The brand made its global debut in April 2025 at Shanghai Auto Show and positions itself around “design-led thinking with advanced technology” for drivers seeking vehicles that reflect individuality and modern luxury.

Chery South Africa has appointed Letitia Herold as National Brand & Marketing Manager to lead the local rollout. She’ll handle launch strategy, partnerships, and market engagement as the company pushes into the premium segment.

“I am honoured to have been chosen to build the LEPAS brand in South Africa,” said Herold. “We’re speaking to a generation that wants more than just a car – they want an experience that reflects who they are. LEPAS is a brand that celebrates modern success, personal expression, and confidence on every journey.”

The LEPAS L8, which launched earlier this year, features exterior lines inspired by a leopard’s stance, premium interior trim, and current driver-assist technologies. The brand plans to expand across multiple segments with what it calls a “design-forward lineup” covering family and executive markets.

The LEPAS name combines “leap” and “passion,” reflecting the brand’s focus on movement, vitality, and expressive energy. Herold is now responsible for establishing this identity in the South African market ahead of the 2026 launch.

“The new model is a response to customer feedback gathered by our research team,” said Mark Ma, Assistant General Manager of Chery South Africa. “We’ve heard from existing Tiggo 4 PRO owners who are interested in a sportier driving experience and improved fuel economy. The DCT is being offered as an option to cater to these preferences.”

According to Chery, the DCT promises a more engaging driving experience while also offering potential fuel savings. Chery’s engineers claim the new transmission can improve fuel efficiency by up to 1.6 liters per 100 kilometers during testing in South African conditions (results may vary depending on driving style and environment).

This improvement is particularly noticeable in the turbocharged 1.08 kW engine option.

Chery is also committed to improving the driving experience for existing Tiggo 4 PRO CVT owners. A new software update is currently under development and has shown positive results in initial testing conducted on South African roads. This update is expected to be available to customers soon.

The introduction of the DCT coincides with some interior and technology upgrades. The new center console design is similar to the one found in the Tiggo 7 Pro, offering additional storage space and a wireless charging pad (on Elite models). The Elite SE trim with DCT also receives a high-resolution infotainment screen with offline navigation, RDS radio, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

With the addition of the Tiggo 4 PRO DCT, Chery now offers this transmission option across its entire Tiggo PRO lineup, including the 7-speed DCT found in the Tiggo PRO 7 MAX and Tiggo PRO 8 MAX models.

Pricing and Availability

The new Tiggo 4 PRO LiT DCT is available immediately for R382,900, while the Tiggo 4 PRO Elite DCT retails for R415,900.

The result is the 2022 Tiggo 8 Pro, and its starts out bold: a heroic crest feathered with Chery’s quad LED lights. Those strakes almost follow around to the front fenders, too, a neat piece of visual continuity that, though we’ve seen it on some German models already, still hasn’t got old. An uninterrupted shoulder line sweeps to the rear, the Tiggo 8 Pro’s roofline gently tapering in tandem, to matching rear LED clusters and a scalloped rear hatch.

It looks natural, and fluid; as though the sculptor teased back fluted clay with their fingertips. If I’ve got a complaint, it’s that the unusual wheels we’ve seen Chery tease on some of its China only models aren’t available on the SUV.

Inside, things are equally impressive. Chery refers to its design language as the “life in motion” a conscious nod toward relative minimalism and visual cleanliness. That’s a high bar to set.

The thing about luxury cars that some automakers struggle with is that they’re not just a long list of specifications and gadgets, it’s how you put all that together that truly counts. Without that, there’s no sense of cohesion, of identity. It’s something the German car companies figured out long ago, but a challenge new would-be luxury competitors still fall short in. You can have nice leather and wood, and all the toys an S-Class or a 7 Series lists on the order form, but that’s only half of “present and correct.” Chery makes all that affordable.

The dashboard is a wide swathe of soft coloured leather, and a bit of plastic finishes. Atop it is a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a wider-than-widescreen panel. The driver gets another sizable fully-digital 12.3-inch 3D cluster.

Cabin comfort controls are handled by a set of dedicated knobs. Below that is a 8-inch screen where you can swipe across the interface for fan or temperature adjustment.

Another bigger knurled knob takes care of the transmission, while another, smaller dial flicks between drive modes. Two more dials, slightly too recessed for my liking, handle more of the air conditioning.

The vast majority of it looks, and feels, stupendous. Whether it’s the intentional minimalism of Chery’s infotainment idle screen, or the detailing paid to each control stalk or steering wheel switch, there’s a thoughtfulness most other luxury upstarts struggle with.

The1.6 TGDI engine with 7DCT transmission has solid pickup and peak torque arrives up to 5 500 rpm; push harder, and Genesis’ transmission will happily kick down to keep you in that band, though it starts to lose a little aural composure. Twisty roads clearly aren’t the Tiggo 8 Pro’s preferred playground, but the ride is composed.

This is no backroad racer, though it’s fast enough and the pick-up is swift.

The result is more reassuringly surefooted than sporting. There’s a dedicated Sport mode, of course, the Tiggo 8 Pro holding the lower gears among other changes.

Some potential buyers would like to see something more powerful, I’m sure, and I was disappointed that Chery didn’t have a full-electric or even just a hybrid version yet given where things are in the industry.

As for pricing and packaging, things kick off at R496 900 for the Tiggo 8 Pro Distinctive while the full house Executive will set you back R546 900.

Its worth noting that the Tiggo 8 Pro offers third row seating. The reality, though, is that the seats are small and both head and legroom back there is tight. Figure on occasional transport for small kids, rather than anything more permanent; Chery makes up for this by making them just as plush as the treatment you get in the first and second rows. They eat into cargo space, too.

The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro is a category-shaking example of what a modern luxury SUV looks and feels like. Competitive where it needs to be, distinct where other would-be luxe contenders opted for homogeneity, and above all confident in what it offers. If even just a small fraction of the heads it turns add up to sales, Chery is on to a winner.

There are plenty of reasons why new cars have become more and more expensive over the past years. Increasing safety demands by regulators, an expectation of more equipment and more refinement from potential owners, and the rising cost of parts and materials all took their toll, and that was before a pandemic arrived and a chip shortage with it.

Now, I’ll admit, this 2021 Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Elite SE CVT isn’t quite the R269k version which Chery offers. With red detailing on the exterior design. Coupled with both the standard and metallic colours, it nudges the compact up to R359 900. That is, though, still less than the R400k South Africans are currently paying on average for a new vehicle.

Having grown up in the Free State, where smaller cars were frowned upon, a lot about the Tiggo feels both familiar and charming. Its 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol engine brings 108 kW of power and 210 Nm of torque to the party, funneled to the front wheels via the continuously variable transmission. Chery also offers an even cheaper 6 speed manual version.

Despite that, there’s an unexpectedly extensive list of standard equipment. The Elite SE model gets 17-inch wheels, an 10.23-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, single zone automatic climate control, a 60/40 split rear bench, remote keyless entry, and hill-start assistance. Even the seats, steering wheel and shift knob are leather-wrapped.

The safety features are arguably even more impressive: Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Traction Control (TCS), Roll Stability Control (RCS), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Hill Assist all come standard across the board. Excuse me while I spare some side-eye for the German luxury automakers who charge extra for half of that list.

As for the warranty, that covers you for a healthy nd uanmatched 10-year / 1-million-kilometre engine warranty. All Chery Tiggo 4 Pro models are also sold with a 5 year / 60 000 km service plan as standard.

Other automakers have tried cheap, small cars, and usually fallen foul of cabin plastics reminiscent of chocolate box liners or lumpen exterior styling. With its shield-shaped grille and squinting headlamps, the Tiffo seems like it’s aping popular bigger SUVs, and not in a bad way. It doesn’t fall victim of that “just escaped from Toy Town” aesthetic that many in the segment struggle with.

Inside, things feel surprisingly solid. Nobody will confuse the Tiggo for one of Chery’s more upscale models that are yet to reach us, never mind a Hyudai or KIA, but the switchgear is solid and the infotainment system easy to use. There are plenty of USB ports, the climate control is straightforward, and though the whole thing is sober – with only some matte silver plastic trim to attempt to lighten the mood – it feels like it would hold up to family use.

Around town, the dinky engine plays its perky strengths well. There’s enough verve to have you zipping away from the lights, and the compact footprint makes both traffic darting and maximizing parking opportunities easy. There’s a Sport mode which leaves the CVT a little more urgent, though temper your expectations there.

Out on the highway, things are somewhat less convincing. Outside of typical urban speeds the sluggish acceleration means overtaking maneuvers can be fraught. The Tiggo just doesn’t feel as planted as you’d expect from something with crossover billing.

Both front and rear passenger space is plentiful, and visibility is good too.

It’s a little astonishing, not only just how much Chery has managed to squeeze into the Tiggo for its price, but how it has done so without leaving the whole thing feeling cheap. Yes, there are places where you’ll find hard plastics, and no you’re not going to mistake the Tiggo for some of the more lavish crossovers on the school run, but it’s very hard to argue that most drivers need more than this R360k model.

Those who should look elsewhere include anybody wanting electrification, anyone needing the extra winter traction of all-wheel drive, and those who spend more time on the highway than around town. All areas where the Tiggo’s shortcomings and omissions are most glaring. Urbanites needing affordable wheels, a solid and spacious cabin, and a great warranty, though, might find more to like at Chery’s dealership than in trying to trawl the used car classifieds.