Leapmotor C10 car test: Like Tesla, only cheaper

A constant stream of new brands and new models at the world's largest auto show: One in five of the nearly 1,500 vehicles on display at the Shanghai Auto Show (April 23 to May 2) features battery-powered vehicles. Competition is fierce in China. But a "terrible battle" also lies ahead in Europe, predicted then-Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares last year. The Italian-French group (which includes Fiat, Peugeot, and Citroën) had already formed an alliance with Leapmotor in 2023. The new models from China are expected to be available at 200 Stellantis dealerships by the end of this year.

Leapmotor? Almost no one in Munich and the surrounding area knows this no-name brand. Wherever the black C10 appears, it attracts questioning, but by no means dismissive, glances. The pleasingly styled SUV is an eye-catcher, even though at first glance it hardly differs from a Nio or BYD. This remains true at second glance, as the sober interior with the large central display is reminiscent of Tesla – just like the models of the other two brands. Another parallel to the major role model from the USA seems more important: Like Tesla, the Chinese newcomers also develop all relevant technologies themselves. Despite the budget prices, Leapmotor doesn't want to be a cheap brand, but a trendsetter. Can that work for a startup with only ten years of experience?

Tesla, too, has been pushing immature technology on its customers for years, but has quickly corrected its mistakes. While the American company's sales figures are plummeting, Leapmotor is scoring points with its first successes: Since its market launch last fall, the C10 has already sold 100,000 units worldwide. By comparison, Polestar, Volvo's sister brand, managed to sell fewer than half as many vehicles across several models in 2024. While the Chinese company struggled in Germany in the first quarter, selling 673 vehicles, even the global electric market leader BYD has only managed to sell just under 1,000 pure battery-powered vehicles in this country since the beginning of the year.

In any case, the offensive from the Far East should not be underestimated: For the first time, five Chinese companies were among the top ten most innovative car companies last year, according to the Center of Automotive Management (CAM). BMW topped the podium, but Geely and Saic followed closely behind. Another indication of the upheaval that Carlos Tavares warned about in dramatic terms.

The question is where to classify a new brand like Leapmotor: While BYD and Nio's top models almost reach the price level of German premium brands, the new Chinese SUV is in a different league. Fully equipped, the C10 with an 84 kWh battery capacity costs €39,100. That's about €25,000 less than a BMW iX3 without any extras. It's clear that very few of the Munich-based company's regular customers will switch to an unknown budget Chinese model. Nevertheless, the comparison is revealing: At 4.74 meters long and 1.90 meters wide, the C10 is as big as an iX3. With comfortable leatherette seats, a generous amount of space even in the second row, a huge glass roof, and a high-quality sound system, the C10's interior has nothing to fear from the sparsely equipped base version of the BMW SUV.

The Leap Motor, with 160 kW (218 hp), is a bit more tame than the BMW, but both models cover a comparable range of around 400 kilometers on a single battery charge. The C10 isn't as sporty around corners and rides a bit harsher on bumps, thanks in no small part to the test car's 20-inch wheels. Overall, however, the Chinese-made car offers decent long-distance comfort and is satisfied with a test fuel consumption of 18 kWh per 100 kilometers. The developers are just as proud of their efficient drivetrain as they are of an array of assistance systems and the outstanding crash test result of five out of five stars. This isn't the only way the C10 clearly sets itself apart from Dacia's low-tech models.

The acoustic comfort of the C10 is said to be even better than that of a BMW: "We have extremely quiet electric motors in the C10, which reduces the noise level to 76 db(A)," explained Leapmotor product planner Zhong Tianyue to the online portal Edison : "That's quieter than the German premium models, including those from BMW." But what good is the best noise reduction if the warning beeps never stop? Ding-dong: Shortly after starting your journey, the drowsiness warning system suggests a break. Ring-ding: The car is traveling two km/h too fast. Gong: The lane departure warning system shies away from a lane marking again.

The constant noise is so annoying that you end up turning off all the auxiliary aids – which doesn't help much, because the Chinese have an emergency lane departure warning system in reserve that constantly sounds the alarm. Is the C10 just over-motivated, or is it already overly aggressive and trying to re-educate its driver? When considering the cultural differences between Europe and Asia, another idea comes to mind: Perhaps the braces-plus-belt-plus-life-preserver safety system is just a bluff: Tesla also promised more than its autopilot could deliver. The fact that Leapmotor also lacks the necessary development experience is demonstrated by glaring weaknesses in practical testing.

In Munich's rush hour traffic, the C10 stumbles noticeably often. In dynamic stop-and-go traffic, the adaptive cruise control repeatedly fails to notice a stationary vehicle in front, brakes too late, and prompts the driver to take over at the last second. The steering assistant also can't always assign neighboring cars to the correct lanes. Especially in tunnels, it timidly stays back instead of overtaking a slower vehicle. Only a glance at the display reveals that it considers the other vehicle to be an obstacle halfway ahead.

Test cars frequently frighten drivers with phantom braking. The Leapmotor, however, sets a new record for hallucinating. The C10 seems particularly uncomfortable among the trees lining the avenue. Like a modern-day Don Quixote, it sees an imaginary enemy in each of the 200-year-old oaks. The SUV repeatedly accelerates and brakes slightly, almost imperceptibly. The jolting is reminiscent of an overly cautious novice driver or a rowboat in rough seas. Blessed is the one who doesn't get seasick.

No less annoying is the quixotic behavior of encountering a cyclist approaching from the side. Even though the cyclist is turning at a reasonable distance, the car slams on the brakes. With the completely pointless emergency braking and hazard lights on, a driver behind could hardly have avoided the rear-end collision. It would be easy to at least mitigate such quirks with a software update.

One must also hope that the Chinese will see reason when it comes to climate comfort. Because the C10 simply doesn't get warm.

Hat, scarf, ski underwear – everything you need for your morning commute to the office. Or would you rather set the air conditioning to 24 degrees? The C10 automatically activates the seat and steering wheel heating, but ignores all other passenger requests. Apparently, the SUV turned off the heating with 70 kilometers of remaining range – without asking or indicating. No amount of tapping the climate menu helps: after an hour of driving, it's still cold inside. In this respect, too, the Leapmotor resembles the Tesla models from the pioneering days of e-mobility.

The biggest drawback of the new electric car, however, is its slow power supply: At the 11 kW wallbox, the test vehicle requires more than 30 hours to charge the large battery (20 to 100 percent). After eight hours of charging, the range is only 100 kilometers. Even with the DC fast charger, a lot of patience is required at 84 kW peak power. However, Leapmotor promises an improvement soon: In China, the C11 is already available as an 800-volt version; the turbo charger is expected to be available here at the end of this year. Then the C10 would be on par with the Smart #5 and perhaps even undercut it in price. In Germany, the large Smart SUV with 800-volt technology and a 100 kWh battery is available for €50,900 (€5,000 extra compared to the basic 400-volt version). With this level of energy, the Leapmotor could even activate the heating in the morning.

Technical data: Leapmotor C10 Design

System power: 160 kW/218 hp

Energy consumption: 18.5 kWh / 100 km

Battery capacity : 84 kWh

Range: 425 to 569 km

DC fast charging: up to 84 kW

Trunk volume: 400 liters to 1375 liters

Price: from 37,600 euros

Note from the editors: Some of the products presented were made available to the editorial team by the manufacturers for testing purposes and/or presented on trips to which journalists were invited.