
Chery’s Lepas moves into premium SUV segment
Chery’s latest international brand, LEPAS, has reached a major milestone as its first model – the L8 – officially rolls off the production line.
- Industry News
- 25 April 2025
Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), part of global tyre and rubber company Sumitomo Rubber Industries, has invested more than R2.1 billion in a “state-of-the-art”, purpose-built 180 000 m2 tyre manufacturing facility.
The facility includes a truck, bus and radial factory, as well as an upgraded passenger car, sports-utility vehicle and light truck tyre manufacturing component.
The new factory in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, aims to increase manufacturing output to meet any arising needs in the province and to improve its products and grow its market share across its Dunlop, Falken and Sumitomo brands.
“Over the next few months and years, we aim to ramp up local production and investment and increase our impact on creating employment in South Africa. We recently agreed to a phased investment over the next five years with our shareholders, Sumitomo Rubber Industries.
“The plan entails investing in machinery and systems that will ensure that we have capability locally to meet the requirements of original-equipment manufacturers, gain efficiencies to better serve the local market and create a better and safer experience for motorists on the road,” said SRSA CEO, Lubin Ozoux.
Chery’s latest international brand, LEPAS, has reached a major milestone as its first model – the L8 – officially rolls off the production line.
A busy year awaits OMODA & JAECOO, with the all-new JAECOO J7 SHS and the OMODA C7 PHEV just two of the new, electrified models due to reach South African shores later this year.
Chery is taking the car-buying experience into the future by blending technology with a human touch.