The rise of Chinese companies in the UK automobile market has been meteoric, with a medley of names such as BYD, Chery, and the now Chinese-owned MG emerging as key players in a matter of months. These Chinese brands have quickly garnered a reputation for undercutting entrenched names without stripping back on quality or technology, which has been extremely popular in the UK as household budgets have tightened. This is especially true of electric vehicles, which are still infamously expensive and thus are a ripe market for Chinese companies like newcomer Leapmotor to exploit.
Founded in 2015, Leapmotor have grown exponentially to materialise as the third largest EV and plug-in hybrid manufacturer in China and is now knocking on the doors of the European and UK markets thanks to a partnership with multinational behemoths Stellantis, who own the likes of Fiat, Peugeot, and Vauxhall, among others. With two wildly contrasting models, Leapmotor are looking to make a similarly explosive entry into the UK of its contemporaries. The first of these is the T03 electric city car and the ambitious C10 electric SUV.
In the UK market, the SUV segment is the most hotly contested battlefield with several family favourites such as the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6, Skoda Enyaq, Renault Scenic, BYD Atto 3, and Hyundai Ioniq 6 all jostling for supremacy. Leapmotor employs the familiar tactic of ensuring that the C10 is significantly less expensive than its rivals at £36,500 compared to the £44,990 that the Model Y is priced at.
As a D-segment SUV, the C10 is already large by family standards, but due to its “cell-to-chassis” ethos, it features a capacious interior with a large amount of legroom for passengers to the extent that even four adults will not struggle for space. This interior space can be further extended by reclining the rear and even the front seats. Additionally, by keeping the battery as a single unit, rather than separating it into modules, the handling and ride quality are also improved.
Inside the C10, Leapmotor have adhered to many of the paradigms laid down by Tesla, with a minimalist design and strong emphasis on technology and infotainment. The dashboard is dominated by a high-resolution 14.6-inch touchscreen, which controls all the navigation, climate, and other settings omnipresent in modern vehicles. The 10.25-inch driver display serves as the touchscreen’s partner in crime and efficiently relays the vehicle’s speed and other important information.
Despite lacking Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, the C10 does boast 17 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) features, which ensure the model is not lagging in autonomous technology and prioritise safety on the road. Indeed, the C10 was awarded the maximum five stars for its Euro NCAP crash safety rating. Over-the-air software updates for the infotainment and ADAS systems that are guided by driver feedback will also be provided regularly.
The C10 also contains in its arsenal a panoramic sunroof, bi-directional charging, a heat pump, a 360-degree camera, and a lighting system that changes and pulses in response to the music being played through the 12-speaker system. Another novel feature is the card, which replaces a conventional key and is tapped on the wing mirror to open and lock the car (this can also be done through an app). This card can also be tapped on the centre console to start the vehicle.
With a 69.9 kWh battery and 215 bhp electric motor, the C10 is fairly lively and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds, which is faster than several of its competitors. The official range of the C10 is claimed to be 263 miles on a single charge, and there are four levels of regenerative braking that can be toggled using the menus in the infotainment system. A maximum DC charging rate of 84 kW, while not top of its class, means that the C10 can charge from 30 to 80 percent in a respectable 30 minutes.
Thanks to its interesting design and styling, the Leapmotor C10 differentiates itself from the pack of vehicles heading to the UK from China and should be a fearsome contender in the electric SUV market. Its practicality, abundance of technology, and devotion to safety and comfort make the C10 perfect for families who are eager to make the change to electric without the premium costs.
