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Backed by one of the largest legacy car companies in the world, Chinese EV start-up upstart Leapmotor is about to pounce on the BYD Atto 3, Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6 electric vehicles (EVs) with the C10.
Arriving in November from about $45,000 before on-road costs – exact pricing will be revealed next month by importer and 21 per cent shareholder Stellantis of Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo fame in Australia.
The spacious five-seater medium SUV is set to shift EV perceptions by being Toyota RAV4-priced but nearly Toyota Kluger-sized.
Dimensionally, it splits the Toyota duo by measuring in at 4739mm (length), 1900mm (width), 1680mm (height) and 2825mm (wheelbase). Ground clearance is 180mm.
Two sub-$50,000 C10 grades are confirmed for launch, in highly-specified Style and Design designations, while a long-wheelbase and three-row version known as the C16 is slated to follow sometime next year.
Standard equipment includes a 360-degree camera, rear parking sensors, panoramic glass roof (mercifully with an electric sunshade), dual-zone climate control with heat pump, electric front seats that lay (somewhat) flush with the rear-seat cushions to form a ‘bed’ of sorts, voice control, a 10.25-inch electronic driver display, a 14.6-inch central screen with live navigation and 4G connection, imbedded app connectivity, wireless charging, an NFC and Bluetooth key for auto entry/start, 840W premium audio, a Leapmotor app for remote vehicle functionality, concealed door handles and a tyre-repair kit.
Note the C10 has no provision for a spare wheel.
Going for the Design adds 20-inch alloys (up from 18s), a powered tailgate, rear privacy glass, heated/vented front seats, rear privacy glass, air-quality monitor, toxin-free synthetic leather seat trim, ambient lighting and an LED rear light bar with start-up animation.
At under $50K, that is compellingly low pricing for such a large and highly-specified EV SUV.
While the warranty will be seven years/160,000km, servicing-related information will be revealed closer to the Leapmotor’s November local launch date. And speaking of assistance, we understand that there will be dealer representation in every state in Australia, using Stellantis’ existing Jeep and/or Fiat/Alfa-Romeo network.
For now, the C10 will use a rear-mounted electric motor delivering 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque to the rear wheels, though a dual-motor all-wheel drive model is also expected sometime in the near future. 0-100km/h takes 7.5 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 170km/h.
For Australia, the larger of two battery packs will be offered initially – in this case a 69.9kWh lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) item. Leapmotor says it can manage up to 420km of WLTP-rated range.
There is also a plug-in hybrid Range Extender EV (dubbed REEV) coming at some point, combining a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 28kWh battery pack for around 155km of pure EV range.
The suspension – MacPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link arrangement out back – has been tuned by Maserati (another Stellantis brand).
All C10s are built on a third-generation electric-first 800-volt vehicle architecture known as LEAP3.0.
It features ‘Cell-to-Chassis’ engineering which integrates the battery pack within the platform structure for substantially improved strength, rigidity and packaging, that in turn benefit vehicle safety, dynamic control, ride comfort and interior space.
To that end, according to Leapmotor Vice President of International Operations, Matt Lei, the C10 is “… the safest vehicle in this segment”, as well as “…the quietest in its segment”.
Another key development is software-based engineering, meaning the Leapmotor uses a “self-developed” centralised electrical architecture, rather than the conventional way that deploys individual modules throughout the vehicle, working independently according to which electrical set-up they’re operating. Not only does the LEAP3.0 solution harmonise the interior, advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) and other vehicle-function elements, it also allows for over-the-air updates. Volvo has also showcased a similar architectural approach in the new EX90 EV SUV.
Lei expects a five-star ANCAP crash-test rating. Both grades include seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, front/rear collision warning, lane centring control, adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, driver monitoring and more.
As mentioned earlier, the C10 is larger than a Toyota RAV4, with ample space for five people – with particular attention paid to rear-seat room, as per Chinese-market preferences. With the reclinable backrest up, there’s more than 420 litres (VDA) to the window line, or 581L to the ceiling, expanding to 1410L in two-seater mode.
Since being unveiled at the IAA mobility show in Munich in September, 2023, the C10 has won a major international design award, along with several other accolades.
So, who exactly is Leapmotor?
Established in 2015, Leapmotor is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Its vehicles are claimed to be independently developed, including electric powertrain and intelligent systems. Its first model, the S01 coupe, went on sale in China in 2019, and was followed by the T03 city car a year later and the advanced C01 sedan in 2022.
Stellantis bought a 20 per cent stake in Leapmotor in October 2023, forming the Leapmotor International B.V. joint venture in May, 2024, with the purpose of “exploring international markets.”
Want to know more? Stay tuned.
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