LEPAS Malaysia begins pre-launch push with Karl Ho Raya project for children’s homes

KUALA LUMPUR: Ahead of its official launch in Malaysia, LEPAS is starting to show what kind of brand it wants to be here, and it is not doing that through product teasers alone.

Instead, the Chery Group-backed marque is opening with a community-led initiative, one that ties together local culture, festive season relevance and a broader message about what it claims to stand for in this market.

Also Read: LEPAS partners with ASTRO, Wani Kayrie for Raya music video, launch set for H1 2026

One of LEPAS Malaysia’s first moves locally is a collaboration with Malaysian fashion designer Karl Ho, who has worked with the brand to create bespoke baju raya for children from Pertubuhan Baitul Asnaf Sendayan, Yayasan Kasih Sayang Kuala Pilah, and Pusat Jagaan Anak Yatim Kausar Senawang.

Rather than making the exercise about fashion for the sake of optics, LEPAS is positioning it as part of its early brand identity in Malaysia. The company says the initiative reflects its belief that mobility should not be viewed purely as getting from one place to another, but also as something that can support progress and lift communities.

In this case, that message is expressed through custom-made festive clothing for children, with the idea being to give them something personal for Hari Raya, not just something practical.

LEPAS also ties that thinking back to its own name. In the local context, the Malay word “lepas” carries meanings linked to freedom, release and moving forward. The company says this fits with its broader LEAP philosophy, which centres on encouraging people to move beyond limitations and look ahead to future possibilities.

“As we prepare to introduce LEPAS to Malaysia, it was important that our first steps reflect what we stand for,” said Sarah Choo, Senior Brand Director of LEPAS Malaysia. “We are building more than a mobility brand. We are building a brand that embodies the Malaysian spirit of uplifting one another.”

Karl Ho said the collaboration also speaks to the role design can play beyond appearances alone. “True elevation begins at home,” he said. “Through this partnership with LEPAS, we are using bespoke craftsmanship not only to create festive garments, but to instill pride and aspiration in the next generation. When a child wears something made especially for them, it strengthens their belief in their own potential.”

Beyond the Raya initiative, LEPAS is also beginning to sketch out how it plans to position itself in Malaysia’s increasingly crowded SUV space.

Its lineup will include the L4, L6 and L8, all of which are underpinned by Chery Group’s new global new energy vehicle platform. According to the company, that architecture is designed to support multiple vehicle sizes as well as different powertrain types, including internal combustion, hybrid and fully electric systems.

That technical flexibility is part of the brand’s larger pitch. LEPAS says its design language is built around what it calls Leopard Aesthetics, while Exquisite Space is described as a key product strength and Elegant Driving as its core philosophy.

Like many new brands entering the market, there is no shortage of brand language here, but beneath that is a fairly straightforward intention, to sell LEPAS as a more design-conscious SUV marque with a premium-leaning image and a broad powertrain strategy.

Globally, LEPAS says it is expanding across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia as it builds its presence in the wider NEV space. Malaysia is being treated as one of its early right-hand-drive markets, making this launch more than a token entry point for the brand in the region.

Malaysia’s SUV market is already packed with established players, familiar nameplates and an increasing number of Chinese and Chinese-linked newcomers trying to stand out with design, features, electrification or pricing.

LEPAS appears to be taking a slightly different opening angle, one that mixes global engineering backing with local brand activation and community-focused storytelling.

Whether that is enough to give it a real foothold will depend on the products themselves once details are officially revealed. For now, though, LEPAS Malaysia is making it clear that it wants its introduction to the market to feel culturally aware, locally grounded and a little less mechanical than the usual pre-launch routine.

If nothing else, it is an unusual way to begin, and probably a smarter one than simply shouting about another SUV before anyone has even seen the full range in person.

Also Read: Lepas set to enter Malaysia, targets 30 outlets by end-2026