The Chinese automaker Chery International has announced it will launch a fourth brand under its umbrella for the United Kingdom and Europe market, where it has enjoyed huge popularity recently.

The new brand, which will be known as Lepas, will specialize in the production of electric and hybrid SUVs for young families and be available throughout the region, Chery said.

The new marque will be targeted at "modern urban buyers" and be "inspired by the leopard, symbolizing the perfect fusion of speed, power, and elegance", Chery said. The company said the Lepas will make regular driving more engaging, with cars that feature smart technology and thoughtful design.

Lepas automobiles will initially be made in China but the company has suggested it may eventually shift production to the UK, with Victor Zhang, Chery's UK director, told media in June that the company was "actively considering" building a UK factory as part of its "localization" strategy. The move would be part of Chery's "in UK, for UK, be UK" strategy around its UK sales.

Chery said last week it also plans to open a research and development facility in the northern English city of Liverpool, which will specialize in commercial vehicles.

Chery, which has been China's largest exporter of cars for 23 years, has only recently focused on the UK and Europe, but has made huge inroads.

The automaker owns the Omoda brand, which was launched in 2024, the Jaecoo brand, which was launched in 2025, and the Chery brand. All three existing brands also plan to release new models for the Europe market in the coming 12 months.

The existing three brands achieved a combined market share of 5.3 percent in the UK in their first 18 months, which the company says is the fastest rise from 0 percent to 5 percent ever seen in Britain.

The weekly motoring magazine Auto Express said the new marque will likely arrive on the market during the third quarter of 2026, and offer a bolder and more imaginative range of models than the Chery group's current lineup, with cars designed specifically for Europe.

Chery Holding Group, which owns Chery International and its sub-brands, was listed on the Fortune Global 500 for the first time in 2024, ranking 385th, with reported revenues of $39.1 billion.

Liverpool's mayor welcomed Chery's recent announcement that it plans to use the R&D facility it is building in the city as its central hub for European operations, saying the move will create high-value jobs in engineering, software development, R&D, and operations.

Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Chery's decision to base its European HQ in our city region is a fantastic vote of confidence in our advanced manufacturing and green innovation sectors."

He said the project will bring long-term economic benefits and "further strengthen our region's reputation at the forefront of cleaner, smarter transport".

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