New arrival: Carasso to import Chery's LEPAS brand

The best-selling car manufacturer in Israel is on its way to increasing its presence: a few weeks ago, the Ministry of Transport announced that it would extend the import franchise of the Carasso Group, the importer of Chery to Israel, until 2030. Now, ministry records show that the group is preparing to import an additional brand: LEPAS.

Carasso has registered the first model of the brand — the LEPAS 8L — the manufacturer's flagship SUV. According to Ministry of Transport records, the first vehicle registered in Israel is equipped with a plug-in hybrid system (PHEV) based on a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and electric assistance. Its stated price (subject to change upon the start of marketing) is 205,000 shekels.

It should be noted that the Chery concern has a wide range of sub-brands: LEPAS, ICAR (whose representatives recently visited Israel in search of a franchisee), Exlantix, and other brands. Carasso also imports Xpeng, Nissan, and Renault cars to the country. LEPAS itself is considered a brand that, in terms of positioning, is placed above the mass-market Chery but below the Omoda model, and similar to Omoda and Jaecoo (whose marketing franchise is held by Colmobil), these cars are also based on Chery components. This is part of the manufacturer's strategy in which a platform (chassis and powertrain) yields a large number of models and brands, each of which is positioned differently.

In terms of brand distribution, the Chery concern is currently considered the best-selling manufacturer in Israel with a market share of 22%. According to data from the Israel Vehicle Importers Association, in the first half of 2026, about 22,500 Omoda and Jaecoo cars were sold in the country (their deliveries are reported together), alongside about 18,500 Chery cars. This means the Chery concern delivered almost 41,000 cars in Israel.