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 420km 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 1150km 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 a 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 tiresome 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
