It won’t be available in Poland until 2027. Chery prefers a delay over launching without proper support.
Lepas, Chery’s new brand, will not enter Poland in the fall of 2026. The brand’s product manager confirmed that the official launch has been postponed to the first half of 2027, instead of the originally planned start in late September or October 2026. For customers, this is a simple change—they will have to wait longer for the cars, but the brand gets time to prepare the necessary infrastructure.
The importer attributes the decision to logistics, the dealer network, after-sales service, and marketing. In other words, it’s not a problem with the cars themselves, but rather with the aspects that usually come after the launch. For new Chinese brands, these factors are actually more important than impressive presentations.
What exactly was postponed
The original plan was already quite specific. Sales were set to begin at the turn of September and October 2026, test drives were scheduled for October and November, with a larger promotional campaign planned for December 2026. That schedule no longer exists. Everything has been pushed to 2027.
According to the brand, this is just a “minor delay.” Technically true, as it involves only a few months. In practice, the autumn launch in 2026 has completely disappeared.
Lepas is not establishing a separate structure from scratch in Poland. It plans to enter through Omoda Auto Poland’s network, just like other Chery brands already present in the region. Previously, the plan called for opening 10-15 dealership locations in 2026 and adding another 10-15 authorized outlets in 2027. Now that plan will also need to be revised.
This is a more sensible approach than quickly opening showrooms without the necessary parts and service procedures. The market has already seen such entries, and they usually end up causing customer frustration.
What Lepas Wanted to Sell
The brand was introduced to the Polish public at the Poznań Motor Show 2026. In Chery’s lineup, it is positioned higher than Omoda and Jaecoo but lower than Exlantix. In other words, it aims to be more lifestyle-oriented rather than budget-focused, with an emphasis on style.
Two SUVs are planned for launch. The Lepas L6 is expected to be a compact model with a length of around 4.55 meters. The proposed powertrains include a full hybrid version with a 1.5 engine and an electric version equipped with a 67 kWh battery. The hybrid is said to offer over 1,100 kilometers of combined range, while the electric version is expected to achieve around 435 km WLTP. On paper, these figures sound good, but without Polish-specific specifications and pricing, they remain just promises.
The second model, the Lepas L8, is expected to be less than 4.70 meters long and equipped with a PHEV powertrain delivering 279 horsepower. The manufacturer claims an electric range of up to 107 kilometers and a total range of around 1,300 kilometers. The third model in line is said to be the urban L4, likely also as a PHEV, but no official details are available yet.
This delay has two consequences. The Lepas may enter the Polish market better prepared, but it will also arrive amid a more competitive landscape. By the first half of 2027, there will be more competitors from China in our market than there were in the fall of 2026. The Lepas has bought itself time — the question is whether it will use that time wisely. In your opinion, is it better to launch later with a fully prepared service network or to debut sooner and make improvements along the way?
LovEV Newsletter
Want more content like this?
Sign up — we’ll send you a weekly summary once the newsletter starts.