The L8 competes directly with the Jetour T2 and the GWM Tank series, and the L4 against the Chery Tiggo range and Haval's compact SUVs. The useful move while LEPAS pricing is unknown is to price the rivals first, so you have a number to judge the quote against. Start with the Jetour range, the GWM listings and the Haval line-up, or browse all SUVs for sale in the UAE to see where the segment actually sits. Our best Chinese cars in the UAE guide ranks the established options, and new Chery listings show what the parent brand asks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LEPAS the same as Chery?
LEPAS is Chery's premium SUV brand, not a rebadged Chery. It sits above the Chery badge in the group's structure, in the same way Jetour and Jaecoo are separate marques within Chery. The engineering lineage and parts supply come from the Chery group, but LEPAS has its own showrooms and distributor in the UAE.
How much does a LEPAS cost in the UAE?
No UAE pricing has been announced. The widely circulated "from AED 140,000" figure comes from a March 2026 article, is explicitly an estimate extrapolated from UK pricing, and predates the brand's arrival here. Contact the Deira showroom or Al Ghurair Mobility for a written quote rather than relying on online figures.
Where is the LEPAS showroom in Dubai?
LEPAS opened a dedicated showroom in Deira, with a second in Sharjah and a service centre in Al Quoz. Al Ghurair Mobility is the exclusive UAE distributor. Abu Dhabi has been named as next in the pipeline, so buyers there should expect to travel to Dubai for sales and service initially.
What is the LEPAS L8's real-world range?
The claimed figure is up to 1,300 km combined for the L8 Super Hybrid plug-in, but no test cycle was stated with it. Range claims differ substantially between NEDC, WLTP and real driving, and UAE heat with heavy air-conditioning use reduces all of them. Ask the showroom which cycle produced the figure.
Will a LEPAS hold its value in the UAE?
There is no way to know yet: the brand has no used-market history here, so no resale benchmark exists. That uncertainty falls entirely on the first owners. If you intend to sell within three years, an established nameplate is the safer financial choice; a long transferable warranty is the best protection if you buy anyway.
The Bottom Line
LEPAS has arrived properly (exclusive distributor, two showrooms, a dedicated service centre) which is more than several Chinese entrants managed. But with no price published and no resale data in existence, the first owners are taking a genuine risk in exchange for a well-equipped car. Price the alternatives before you visit Deira: start with SUVs for sale in the UAE on CarsClub and know what good value looks like before you hear a number.
