This New Lecar 459 Híbrido Has Tesla Model Y-like Style And 1,000 KM Range

Not, that's not a Tesla Model Y. This lookalike is called the Lecar 459 Híbrido instead, and it comes from Brazil.

No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you folks, nor is this a glitch with our website. What you see pictured here is indeed a legitimate new car – albeit in digital render only now – that hails from Brazil, and it’s the brainchild of a new startup called Lecar.

Christened as the Lecar 459 Híbrido (Hybrid in Portuguese), its styling is arguably very similar to the Tesla Model Y, especially with its silhouette profile from the side. Despite so, it’s worth highlighting that the 459 Híbrido is actually smaller and more compact than said Tesla.

Built atop a monocoque body, the 459 Híbrido actually sits just 4,350 MM long with a 2,700 MM wheelbase. In contrast, the Model Y sits 4,751 MM long with a 2,890 MM wheelbase instead. Being smaller also means this Brazilian lookalike is actually lighter at a claimed 1,396 KG too.

Side profile and silhouette aside, the Lecar 459 Híbrido has a distinctively different front and rear fascia. It's also smaller and more compact than the Tesla Model Y.

Indeed, the real differences lie in the details of the Lecar 459 Híbrido, where it sports very different head- and taillights design, at the very least. The Brazilian startup didn’t release any images of this crossover’s interior yet, but what’s piquing our interest is its mechanical powertrain.

Though smaller than said Tesla it mirrors, the 459 Híbrido does boasts a five-seat layout paired with a respectably cavernous 530-litre standard boot space. Lecar even promises a slew of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) tech that provides up to Level 2 autonomous driving abilities.

Before we digress, Lecar touts itself as “Brazil’s newest home-grown automaker” with ambitions of introducing “a range of sophisticated and affordable EV models, targeted at domestic audiences.” The latter evident with the 459 Híbrido’s proposed BRL 147,900 (approx. RM114,322) price tag.

Under the hood, this Brazilian offering uses an EREV powertrain format featuring a range-extending 1.0-litre 34-cyl turbo petrol mill supplied by Horse - the new Renault-Geely powertrain joint-venture.

The real difference this Lecar possess over the Tesla it mimics lies under the hood where it uses an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) powertrain format – it’s not a full EV. Instead, the 459 Híbrido pairs both a single rear e-motor and 18.4 kWh battery pack with a 1.0-litre 3-cyl turbo petrol mill.

The latter combustion mill, which has already powered light commercial vehicles prior, serves as a range-extending motor, and it’s sourced from the Renault-Geely powertrain joint-venture called Horse, thus making this Brazilian offering the first to adopt powertrains from which.

With its EREV setup, the 459 Híbrido boasts a total range of up to 1,000 KM, whilst the ability to support EV charging also sees it boast up to 100 KM of EV-only range too.

Said mill is primed with dual-cams and direct fuel injection to develop 114 HP and 200 NM, claims Horse, though Lecar’s published figures are little higher at 121 HP and 220 NM. Like the Hybrid systems used by Nissan (e-Power) and Honda (e:HEV), this mill only serves to recharge the battery.

Instead, drive duties primarily stems form the rear e-motor noted, with outputs 163 HP and 258 NM, which are enough to get the 459 Híbrido to complete the 0-100 KM/H sprint in 10.9 seconds. Moreover, with a full tank of petrol, Lecar claims that a travel range of up to 1,000 KM is possible.

Notably, this EREV powertrain will have the ability to support charging, with Lecar claiming it to offer up to 100 KM of EV-only range too. Apart from what we detailed, exact specifications of the 459 Híbrido have yet to be confirmed.

Lecar is reportedly set to build a new factory that opens in Auf 2026 where it will produce the 459 Híbrido. The facility is touted with a 120,000 cars annual production capacity.

Instead, Lecar says it will construct a new factory in Espírito Santo, Brazil, later this year. The facility is set to open in Aug 2026, with a production capacity of 120,000 cars annually. Horse also announced it will supply 12,000 engines for the Lecar 459 Híbrido.

Ahead of which, said powertrain supplier also notes that the first prototype is already being tested. For now, it remains unclear if the Lecar 459 Híbrido will be exported beyond Brazil’s borders.