- Chery Group-owned brand reveals it sporty side
- Concept blends elements of the hatchback and shooting brake design
- Menacing front end its reminiscent of recent Audis
The Chinese-owned Lepas automotive brand, which has been making waves in many European markets with a selection of cut-price SUVs, has recently unveiled a stunning concept that could influence its future models.
While the marque's L8 and L6 SUVs are fairly generic in their exterior styling, the Aura concept blends hatchback proportions with a sporty shooting brake aesthetic that could easily go toe-to-toe with some of Europe’s best designs.
According to the Chinese company, which showcased its concept at the brand's Global Elegant Lifestyle Week in Wuhu, China, the Aura represents the second evolution of what it brilliantly calls 'Leopard Aesthetics'.
After all, the company’s name is a portmanteau of “leopard” and “passion”.
The most distinctive feature is the 'Leopard-Eye' lighting signature at the front, while the faux grille is an enormous back-lit screen that houses the Lepas logo.
According to its designer Ivan Dulanovic, this digital canvas at the front can display adaptable graphics, lighting effects and animations, while an elliptical display at the rear offers scope for personalized taillight signatures.
A lack of front grille and ducting also suggests that the concept could use an electrified powertrain.
Speculation aside, the pronounced shoulder lines, flowing surfaces and long, low stance makes it looks like very little else currently on the road today. And while there is no confirmation as to whether or not it previews a production car, the concept gives us a strong look at the design direction the brand intends to pursue with future models.
Analysis: Breaking the mold
Aside from simply being a very nice piece of automotive design, the Lepas Aura concept is also interesting because it doesn’t take the form of yet another generic SUV.
Once of the biggest issues with many of the new Chinese brands entering the UK and Europe is that they tend to lack an individual identity, often appearing like an AI mash-up of numerous successful crossovers currently on sale.
It’s possibly a deliberate tactic, as offering customers something they immediately recognize helps reduce any anxiety around trusting a new brand. Plus, the SUV remains the top-selling body style in most markets.
But the Aura is different and it previews what a sleek and stylish hatchback or shooting brake could look like from Lepas. The simple, uncluttered design, meanwhile, feels fresh and should deliver more cause for concern among the established European players.
Until now, the likes of Audi, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have been trading on their reputation as leading design figures, but now you could argue that the burgeoning Chinese automotive industry is starting to refine a style of its own. And it looks good.
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