The Chinese car maker Leopaard has launched Mattu, its most expensive and best-equipped SUV on the domestic market to date. With prices beginning at U.S. $18,000, the car is mainly going to face competition from such brands as Lynk & Co and Wey.
Mattu inherits the chassis of the Leopaard CS10 SUV which debuted in China three years ago. Both have the same wheelbase, but come in different bodies. If we were to assign grades, the exterior design would be A+.
The interior, however, copies Mercedes’ best practices to the letter. There is the same arrangement of displays hidden under a common visor, the same round deflectors, the same layout of the dashboard assembly and the same diamond-pattern stitching. Nevertheless, clone or not, it does look well-executed.
The engine compartment of the new vehicle conceals a 1.6-liter BMW gasoline turbo engine – no suspicions this time around, as the engines are produced by Xinchen Power under the original manufacturer’s license. The four-cylinder unit delivers up to 200 hp (150 kW) and 270 Nm (200 lb·ft) of torque, which is interesting since the original one is capable of 177 hp (132 kW) at most. Transmissions include DSG and manual.
An entry-level Mattu would cost the equivalent of U.S. $18,000 to buy, whereas the top-spec version would be closer to $25,000. To compare, Leopaard’s previous flagship model didn’t exceed $22,000 with all options installed.
The Leopaard automotive brand used to be owned by Changfeng, but belongs to the GAC Group since 2012. The company eventually plans an international expansion.
Photo: autohome.com.cn