Leapmotor C10 (2024 - )

You’d be forgiven for that puzzled look when we mention testing the Leapmotor C10 and I’ve been asked on more than one occasion “Leapmotor who?” Well, no prizes for guessing that Leapmotor is another Chinese manufacturer that’s targeting a British audience.
It is launching with two very different models – a budget-priced city car called the T03 and the larger mid-size SUV that we are testing here called the C10. 

Both models are fully electric and are sold with just one trim level and a single battery capacity to keep decision-making simple. Apart from the attractive price-tag with the C10 costing £36,500, the car is generously equipped as standard so there’s no need to go searching for added options.

But possibly the biggest news is that Leapmotor has joined forces with Stellantis to form Leapmotor International, with the latter securing a 51 per cent share in the company throughout Europe. In China Leapmotor keeps its majority with Stellantis holding just a 21 per cent interest. We were given the opportunity to test drive the attractively-styled C10 on a route near Royal Tonbridge Wells in the Kent countryside.
 

The five-door Leapmotor C10 will be competing in the D segment for sales and is already scooping awards having claimed a title in France for its sleek design. Features include an attractive front end, stretched roofline, flush door handles, a panoramic sunroof, sweeping light clusters, privacy glass, a rear wiper hidden in the spoiler and 20-inch alloys.

The interior is nicely designed with a minimalistic approach and there is plenty of tech to explore, almost all of which is accessed via the 14.6-inch infotainment screen. On-board systems include sat nav, a 12-speaker surround-sound audio, air conditioning, ambient lighting and a 360-degree camera. But one really big drawback is the lack of smartphone mirroring via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

This is a ‘must have’ in our opinion, especially as the C10’s navigation system froze on a number of occasions and failed to catch up properly. The instructions delivered in an American accent was also a ‘no, no’ for us! Elsewhere, a digital driver display shows data such as speed, battery charge levels and existing range.

Getting a comfortable driving position is easy with six-way powered seats upholstered in synthetic leather that look and feel high-end, offering plenty of padding. The front seats can be heated or ventilated and the steering wheel can also be warmed against the winter chill. The seating position feels quite high and this is especially noticeable if you are the front seat passenger as there is no height adjustment (or if there was, it wasn’t working on our test car).

We would like to see a few more physical controls as there are too many functions that are touchscreen dependent, including accessing the mirror adjustment settings and controlling the intermittent windscreen wiper speed. It’s true that sometimes less is more, but not in this case.
 

The rear-wheel drive Leapmotor C10 has a 70kWh battery with a single electric motor delivering 218hp and 320Nm of torque. It’s swift out the starting blocks completing the 0-62mph sprint in a very respectable 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 106mph.
The WLTP-tested driving range over a combined run is 263 miles, although if the driving is more urban-based that limit could stretch to 357 miles.

The acceleration is smooth through the single-speed transmission and there is plenty of power on tap to overtake slower moving vehicles. The C10 is nicely balanced through twisting country lanes, but it does feel a little jittery over rougher road surfaces. And there was another issue with the lane keep assist system. Despite deactivating the safety feature, it kept re-engaging itself which, at times, was pulling the car quite forcibly, leaving us fighting with the steering wheel for control. Also expect a constant stream of warning sounds on the simplest of journeys.

There are settings to alter the level of the regenerative braking, including a one-pedal mode which is ideal for heavy traffic with stop-and-go driving. However, you do need to stop to alter the regen settings which is not ideal with many competitors offering a similar system that can be adjusted on the fly. Additionally, there are drive modes called Eco, Comfort, Sport and Custom to alter the driving responses of the vehicle. But, once again the whole process is too overcomplicated and involves navigating touchscreen menus.
 

The nicely proportioned Leapmotor C10 has plenty of kerb appeal to help it stand out from the crowd. It stretches 4,739mm in length, is 1,900mm across (excluding door mirrors), 1,680mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,825mm.

The cabin is well-sized and a couple of tall adults can sit comfortably up front. And rear passengers are also treated to plenty of leg, head and elbow room. The completely flat floor means anyone relegated to that dreaded middle seat won’t have to straddle a transmission hump, making the space ideal for two adults (three at a squeeze) or a trio of youngsters.

Unfortunately, the boot volume does not match up to rival models in the segment and can only accommodate 435 litres of kit. But with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats lowered, the capacity does increase to 1,410 litres and there is a separate storage area beneath the boot floor. In addition the tailgate is powered and there is a kick-sensor function which is really handy if carrying lots of shopping or heavy items.

There are a number of practical storage options scattered throughout the cabin, including a glovebox, door bins, seat back pockets, a large storage compartment beneath the centre console, a deep cubby bin, a wireless charging pad and some rather shallow cup holders.
Charging the Leapmotor C10’s 70kWh battery from 30 to 80 per cent takes about 30 minutes via a fast charger, although it will be cheaper to use a 7kW home wallbox which sees the same level of battery charge in just over six hours.
 

You can expect to hear a lot about value as Leapmotor begins its marketing campaign as that is an area that this car excels in. While rival Chinese carmakers such as BYD are proving successful as stand-alone brands, Leapmotor has the advantage of its Stellantis backing. That means the cars will be on show all over the country and that is a huge plus-point when introducing and selling a new product.

And the fact that the C10 is sold in just a single trim and with one battery size also adds simplicity to the mix. The vehicle costs £36,500 and is packed with kit so there are no nasty optional extras to be factored in. Our test car had upgraded paint and that increased the final price-tag to £37,200. So not cheap, but also not as expensive as its nearest rivals in the sector either.

Additionally, EV drivers benefit from free road tax and are exempt from Ultra Low Emission Zone fees or Congestion Charges. But the government has made it clear that many EV incentives are being withdrawn this year.
As electric vehicles have fewer moving parts compared to traditionally-powered cars, the maintenance costs should be kept low and the C10 comes with a four-year, 60,000-mile warranty, increasing to eight years or 100,000 miles for the battery.

Any fleet drivers considering the C10 as a business car will be rewarded with a tempting two per cent Benefit in Kind tax rating and Leapmotor is offering the C10 on an attractive finance deal at launch with a £399 deposit and monthly payments of £399 over four years.
 

While Leapmotor’s compact city car - the T03 - has few rivals for its price, there is a plethora of vehicles vying for sales against the larger C10 with the likes of the Kia EV6, Skoda Enyaq and Hyundai Ioniq 5 already well established in the sector.
With its attractive asking price, you do get a lot of car for the £36,500, but there are some quite glaring omissions. 

Firstly, the absence of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring is a real oversight, especially as the vehicle’s built-in sat nav system kept dropping in and out of service.

In addition, the ride quality and performance are inferior compared to some competitors who seem to deliver a more rounded and complete package. However, Leapmotor does have the full backing of Stellantis and that means its models will be displayed in showrooms alongside the likes of Peugeot, Citroen, Jeep and Vauxhall vehicles. With that in mind, there will always be a steady stream of customers passing through to give the car a test drive.