LEPAS L8 SETS SAIL ON MAIDEN VOYAGE TO UK SHOWROOMS

First UK specification LEPAS L8 models board cargo ship bound for Britain
Almost 1,300 cars heading for rapidly growing LEPAS UK dealer network
Order books already bulging after L8 shines on its public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Test drives from late August, customer deliveries from September

Fresh from its outstanding public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the first UK specification LEPAS L8 premium SUVs to roll off the production line have set sail bound for British dealerships.

With pre-orders already building up, almost 1,300 examples of the new LEPAS flagship boarded the carrier AICC Kunpeng and set sail for the Port of Tyne from where they will continue their onward journey to showrooms and eventually customer driveways.

Across the UK, dozens of new LEPAS dealerships are currently being fitted out and finished, ready for the L8’s arrival. Lots of the nation’s biggest and most trusted dealer groups – including Arnold Clark and Marshall Motor Group – are among those in the process of opening LEPAS dealerships.

It is expected that the first dealerships to open will be in a position to start offering test drives in late August, with registrations on the new 76-plate and customer deliveries from early September.

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Ray Wang, Managing Director of LEPAS UK, said: “The whole LEPAS UK team was emotional seeing images of the first LEPAS L8 models boarding the transporter ship and setting sail for the UK.

“This moment comes after months of hard work by the whole team, making sure that everything is in place for the launch of our brand and for our customers to have the best possible experience of LEPAS.”

He added: “The public’s reaction to the LEPAS L8 when they saw it for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed underlined for me just how popular this model is going to be. We already have a very healthy order bank and hundreds of potential customers waiting to take test drives so we cannot wait for the boat to dock in the UK.”

Designed from the wheels up for Europe and enhanced for British roads, the L8 will be offered in two distinct and appropriately named trim lines. The first, ‘Essence’, offers everything the modern driver needs, with outstanding levels of technology, safety and comfort. Meanwhile, ‘Elevate’ models add everything the modern driver could possibly want, with in-car luxury and refinement taken to the next level for a truly high-end experience.

Prices for the L8 PHEV Essence begin at £34,900 RRP on-the-road, while the L8 PHEV Elevate starts at £37,900 RRP one-the-road.

Both variants are powered by the state-of-the-art LEPAS Super Hybrid ecosystem, featuring a highly efficient 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine mated to a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), electronic gear selector and a next generation 18.4kWh battery which can be DC fast charged from 30% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes.This powertrain can deliver a combined range of up to 745 miles, a pure electric range of up to 56 miles and a highly efficient combined fuel consumption of up to 403.5 mpg*. CO2 emissions are just 21g/km. A fully electric L8 will follow in 2027.

*Figures according to WLTP test cycle