Park the Lepas L6 next to its smaller sibling, the L4, and you could be forgiven for thinking someone had simply inflated the little one with a bicycle pump. The family resemblance is strong. Then you notice the 19-inch wheels, the chrome-satin window surrounds, the black cladding over the wheel arches and the full-width light bar across the tailgate, and the L6 starts to stand on its own.
At 4 554 mm long, with the same 2 700 mm wheelbase and 190 mm of ground clearance, it is a proper family-sized crossover and it will cope with the speed humps and broken tar of our suburbs.
Opinions on the styling will differ at the braai. The slim LED headlamps and wide, curved grille give it a face that stands out in a car park full of grey crossovers and it carries hints of Jaguar, Audi and even Alfa Romeo.
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Some people find the chrome around that grille a bit much. Most agree that the rear is the weakest angle and looks rather generic after the drama at the front. It is attractive without being fussy, though, and bright colours help it stand out in a Sandton mall parking lot.
The cabin is where the L6 makes its strongest argument. The front seats are broad and well padded, with power adjustment and lumbar support, and the top-spec Pantera adds heating, ventilation and memory settings. A 13,2-inch touchscreen runs wireless smartphone mirroring, a wireless charging pad delivers 50 watts, and the surround-view camera is sharp and clear.
There is also a panoramic roof with an electric blind to keep the Highveld sun off your neck. In the Pantera, an eight-speaker Sony system and multi-colour ambient lighting complete a cabin that feels well above its price bracket.
It is not flawless. The driver’s digital instrument cluster looks basic and a little dated next to the big central screen, and a few of the plastics lower down are harder than the soft surfaces around them. These are small complaints in a car that costs less than R500 000.
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Rear passengers get the best deal. Legroom is immense for the segment and three adults can share the back bench without fighting over elbow space. Boot capacity is a claimed 435 litres, which is not class-leading on paper, but the three-position floor makes it more useful than the figure suggests and a further 71 litres hides below it.
Folding the rear seats opens up 1 255 litres. The spare is a proper space-saver, not a tin of sealant and a prayer.
Under the bonnet sits a 1,5-litre turbo-charged four-cylinder that makes 108 kW and 225 Nm, with peak torque arriving from 1 750 r/min. A six-speed dual-clutch gearbox sends everything to the front wheels. In town, the car feels light on its feet and sufficiently perky and Sport mode sharpens the throttle noticeably.
The less welcome side shows up at low speeds, where the throttle and gearbox calibration is hesitant and makes pulling away from a robot feel clumsy. You must ask for more throttle than expected before the engine responds and the gearbox then catches up a beat late. It is the usual weakness of many non-hybrid Chinese cars, and the L6 has not escaped it.
Once rolling, the car improves. Overtaking and climbing gradients are overseen without drama, thanks in part to the modest weight. The result is respectable rather than neck-snapping.
Pushed hard with a full load of people and luggage on the open road, though, the engine begins to sound out of its depth and anyone planning regular Durban holidays with a packed car should assess that scenario before signing.
Ride comfort is the L6’s real talent. The suspension, MacPherson struts at the front and an independent set-up at the rear, soaks up uneven surfaces with a calm, compliant manner, and the cabin stays hushed at highway speeds.
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The steering is noticeably light and gives little feedback about what the front wheels are doing. That suits the daily school run and the shopping centre, but anyone who enjoys driving for its own sake will find the experience a bit vanilla and the gearing will frustrate them on a winding road.
Efficiency falls short of the brochure. Lepas claims 7,2 l/100 km, but a week of mixed driving produced figures between 8,0 and 8,4 l/100 km. With a 51-litre tank, that still translates to a range of roughly 600 kilometres, which is enough for Joburg to Bloemfontein and a bit more.
The driver-assistance systems on the Pantera are a pleasant surprise. Adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, lane keeping and automatic emergency braking all work without nagging, which is more than can be said for the systems in some established rivals. While both versions get a full set of crash bags and Isofix anchorages, the Pantera adds a centre bag.
The pricing is where the L6 becomes difficult to ignore. The Javan costs R469 900 and the Pantera R499 900, which puts both squarely against the likes of the Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Sportage, Renault Duster and Suzuki Across, yet the Lepas offers a longer features list than most of them.
Peace of mind is covered by a 5-year/150 000 km vehicle warranty, a 10-year/1 000 000 km engine warranty and a 5-year/75 000 km service plan. Demo units have already started appearing in dealer stock at lower prices, which suggests buyers who want to haggle will have room to do so.
The Lepas L6 will not excite anyone who lives for tyre squeal and gear changes, and its low-speed manners need work. For a family that wants a smart-looking, quiet, spacious crossover loaded with technology and a long warranty, it makes a convincing case. The Pantera’s seats and driver aids justify the extra R30 000 for anyone who spends long hours behind the wheel.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
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