Leapmotor C10 Design 2025 review

Leapmotor might sound like something you’d name a windup toy frog, but it’s another demonstration of China’s rate of progress; Leapmotor first started in 2015 and produced its first car, the tiny T03 hatch, just six years ago.

The C10 is part of the first batch of the company’s globally exported models, in the popular midsize SUV body style (because everyone wants to take on the Tesla Model Y).

Unlike many of the new Chinese entrants to the Australian market, its currently small team is filled with local members of industry, including former Ford Falcon product planner Andy Hoang who heads up the local division.

Leapmotor is also backed by automotive giant Stellantis, a company which has a majority stake in the brand. That gives it access to a huge network of dealers, parts support, and local boots-on-the-ground support.

The C10 will be followed by the B10 small SUV at some point this year, with the current midsizer available with just two grades and a single 69.9kWh battery option.

Bigger battery options and the C10 REEV (range extender electric vehicle) “are all on the table at the moment”, according to Mr Hoang, with the latter priced similarly to the current EV option and capable of up to 950km of range making it a very good fit for Australia in our eyes.

But what about the model in front of us, the C10 EV? Is it any good and is it any better than the plethora of new options arriving on our shores every day?

What are the Leapmotor C10 Design’s features and options for the price?

The C10 range kicks off at $45,888 before on-roads for the Style grade, with the Design asking for $49,888. Until 31st March 2025, the driveaway prices are an appealing $47,500 and $51,500 respectively.

That aggressive price point under cuts a swath of new midsize SUV rivals like the Deepal S07 ($53,900 list), Zeekr X RWD ($56,900) and XPeng G6 ($54,800); along with mainstream offerings such as the Kia EV5 Air and Tesla Model Y RWD ($63,400).

It’s also even more appealing considering that every C10 comes with a 12-month subscription to the ChargeFox network.

Standard features on the C10 Style include:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Dual-zone climate control
• Battery heat pump
• LED headlights
• Basic synthetic leather seats
• Power adjustable front seats
• 12-speaker sound system
• Panoramic sunroof w/ retractable blind
• 10.25-inch digital driver’s display
• 14.6-inch multimedia screen
• Wifi and 4G connectivity
• Wireless phone charger

However, the Design is expected to make up a whopping 70 percent of sales, and when the below is thrown in for an extra $4000, it’s not hard to see why.

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated and cooled front seats
• Power tailgate
• Ambient lighting
• Air quality monitor
• Rear privacy glass
• LED rear light bar

The Design also swaps in a higher grade of synthetic leather, referred to as ‘silicone’ in construction using some oil-based materials that have been certified to the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 – a process designed to ensure textiles aren’t harmful to people.

Leapmotor offers five colour choices and two interior trim options – a daringly dark purple and a lovely brown – which is a bit more orange in person. We’re quite taken by the Jade Green mixed with the latter interior option.

How does the C10 Design drive?

In our first interactions with the company, Leapmotor has frequently made one thing clear: the C10 is aimed squarely at families and it’s designed to be comfortable, quiet and easy to drive.

The C10 sits on a classic skateboard platform with a single electric motor on the rear axle producing 160kW and 320Nm. Unlike many EVs, no all-wheel drive variant is currently available.

Even in Sport mode, the C10 isn’t fast, nor is it especially exciting. A 0-100km/h time of 7.5 seconds is a fair chunk of pace off the upcoming base Tesla Model Y (5.9 seconds).

Leveraging its relationship with Stellantis, Leapmotor tasked a team of Maserati engineers to tune the suspension setup and the result is quite impressive.

There’s no fancy adaptive damper technology here, just a classic passive setup, with the C10 bringing a very soft and forgiving nature to our rather unforgiving Australian roads; lean harder into the corner and it buttons down and exits in a flat and decisive manner.

It’s not infallible, though. Successive bumps appear to overwhelm the suspension, poking holes in its calm demeanour, and the somewhat wafty ride may be too much movement for some.

The Dunlop e Sport Maxx tyres offer strong grip through corners and under braking.

At this stage, we’ve only had a chance to sample the Design grade wearing the 20-inch wheels and its thin tyres, but the ride and handling balance is overall quite pleasing. (Leapmotor also offers the Style wearing the smaller 18s with thicker rubber but that will have to wait for another day.)

Around town, the C10 is quite at home with its generous visibility in all directions and unintimidating midsize SUV proportions. The looks are relatively subdued, certainly compared with its edgier compatriot the Deepal S07, though the styling is arguably more handsome for it.

In standard form, the brake pedal features the sort of seamless feeling of progression that one might expect from kicking an anvil out of the boot with a rope attached.

Thankfully, Leapmotor has added a ‘comfort stop’ option in the sub-menus which makes the C10 much easier to drive. This wasn’t reset upon start-up either, just click it over once and leave it.

What is the C10 Design’s interior and tech like?

The interior space of affordable EVs has become almost formulaic in recent years: strip back everything you can to save money, add big screens and then fix the functionality later.

Essentially: be Tesla, but worse.

I’ll admit to casting a pessimistic eye over the cabin of the Leapmotor when I first laid eyes on one in late 2024, but more time inside the C10 brings an appreciation that it doesn’t fall for many of the mistakes that plague these new-age interior spaces.

In front of the driver, you will find a 10.25-inch display to show basic functions such as speed, whereas other brands force your attention away from the road to the sole screen slab in the centre for this critical information.

Above, the standard panoramic sunroof has a retractable sunshade and the seats are not treated as an afterthought, with the 12 layers of foam properly carved into a supportive shape (even for big Aussie bodies) to aid comfort, even on longer drives.

A basic degree of power adjustment is built in as standard, though it could use further adjustment for lumbar and the under thigh area, to better support long-legged drivers.

The first major doozy comes down to the air conditioning, which was notably weak on days that were only mildly hot, with temperatures ranging from high 20 to low 30 degrees. It’s also not helped by the slow start-up time of the centre display used to control the climate functions.

It’s a phenomenon among Chinese cars that continues to confuse me, given that much of mainland China is hot and/or humid much of the year. The ventilated seats provide some respite, however, emphasising almost single-handedly why the walk-up to the Design just makes sense.

Echoing the Porsche Taycan, the C10 features no physical adjustment for the air vent direction; that task – like everything else – is done by the touchscreen in an overall step back for usability.

The C10, though, is better than most with a range of rewarding buttons built into the steering wheel including a lovely set of scroll wheels. The touchscreen is generally precise and responsive, with laminated film laid on top to keep the sun off.

In what may emerge to be a critical downfall for many buyers, the C10 lacks both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and instead relies on its own Leapmotor OS.

Despite being a reskin of the Google-owned Android Automotive operating system, the Leapmotor version confusingly lacks any Google Apps.

So, no built-in Google Maps, YouTube or YouTube Music; all of which are offered in Android Automotive in Polestar cars, for example.

The Leapmotor team argues that phone mirroring software won’t be missed thanks to built-in apps like Spotify and the in-build navigation software. Both, admittedly, are quite good.

Thankfully, more apps are coming via an over-the-air update; including TikTok (which can thankfully only be used in ‘park’!

However, the argument falls over when you realise that it lacks the ability to send text messages. You can still receive and place calls, just not as easily as you can with traditional phone mirroring software.

It’s a move not without precedent, with Tesla famously shunning Android Auto/Apple CarPlay as will General Motors in the coming years, but we’ve also seen the likes of Polestar and BYD claim it not to be needed and then quickly introduce it after receiving swift backlash from Aussie buyers.

We’re told this phone mirroring software will come but it likely won’t be for some time, as the blockage is due to physical hardware rather than software.

The B10 small SUV, arriving later this year, will introduce Leapmotor’s 3.5 platform required to natively run Apple CarPlay / Android Auto. Currently, the C10 uses a 3.0 platform and likely won’t be updated until we see a mid-life update in a few years.

Offering a lower and flatter floor due to its cell-to-chassis design, the backseat of the C10 is enormous for a Model Y-sized vehicle, even when sitting behind my own driving position at 182cm.

There’s enough length to fit two rearwards facing baby seats and enough width across the bench to accommodate three adults. The backseats are commendably comfortable with vast leg room for adults, the centre seat is on the firmer side and better left to short trips.

The C10 features a number of fun gimmicks but one worth mentioning is the ‘Camp’ mode. Snap off the front headrests and lay them down and the cabin becomes a relatively comfortable place for those around 177cm (or shorter) to sleep.

Select the mode in the touchscreen and the doors will remain locked while the aircon flows all night.

Adding to the camping credibility is the vehicle-to-load functionality, which could offer you the ability to run your cooker, laptop or whatever else off the car. But with only a small battery to draw from, it would be wise to be sparing with your power usage.

A total of 26 storage pockets around the cabin; 10 up front, 10 in the backseat and a final six in the boot area. Bottle holders, the centre bin, and extra storage underslung in the ‘transmission tunnel’ are all very practical – and more, is yet to come.

Open the bonnet and you’ll find a usual mess of wires but also a large, available space. As of next month, Leapmotor will offer a ‘frunk’ insert as an optional accessory for an additional $249 fitted, though we suspect this will quickly become standard.

The boot is perfectly fit for purpose, though its 581L quoted capacity is measured to the roof rather than the standard window line. The capacity expands to over 1400 when the back seats are folded flat.

No spare tyre of any kind is provided in the C10, and we recommend checking the use-by date of the tyre repair sealant as the equipment on our test car expired in 2024, and thus not likely to work brilliantly.

Is the C10 Design a safe car?

Starting with the basics, the C10 has been awarded a five-star ANCAP rating under the strictest 2024 testing protocols; and received the following sub-scores:

• 89% – Adult occupant protection
• 87% – Child occupant protection
• 77% – Vulnerable road user protection
• 77% – Safety assist

Impressively, the C10 slightly outperforms midsize rivals from legacy nameplates such as the Kia EV5 in the important physical crash metrics, though the soon-to-arrive Volkswagen Tiguan faired better in protecting children.

The C10 features 17 driver assistance features, most of which actually assist the driver. These include:

• Rear parking sensors 
• 360-degree camera
• Adaptive cruise control w/stop and go
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Forwards and reversing AEB
• Rear cross-traffic alert and brake
• Lane-keeping assistance
• Driver attention monitoring
• Safe exit assistance

Leapmotor was keen to stress that three separate over-the-air updates have been made to the C10 since its debut, largely focusing on calibrating the safety systems and we’re told further refinement can be made if necessary.

And that’s a good thing, because it will be needed.

Surprisingly, the troublesome systems in question are not the driver attention monitoring, which has proved to be a pain point in many new cars. That said, it’s still more annoying than it is effective in doing its job, evidently still enough for five stars though….

The same can be said for the speed limit assistance; though both of these features can be turned off in the single swipe-down menu.

Much harder to turn off and far more troublesome is the lane-keep assistance function, in both its ‘basic’ and ‘emergency’ forms. Both are highly intrusive and believe the C10 is far closer to the centre line than it actually is, prompting frequent unwelcome alarms and adjustments to the steering.

These systems can only be turned off in park via a complex series of sub-menus.

What are the C10 Design’s ownership costs?

Servicing the C10 is fairly affordable with a capped price of $2000 over five years with generous intervals of 12 months or 20,000km, whatever comes first.

The vehicle warranty lasts for seven years or 160,000km, with the battery covered for an extra year but no further distance, blitzing the four-year, 80,000km coverage offered by the Model Y.

Currently, 12 dedicated service centres are open, covering all states and territories aside from the Northern Territory and Tasmania, with plans to expand to roughly 30 within the next year or so.

The locally sold C10 features a 69.9 kWh LFP battery with a WLTP range of 420km, and a combined efficiency rating of 19.8 kWh/100km. Bigger battery versions exist overseas, as does the aforementioned REEV variant and we’re told all are on the table for introduction.

Chasing Cars carried out our standardised range and charging test, and saw an impressive urban efficiency of 14.2kWh/100km – resulting in an as-tested range of 572km.

In highway conditions, the score was similarly impressive, recording an efficiency of 21.48 kWh/100km and a range of 325 km.

We note though that during fast-flowing b-road driving we saw a rating closer to the official claim of around 19-20kWh, but even that dipped to 17kWh over time.

Charging times of the C10 are quite slow due to this variant’s 400v architecture, with DC charging topping out at 84kW, though the time to top up from 30 to 80 percent is still quoted at a reasonable 30 minutes.

AC charging can be done at speeds of up to 6.6kW, taking around six hours to complete the same 30 to 80 percent recharge.

The honest verdict on the C10 Design

Limited in focus but consistent in its execution, the Leapmotor C10 is a far better first attempt at tackling the popular midsize SUV segment than many have accomplished before it.

Some areas will prove unpalatable for Aussies though, weak conditioning won’t be a strong draw card for a car going on sale in summer and encouraging a general public hooked on Apple CarPlay to try something new could be a real challenge.

The limitations in range, charging and out-right performance also mean that this won’t be the one-car solution for everyone either, but this is a challenge for most EVs, not just the C10.

Leapmotor’s C10 proves itself to be a convincing little city runabout available at an affordable price point in a very cost-conscious time, making the idea of assigning it to second car duties, while a hybrid or diesel serves as the interstate tourer, not quite so financially irresponsible.

The obvious answer here is for the local introduction of the REEV, equipped with a claimed 145km of electric range and a petrol generator backup boosting it to 950km. We hope it comes sooner, rather than later.

Ultimately, there are still some issues Leapmotor needs to work through to stop the buyers who are willing to take a chance on a brand that is not even 10 years old from turning away, but with such an appealing price the C10 is a convincing alternative for electric midsize SUV buyers.