Ding-dong hell! What is the automotive world coming to, with in-car audible alerts and
warnings all the go in EVs, especially, adding to the cabin cacophony, all that’s missing
is Road Runner – beep-beep!
Seriously, the family and I have just spent a week with the Leapmotor C10 SUV butting
in to our conversations to tell us all was far from well with our driver, vehicle, road
conditions, or the state of the Aussie dollar. No luck with the latest Lotto numbers, but.
I digress.
The C10 is an electric SUV from the new Chinese brand backed by Stellantis, the
parent company of Jeep, Ram and Peugeot. So, far it has come Down Under in two
models – the Style and Design.
The company is serious about taking on the market, with the pair starting at $45,888 for
the Style and $49,888, the Design, boasting a range of 420 kilometres from its single
lithium-ion battery charged motor.
The debutants have since been joined by a range-extender vehicle (REEV) pushing out
to a claimed 1150 kilometres with its petrol/electric hybrid system. But that’s for another
day.
The C10 is Leapmotor’s first global product based on the LEAP3.0 platform, eight years
in the making. The vehicle has Cell-to-Chassis technology where the battery cells are
integrated into the structure of the car, leading to a greater driving range of up to 420km,
based on the WLTP cycle.
The C10 is backed by a seven-year, 160,000km vehicle warranty and an eight-year,
160,000km high-voltage battery warranty.
STYLING
Looks are standard modern SUV, with a typical EV ‘smile’ up front and body featuring
the ever-popular flush door handles.
Out back, the Design sports a power tailgate, LED dynamic light bar, rear privacy and
panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade. The vehicle rolls on 20-inch alloy wheels.
INTERIOR
The cabin interior is minimalist by nature with touches of the latest in silicone leather
seats with Oeko-Tex. Front seats are heated and ventilated, as is the steering wheel.
Mood-setting intelligent ambient lighting works in harmony with the surround sound
audio.
The cell-to-chassis system gives the cabin a flat and lower floor, hence more rear
legroom. Boot space is provided by upright 581 litres with the rear seatbacks upright,
expanding to 1410 litres folded with them folded.
INFOTAINMENT
Twelve speakers serve up 7.1-channel surround sound of 840W power, while four audio
modes cover most preferences, labelled Enjoy, Surround, Theatre and Dynamic.
A Leapmotor app allows the driver to stay connected at all times, even when away from
the car. Features include smartphone Bluetooth key support, real time vehicle location
and remote air-conditioning control.
Drivers can also log into embedded apps such as Spotify, TikTok and Zoom through the
central instrument display. Note, these run independently of any smartphone connection
by means of an inbuilt 4G connection.
The Leapmotor proximity key provided can unlock the car via a reader on the driver’s
side exterior rearview mirror.
DRIVELINE
The Leapmotor C10 is powered by a single rear-mounted 160kW/320Nm e-motor with a
69.9kWh lithium ferro-phosphate battery pack. The vehicle is developed with Cell-to-
Chassis technology meaning the battery cells are integrated into the structure of the car,
leading to a greater driving range of up to 420km, based on the WLTP cycle.
With a maximum DC charge rate of up to 84kW, recharging from 30 to 80 per cent can
be achieved in approximately 30 minutes, while equivalent AC charging will take a little
over six hours with an onboard charger capable of 6.6kW. Included as standard in the
kit are both mode 2 and mode 3 charging cables and there is Vehicle-to-Load capability.
SAFETY
With a five-star ANCAP rating, standard safety equipment across the range includes
standard safety equipment across the range includes seven airbags, rear cross-traffic
assist, safe exit warning, surround view camera and rear parking sensors.
On the move there’s adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-
spot monitoring, driver attention monitoring, lane centring, lane-keep assist plus
emergency lane-keep assist.
DRIVING
A proximity key readies the Leapmotor for action, unlocking the doors on approach. The
reverse happens when leaving the vehicle. Performance puts the car firmly in the family
segment, with quiet, comfortable, driveable characteristics.
The C10 includes four separate drive modes, featuring three levels of regenerative
braking and three separate steering modes: Eco, Sport, Chill and Custom. Eco is
adaptable around town, while the switch to Sport hardly gets the blood rushing – more
Sport(ish) in character, really.
Unique suspension tuning produces a passive ride, even on some of Australia’s more
neglected roads. Corners are taken as they come, even in the sportier modes. If only
lane-keep assist would stop chipping in when not needed. The cabin chorus of audible
alerts can be wearing for occupants.
Happily, the driver is paramount in other ways, with touchscreen duplication of system
controls by switches on the steering wheel, so there is no need to reach for the big
screen in the centre of the dash.
SUMMARY
There is little to fault in the Leapmotor C10 Design, including its minimalist interior,
which tends to grow on travellers. Software, however, can be more like ‘hard’ ware. It’s
very much a work in progress
RATINGS
Looks – 8
Performance – 6
Safety – 7
Thirst – 7
Practicality – 7
Comfort – 6
Tech – 6
Value – 8
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
Leapmotor C10 Style RWD SUV $45,888
Leapmotor C10 Design RWD SUV $49,888
Note: These prices do not include government of dealer delivery charges. Contact your
Leapmotor local dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Leapmotor C10 Design,1sp auto RWD SUV)
ENGINE
Electric motor: Rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor
Maximum power: 160kW
Maximum torque: 320Nm
DRIVELINE: Single-speed automatic, RWD
BATTERY: Lithium ion, 69.9kWh
PERFORMANCE:
Driving range: 420km (claim)
Energy consumption (claim): 19.8kWh/100km
CHARGING:
DC capacity: 85kW
Approx DC charge time: 30min (30-80pc)
DC connector: DCS2
AC capacity: 6.6kW
Approx AC charge time: 12hr
AC connector: Type2
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4739mm
Width: 1900mm
Height: 1680mm
Wheelbase: 2825mm
Turning circle: n/a
Kerb weight: 1995kg
BRAKES
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY
Seven years / 160,000 kilometres
Eight years / 160,000 kilometres high-voltage battery
