Chinese carmaker Cherry is launching a fourth brand in the UK as it quickly becomes a major player in the British market.
The state-owned company said on Wednesday it will sell cars under the Lepass brand, which is developing battery and hybrid SUVs aimed primarily at young families in the European market.
Underlines the decision to add a fourth brand in the UK Cherry’s efforts to win market share. LePass cars will initially be built in China and imported into the UK free of tariffs imposed by the US and EU, but the government will eventually decide to make the cars in Britain.
Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s biggest automotive owner, is in early-stage talks over a potential deal to use its factories to make Chery cars, but no deal has been announced.
The launch of the new brand comes a week after Cheri said Open research and development headquarters in Liverpool For commercial vehicles.
The largest exporter of cars from Cheri China 23 years, but it has not made significant inroads in Europe as it has focused on cheaper models for other regions such as the Middle East.
The rise of electric cars and massive government subsidies to Chinese manufacturers allowed Companies like Chery, BYD and MG owner SAIC To take on European and Japanese car manufacturers.
Cherry launched the Omoda brand in 2024, Jekoo in January 2025 and its eponymous brand last summer. It sold 53,600 cars in 2025, or 2.7% of the market. That means it beats BYD, Tesla and the German-owned Mini, and easily beats Japanese rivals like Honda and Mazda.
Cherry has not yet committed to manufacturing in the UK, but has indicated it is considering doing so. It’s UK director, Victor Zhang, said in June is actively considering building a UK plant As part of the “localization” strategy.
The company has repeatedly said it wants to pursue a “in the UK, for the UK, stay in the UK” strategy, suggesting that setting up manufacturing is a serious option.
The Lepass brand — a madeup word vaguely referring to leopard — is positioned as a mass-market offering with an emphasis on “fun.” It differs from its Jekoo brand, which some have described as a “Range Rover clone”, albeit at a much lower price.
