Leapmotor has launched its first exports-oriented electric SUV, the C10, on its domestic market of China. It costs 128,800–168,800 Yuan there (U.S. $18,100–23,800), which is considerably less than the preliminary prices announced earlier. It is slated to reach Europe and some other markets in Q3 2024.
On January 10 when preordering became available, the company said the battery SUV would cost 155,800–185,800 Yuan (U.S. $21,900–26,100). It looks like the ongoing EV market cooling has forced Leapmotor to make a discount.
The C10 is the company’s first EV to run on a high-tech platform known as the LPEE 3.0. It is a highly integrated solution controlled by a single supercomputer on board. The prototype of the car debuted at the IAA Munich expo in Germany last fall. The final production car is 4,739 mm (185.1 inches) long, 1,900 mm (74.2 in) wide and 1,680 mm (65.6 in) tall with 2,825 mm (110.35 in) between the axles.
The all-electric version of the C10 uses a single motor to drive the rear wheels with 231 PS (228 hp / 170 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque. The standard battery stores 52.9 kWh and yields 410 km (255 miles) of CLTC-rated driving range. Higher trim levels can be optioned with a larger 69.9-kWh battery pack rated at 530 km (329 miles).
There is also a hybrid version called the Leapmotor C10 EREV. It takes the same motor as above and pairs it with a 1.5-liter engine acting as a power generator. The battery gets downsized to 28.4 kWh, so it’s only good for 210 km (130 miles) of all-electric driving, but starting the gas engine extends that range to 1,190 km (739 miles). Prices for the EREV version start from 135,800 Yuan and reach 15,800 Yuan with all bells and whistles ticked ($19,100–23,300).
Customers can choose from six body colors and two interior trims. The driver’s cockpit consists of a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14.6-inch head unit running a proprietary Leapmotor Operating System on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chipset. The list of options mentions a Level 3 self-driving system, but you would need one of the most expensive trims to make the best use of it because only there does a LiDAR become an option.