Of all the Chinese automotive brands to have recently arrived in New Zealand, Leapmotor probably has the least brand awareness amongst the public.
Heck, there’s probably a few of you thinking “what on earth is a Leapmotor?”, or some variation of that thought, before you’d clicked on this article. For those of you that are aware, I’d bet that you’re part of a minority.
Anyway, I wouldn’t blame anybody for not having heard of Leapmotor, because the brand only entered international markets in mid-2024.
So what’s their story, exactly? Leapmotor is short for Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co – a Chinese-based electric vehicle start-up, originally conceived in 2015. Leapmotor didn’t start properly producing cars until June 2019. Back then, they were only available in China.
Despite being fresh on the scene, Leapmotor has achieved some seriously impressive early-stage growth. The brand, which sold only 11,391 cars in 2020, grew that number to 293,724 cars in 2024 – virtually all of which were sold in China.
Such success drew the attention of none-other-than Stellantis. The automotive mega-brand then purchased a 20% stake in the firm and established Leapmotor International, bringing the brand straight-out onto the international stage.
So, will this Stellantis backed, Chinese start-up, be able to make any in-roads into the New Zealand market?
What We Like and Dislike About The 2025 Leapmotor C10
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Quiet, spacious interior Good build quality Standard features Value for money | Atrocious driver assistance systems Tesla copycat Meh driving experience Lifeless steering Sub-par energy efficiency |
What’s In the 2025 Leapmotor C10 Range?
The C10 is Leapmotor’s first global vehicle, and their first offering available for New Zealand buyers. There’s only one variant available, priced at $54,990 plus on-road costs.
Underneath the C10 is a 69.9kWh battery and single-motor powertrain, capable of producing 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque, and offering a range of up to 420kms per complete charge.
The C10 is offered in one standard colour at no cost:
- Pearl White
Four additional colours available at extra cost of $1,199:
- Terra Grey
- Jade Green
- Midnight Grey
- Metallic Black
For more information on Leapmotor C10 check out the Leapmotor’s New Zealand website.
How Does The 2025 Leapmotor C10 Compare To Its Competition?
| Make/Model | Battery capacity (kW-hr) | Power/ Torque (kW/Nm) | Range (WLTP) (km) | Boot space (litres) | Price |
| Kia EV6 Air Long Range | 77.4 | 168/350 | 528 | 490 | $79,990 |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard Range | 75.7 | 198/430 | 440 | 519 | $74,990 |
| Tesla Model Y (RWD) | 75 | 220/420 | 466 | 854 | $73,100 |
| Nissan Ariya Engage | 64 | 160/300 | 398 | 466 | $59,990 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 Pro | 77 | 150/310 | 519 | 543 | $59,990 |
| Toyota BZ4X FWD | 71.4 | 150/266 | 485 | 452 | $57,990 |
| Leapmotor C10 | 69.9 | 160/320 | 420 | 581 | $54,990 |
| MG 4 Essence 64 | 64 | 150/250 | 435 | 350 | $52,990 |
| BYD Atto 3 Extended Range | 60.48 | 150/310 | 420 | 440 | $51,990 |
First Impressions Of The 2025 Leapmotor C10
From the outside, the C10 appears to take a healthy dose of inspiration from European metal.
For example, the front headlights bear some resemblance to Volkswagen’s ID range. The rear three-quarters have a shape that’s somewhat Porsche Cayenne inspired, particularly with the silhouette of the rear lights. Even the C10’s alloys are similar to an Audi design, specifically, the Sport 5-V spoke wheels found on a Q7.
Admittedly, not all of it is Volkswagen Group inspired. Those flush door handles, for example, are similar to a design from Aston Martin.
All together, the C10 presents itself rather well in the flesh. It’s even better when finished in any colour which isn’t this white, which screams “Fisher and Paykel” to me.
If there’s any criticism, the C10 does lack an identity of its own. Although, it does take years, if not decades, for a car company to build a brand identity. In other words, I can’t really be too scathing about this as a first effort.
What’s The Interior Like In The 2025 Leapmotor C10?
Over the past decade, we’ve seen many manufacturers push in-car tech more-and-more. Interiors have pivoted from physical buttons and analogue dials, to large infotainment screens, digitised or ‘soft’ controls, and in extreme cases, subscriptions services.
Tesla arguably started the trend, leading the “device-ification” of the car. Whether you love it or hate it, the infotainment ‘command-hub’ has been a hit with enough consumers, to inspire many to replicate it.
Leapmotor has followed Tesla’s footsteps with the C10. Inside, the cabin presents a clean, minimal aesthetic, with a large 14.6-inch central infotainment screen occupying a sizable portion of the dashboard.
The cabin itself is incredibly roomy. From the outside, the C10 is a similar size to a Model Y measuring 4,739mm in length, 1,900mm in width and 1,680mm tall. The C10 doesn’t have the same volume of storage as the Model Y, (e.g. the C10 doesn’t have a frunk or any under boot storage). Instead, the C10 appears to allocate its surplus space to the rear seats, where adults can enjoy a generous amount of head and legroom. Also, its large panoramic sunroof provides plenty of light into the cabin, enhancing the sense of space.
As mentioned, the infotainment is the focal point of the interior. Leapmotor appears to have committed plenty of resources into this system. Behind the screen, it’s powered with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 processor, providing snappy screen response and refresh rates. The screen resolution is also sharp, as are its colour levels.
Although, once you’re beyond the infotainment’s home screen, it becomes clear that Leapmotor might’ve sought more than just inspiration from Tesla.
For example, the software has similarly laid-out menu structures, similar fonts, and graphics to Tesla’s own software. Some of its features have been spoofed too, particularly with Guard mode (similar to Sentry mode), and the reversing camera uses the same dynamic guidelines, and has a similar distance estimate (in cm) as that on a Tesla.
Even some of the physical controls are suspiciously similar. The steering wheel has two roller buttons, which appear almost as if they’ve been pinched from a Tesla Model 3. Heck, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if you happened to pop them out and found a Tesla part-number scribbled on the back.
Similar can be said for the column-mounted drive selector stalk, which functions the same as the first-gen Model 3 and Model Y – one-down for drive, and two-down for adaptive cruise and lane assistance.
So, Leapmotor mightn’t have done the best job of disguising their copied homework, but they haven’t followed Tesla off-the-deep-end. In other words, the C10 has a conventional indicator stalk and traditional doorhandles.
The C10 also has a few features which a comparable Tesla doesn’t, in particular, a dedicated 10.25-inch instrument screen. The instrument screen itself is fairly basic, but is a useful addition to the cabin – Tesla, take note. The C10 also has more external camera viewpoints, including a 360-degree view.
The C10’s infotainment software doesn’t have some of the Tesla’s more whimsical features (e.g. the C10 doesn’t have “emissions testing mode”), but there are one or two quirks. For example, the ambient lighting will strobe when audio is being streamed. Anyway, I swiftly turned this feature off.
While there’s a great deal of similarity, I wouldn’t allege that Leapmotor is simply a Temu Tesla.
If anything, the Leapmotor’s overall fit-and-finish of the cabin is arguably better than previous generation Teslas. Leapmotor has also been generous with the application of soft-touch materials, to lift the sense of quality.
Despite those efforts, the C10 still feels like it’s built to a cost. Similar to Tesla, funnily enough.
Many of those soft materials have that plasticised-look, similar to that sheen one might be familiar with when they see flat-pack furniture. Although, I suppose one can’t be too critical at this price point.
Anyway, ignoring some fairly blatant plagiarism, the C10’s interior is generally rather good. It’s comfortable, offers plenty of space and features, all for a very reasonable price.
Sounds promising, so far.
What’s The 2025 Leapmotor C10 Like To Drive?
It wasn’t all that long ago when Chinese cars were considered the laughing-stock of the automotive world.
For many of us, it’ll be a recent memory. Early Chinese vehicles were poorly-designed, badly-engineered imitators of western manufacturers that often exhibited a build-quality which a determined toddler could dismantle with their hands.
Although, many of us never actually saw these early vehicles. Barely any of them were ever exported outside of Asia. For the few that did, they barely sold in western markets.
Yet, plenty has changed in little more than a few decades. Since then, the Chinese automotive market has become the largest globally, and in the past five years, several Chinese automotive brands – among them, BYD, MG, Omoda, GWM, Haval – have launched in New Zealand.
Of course, many New Zealanders still have their stigmas about Chinese cars. Old habits die hard, as they say. But is there still any merit to this? Sure, the cabin might look pretty swish, but how does the C10 drive?
Rather well, actually.
I say that with some surprise myself, because generally speaking, the road manners of many Chinese vehicles still aren’t quite as polished as those from a legacy manufacturer. Yet, Leapmotor’s ace-in-the sleeve is provided by a non-controlling substantial shareholder, Stellantis.
For those unaware, Stellantis invested €1.5 billion (or around $2.8 billion NZD) into Leapmotor, controlling approximately 21% of their equity. It’s also one of the reasons you’ll find the C10 retailing alongside Peugeot, Citroën, and Opel in New Zealand.
Anyway, with the plethora of Stellantis’ brands behind them, Leapmotor apparently were able to get engineers from Maserati to tune the suspension for export markets. Turning Maserati engineers loose on the C10 might lead one to think that it’ll handle like a sports car, which certainly isn’t the case. Instead, the C10 has been tuned for comfort.
From behind the wheel, the C10 has a relaxed demeanour. The ride quality is fairly supple, and the shocks have a few mms of travel to absorb some of the larger bumps. To compare, the C10 rides as well as, if not better than, a Tesla Model Y.
Of course, if you try to hustle along a backroad, the C10 won’t exactly take-to-it like a Maserati Grecale. Although, it doesn’t get too bent out-of-shape, either. At speed, the C10 demonstrates decent body control and the weight helps the C10 maintain good grip under load.
That said, the C10’s inherent dynamics are inert, which is perfectly reasonable for this type of vehicle. Although, it wouldn’t go unappreciated if Leapmotor could tweak the steering. For me, it felt numb and imprecise.
In terms of the powertrain, the C10 is powered by a 69.9kWh battery connected with a single electric motor, outputting 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque. The battery is supplied by CATL, which is the same supplier for many manufacturers, including BMW.
The C10 isn’t particularly quick, as that single motor needs to carry around 2-tonnes of metal and battery. That said, there’s sufficient off-the-mark performance and enough power so you needn’t be too nervous about an open-road passing manoeuvre.
In terms of energy efficiency, the C10 has a quoted WLTP range of 420kms per charge with a claimed WLTP energy consumption figure of 19.8kWh per 100kms. The C10 supports a DC charging rate of up to 84kW, which is fine for New Zealand’s current charging infrastructure.
During our test, we bettered Leapmotor official figures, achieving a final result of 18.9kWh per 100kms. Not bad, considering all the motorway mileage we do.
While this result was good for the C10, it’s not quite as good when compared with close competitors from Tesla, BYD and MG. By comparison, the C10 is less efficient.
Everything considered so far, the C10 has performed rather well in many areas, and very well in some others. For the asking price of $54,990, it almost seems like a steal.
Unfortunately, our mostly pleasant driving experience was tarnished by many of the C10’s poorly-calibrated and configured active safety systems.
In fairness, many of these systems only need subtle fine-tuning, but for others, they were irritating at best and outright dysfunctional at worst.
Starting with the minor offenders, the adaptive cruise control would occasionally shudder upon locking onto a new vehicle. Fortunately, it was only a light sensation, but enough to get your attention.
Higher on the list of irritations is the overspeed alert, which chimes for over 10 seconds when you exceed the posted speed limit. Admittedly, this feature isn’t unique to Leapmotor, (other manufacturers have similar systems) and you can switch it off.
Although, the C10 will switch it back on by default every time you start the car. More importantly, why does it need to make noise for so long?
The lane-keep assistance was also far too sensitive. In some cases, you needn’t even straddle the white-line for the system to intervene. I bet you can imagine how painful it was driving on some of New Zealand’s back roads.
Nearing the top of the annoyance list is the C10’s driver attention monitoring system. I’ve not yet come across a driver attention monitoring system that works well from any manufacturer. Although, the system in C10 doesn’t seem to work at all – which is almost a positive, funnily enough.
Yet, this was nothing compared with the C10’s dysfunctional Life Detection mode. Basically, this mode uses interior sensors to detect whether there’s an occupant (such as a toddler or a pet) still inside the vehicle after being locked. When triggered, the C10 will honk its horn, and it’ll send you a message alert if connected to the Leapmotor app,
My phone wasn’t paired with the app, so I’m unaware of its effectiveness.
I do know the horn alert works, however. The only trouble was that nothing was ever inside the vehicle.
This false positive wasn’t just a once-off either. Instead, it happened so frequently that I got to the point of ensuring that the system was turned-off before exiting the car. Oh, and this feature switches on by default, too. Admittedly, I haven’t noticed other reviewers reporting the same issue, and therefore, this could be an error specific to our test vehicle. However, we’re still in early days, and we’re yet to know whether this is actually a one-off.
It’s disappointing to say, but these systems ruined the car for me. In theory, many of these systems can be tweaked with an over-the-air update, but this shouldn’t be so troublesome out-of-the-box. To put it bluntly, the consumer should never be the beta tester, especially when they’ve parted with tens of thousands of their hard-earned cash.
2025 Leapmotor C10 – Specifications
| Vehicle Type | Mid-size Electric SUV |
| Starting Price | $54,990 |
| Price as Tested | $54,990 |
| Engine | 69.9kWh battery with a single electric motor (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) |
| Range (Km) | 420 (WLTP) |
| Power/Torque (kW/Nm) | 160/320 |
| Transmission | One-speed |
| Spare Wheel | Puncture repair kit |
| Tare Weight (Kg) | 1,995 |
| Length x Width x Height (mm) | 4739 x 1900 x 1680 |
| Cargo capacity, (Litres, seats up/seats down) | 581/1,410 |
| Energy economy, (kWh/100km) | Advertised Spec – Combined – 19.8 (WLTP) Real-World Test – Combined – 18.9 Low Usage: 6-10 / Medium Usage 11-19 / High Usage 19+ |
| Towing capacity (Kg, unbraked/braked) | 750/1,500 |
| Turning circle (metres) | 10.8 Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+ |
| Warranty | 4-year/100,000kms New Vehicle Warranty 4-year Road Side Assistance 8 year/160,000km Battery Warranty |
| Safety information | ANCAP Rating – 5 stars Rightcar.govt.nz – 5 Stars – QYL541 |
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