Leapmotor C10: A bit touchy feely

What is it?

There was a real feeling of déjà vu during our first encounter with the Leapmotor C10.

It took us back to our recent test of the Deepal S07. Both are very new, fully-electric Chinese mid-sized SUVs that are imported by well-established automotive companies — Deepal by Inchcape and Leapmotor by Stellantis.

During our week behind the wheel of the C10, we didn’t find a single person who had ever heard of the brand.

Not surprising, because the company was only formed in 2015, with its first model the S01 EV two-door coupe launched in its domestic market in 2019.

The C10 Design that we tested is just over 4.7 metres long, around the same size, and price range, as the hybrid versions of Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Mitsubishi Outlander.

As well as the Deepal S07, fully-electric rivals include the Tesla Model Y, XPeng G6, Geela EX5 and BYD Atto 3 — with more on the way.

What’s it cost?

Brought on by the company’s link with Stellantis group, C10 is Leapmotor’s first venture into the international market.

It was launched here in November 2024 with two variants, Style and Design, priced at $45,888 and $49,888 respectively plus on-road costs.

A plug-in hybrid variant, tagged C10 REEV (for Range Extender) was added earlier this year with another model, the B10 compact fully-electric SUV due in mid-2025.

In many ways C10’s profile is reminiscent of the earliest SUVs, square and functional, with none of the fastback lines that are becoming prevalent.

Full-width narrow horizontal LED light bars across both the squared-off front and rear transform it into a very neat and attractive vehicle.

There are five exterior colour from which to choose: Pearl White, Terra Grey, Jade Green, Midnight Grey and Metallic Black.

Standard features in both models include a 2.1-metre panoramic sunroof, automatic LED headlights, dual zone automatic climate control, powered front seats, LEAP Pilot safety package, wireless smartphone charging pad and a 360-degree camera.

Style has 18-inch alloy wheels, Design steps up to 20-inch alloys and also adds a powered tailgate, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, silicone leather seats, air quality monitor and multi-coloured interior ambient lighting.

Display is through a centrally-mounted 14.6-inch touchscreen and 10.25-inch driver information screen.

The definition on both is excellent while the touchscreen is responsive, although it doesn’t tilt towards the driver like that in the Deepal and requires a bit of a stretch.

There are two Type A and Type C USB ports in the front and rear and a wireless smartphone charging pad in the centre console.

Neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto are available at this stage, although we’ve been assured that both will be added as part of regular software upgrades using over-the-air (OTA) technology.

Until this happens the embedded system is the only navigation option.

Both variants have a premium 12-speaker surround sound system.

Leapmotor C10 has been awarded the maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

In addition to the normal statutory features, including seven airbags, it uses an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) with a range of sensors and other systems providing adaptive cruise control, front and rear collision warning, intelligent speed assist, rear cross traffic alert and braking, autonomous emergency braking, traffic jam assist and blind spot warning.

Then there are what we would describe as optional features that are activated automatically whenever the vehicle is started (but which can be turned off).

These include four systems that alert or intervene when they sense the driver deviates from the centre of a lane: Lane Departure Warning, Lane Centring Control, Lane Keep Assist and Emergency Lane Keep.

The same thing goes with Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning and Advanced Driver Distraction Warning.

While they are sensible safety features, they are far too sensitive.

Note that each of these features automatically turns back on when the vehicle is stopped and the entire process has to be repeated.

What’s it go like?

While there are five external colours there are only two for the interior: Midnight Aurora, a dark purple hue, and Criollo Brown.

Our test vehicle was trimmed in the latter colour but, unless I’ve gone colour blind, it’s not brown. It’s a bright orange that could have come directly from Donald Trump’s make-up kit.

The interior of the C10 is spacious and beautifully crafted, with faux-leather seats that are plush, supportive and comfortable.

Both front seats have power adjustment and can be folded almost flat.

There is a large variety of storage spaces in the front including a deep console box and a tray beneath to hide items.

Rear seat space and comfort is outstanding. The combination of a square body shape and longish wheelbase provides an amazing amount of room.

Rear cargo space is listed at 581 litres when measured to ceiling height but, more practically, 435 litres to window level.

It rises to 1410 litres with the rear seats folded. There’s no spare wheel, only a tyre repair kit below the boot floor.

Leapmotor C10 is powered by a single, rear-mounted 160kW/320Nm electric motor with a 69.9kWh lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

It uses Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) technology, which means the battery cells are integrated into the structure of the car.

This produces a greater driving range of up to 420km (WLTP).

With a maximum DC charge rate of up to 84kW recharging on the go, from 30-80 per cent, can be achieved in about 30 minutes.

Equivalent AC charging will take just over six hours with an onboard charger capable of 6.6kW.

Included as standard are both mode 2 and mode 3 charging cables and Vehicle-to-Load capability.

There are a couple of options for unlocking the Leapmotor C10.

The standard method is by tapping an NFC and Bluetooth smartcard against a small device on the driver’s side mirror which unlocks all four doors.

Unlike other vehicles with flat door handles they don’t open out when the car is unlocked with the inevitable risk of damaged finger nails.

The preferred option is the Leapmotor app with features that include remote access, car location, air conditioning control, and access to embedded apps such as Spotify, TikTok and Zoom via the touchscreen.

The apps run through an built-in 4G connection.

As with all battery-powered vehicles the C10 has the instant acceleration that makes them so rewarding to drive.

However, at just under 2000kg, it’s fairly heavy so it isn’t as sharp off the line as lighter vehicles.

Out on the open road the C10 Design with its 20-inch wheels provides a smooth, comfortable and quiet ride.

The body feels quite stiff partly because the battery pack is built into the car’s structure.

There are four drive modes (Eco, Chill, Sport and Custom) and three levels of regenerative braking accessible through the touchscreen, including one-pedal mode.

There is a choice of steering modes to suit different tastes and conditions.

Although battery range is listed at 420km, we had problems charging the vehicle from a commercial charger.

This meant that we had to rely on domestic power and we couldn’t make a reliable comparison.

What we like?

• Spacious
• Comfortable
• Well equipped
• Smooth, comfortable and quiet ride

What we don’t like?

• Problems charging
• No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
• Annoying driver monitoring systems
• Too many controls relegated to touchscreen
• Touchscreen does not tilt for easy access

The bottom line?

For a brand that’s been around for less than a decade, Leapmotor has hit the ground running.

The C10 is an impressive vehicle in many respects and offers outstanding value for money, but can be incredibly frustrating.

On the positive side, it’s a spacious and comfortable family vehicle that’s equally at home in either urban or motorway conditions and would make an excellent long-distance cruiser.

It comes with many features, but the manner by which they are accessed, almost exclusively through the touchscreen rather than can external controls can be extremely frustrating and more.

Potential buyers will need to be patient as they scroll through the seemingly endless controls stored within the touchscreen. We barely touched the surface.

Fortunately, help is on the way. Both the Australian and European NCAP bodies are very conscious of driver distraction as a growing factor in road crashes and will be rewarding manufacturers that use easily-accessible separate physical controls.

At this stage there are no plans to make physical buttons mandatory for a 5-star safety rating.

Hopefully that will follow in the future.

 

CHECKOUT: Leapmotor C10 offers range of up to 1150km

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