Lance Witten|Published
The Lepas L6 arrived, and I was hard-pressed to tell it apart from the smaller L4 model that left as it pulled in.
Yeah, the wheels were bigger.
But it looked to be the same car.
Then I got inside.
The L6 is what happened when the Lepas designers threw off the shackles of cost savings.
Instead of hard plastics on the dash and door cards, there are soft, supple leatherette coverings. The massive centre console touchscreen is more responsive and connects to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto seamlessly each time, every time. It's far quieter inside.
This L6 was a different animal.
But there were similarities.
A similar vanilla driving experience.
A gearbox that in here, was more indecisive than the one in the L4.
Performance that was a little more muted, steering a little more indirect and vague.
But what do I know? I'm just a driver who likes cars.
The L6 gives you everything you want from a Mercedes-Benz, but at a literal fraction of the cost.
The L6 ranges from about R470k to R500k. An equivalent Merc will set you back a bar.
And is it really that different?
The GLC costs a million rand and is powered by 150kW 2.0l turbo-petrol at its base, while the L6 makes do with a 108kW 1.5l turbo-petrol, but there is a 160kW hybrid coming soon.
Looks wise, the L6 has, like the L4, shades of Jaguar, Audi, Alfa Romeo, and Porsche. From behind it's more Porsche than any other Chinese vehicle, and it's equivalent in quality to what you'd get from zhe Germans.
In this price range, from Germany, you could buy a much smaller, and more cheaper-feeling Volkswagen T-Cross, Opel Mokka, or even a VW Tiago. But you'd be missing out on perceived quality, finishing, space and features.
So, does the Lepas L6 make a good case as a rival for German or Japanese rivals?
One hundred percent yes.
The L6 feels expensive, with a features list longer than your arm and huge amounts of space.
The only thing that irks me is its behaviour on the road.
See, in the mid-teens, say 2016, Mercedes partnered with Renault and many of the GLA models from that era are powered by a Renault 1.5l turbo-petrol. Its gearbox was a little unsure. It felt like the engine, gearbox and suspension were operating independently of each other.
And that's kinda how the L6 feels to a person looking for a driver's car. A driver's car this is not.
But will it get the job done comfortably, in style, and efficiently? Absolutely yes.
All in all, the L6 is a little vanilla when it comes to driving dynamics, and those who enjoy an engaging drive will find its gearing frustrating.
But you'd be hard-pressed to find a car that feels this well put-together and packed with features at this price range.
IOL Motoring