China’s Leapmotor pounces on the European car market with its T03 city car and C10 SUV

Much of the industrial and governmental panic that surrounds the arrival, en masse, of China’s auto industry into Western markets is centred on the idea of cost. In particular, the combination of comparatively cheap labour, a mix of incentives, rebates and tax exemptions, and government investment in infrastructure, R&D and even procurement has made the Chinese industry ‘unfairly’ competitive.

Throw in a streamlined supply chain that often integrates battery-making into the same company structure, as well as a relentless focus on efficient production and design, and you can understand why companies like Jaecoo and XPeng are stirring the pot.

However, up until now, the key new contenders in the European market have pitched themselves squarely at the middle market. Not so Leapmotor. The latest Chinese brand to go West, Leapmotor was founded in 2015 in Hangzhou and kicked off with the 2019 Leapmotor S01. This fastback 2+2 city coupé showed a certain flair, although this verve was rather lacking from the follow-up, the 2020 T03.

Now you can buy a Leapmotor T03 in the UK. Should you? Since it was founded, Leapmotor has partnered with Stellantis, an automotive ‘house of brands’ assembled from decades of mergers and acquisitions across the US and European markets. Stellantis now owns 20 per cent of Leapmotor and has the rights to sell the cars outside of China. It’s hoping that a combination of low prices and high specifications will make Leapmotor the go-to name in value motoring.

Alongside the diminutive T03, Leapmotor has also brought the C10 SUV. It’ll follow that up with the B10 SUV later in 2025. I recently drove the C10 and T03 in the UK and this is what I thought.

For a start, the two cars are poles apart in terms of market positioning. Confusingly, the C10 is aimed at the D-segment of the market, ‘large family cars’ that were once saloons and estates but are now more often than not an SUV. It’s priced at £36,500 in the UK, fair value for a 4.7m-long five-seater laden with tech (more of which later).

In comparison, the 3.6m T03 is an A-segment city car or ‘supermini’. Priced under £16,000, it’s one of the cheapest EVs on the market – in fact, one of the cheapest cars, full stop. Leapmotor is keen to get it into the hands of the young and old. ‘Your first EV’, and perhaps also your last. Both models come in a single specification, a bold decision in a world of intense and expensive (for the consumer) upgrades and personalisation.

Test-driving the Leapmotor C10 SUV

First, the C10. Nondescript but inoffensive from the outside, the C10 struggles to achieve an identity of its own beyond the well deployed styling cues that define the premium contemporary SUV: a rear lightbar, flush door handles, rear spoilers, slender LED front lamps. Apparently the recipient of an unspecified French design award, the C10’s standout feature, on paper at least, is the depth and breadth of its specification.

Equipped with a 69.9kWh battery, giving it a theoretical 263-mile range, the C10 might have a rather austere interior, but the dual-screen infotainment and instrument cluster contain a plethora of functionality. This includes ADAS driven by 12 sensors, a vast panoramic sunroof, fast charging, heated and ventilated front seats, five-star NCAP safety and more besides.

So far, so good. Caveats apply. Few cars have conjured up such a symphonic chorus of warning bongs as the C10, with each and every one of its sensors seemingly chiming in whenever it wanted. At the start of the drive, the car asked me to remove my (non-existent) hat as it was interfering with the Driver Drowsiness Alert Warning system. It never stopped asking.

The minimal interior definitely takes inspiration from Tesla’s button-less deserts of black plastic, at a time when sentiment is steering premium design back to physical controls. I also took issue with the tiny font size and icons on the big 14.6-inch touch-screen display. At low speeds, steering was incredibly light whilst on the road; the lane departure warning system was nervous and grabby.

These are nit-picking criticisms honed by years of jumping in and out of every conceivable kind of car interior. Will many potential Leapmotor customers notice, let alone care? It’s a lot of car for the money, with a very usable range, more than acceptable safety and space and practicality aplenty.

A spin in the Leapmotor T03

I had much more time, personally, for the little T03. There hasn’t been such a small and characterful EV since the Honda e, although the T03 lacks much of the Japanese car’s design and engineering finesse. It’s still very well equipped, especially when compared to current rivals like the Dacia Spring. Even though the powertrain only puts out the equivalent of 95hp, and the 0-60 ‘sprint’ takes a leisurely 13 seconds or so, the little car still feels zesty.

Small cars still mean small ranges, and at 165 miles the T03 is no endurance machine. Never mind, for this is a car for the city, with a tiny footprint. As with the C10, the kit list is long and unusually varied for a car of this size and price. That means twin screens, air conditioning, a large sunroof, all-electric windows and mirrors, parking sensors and more, as well as the mixed blessing of a comprehensive ADAS suite.

Downsides? The brand name has uncomfortable synergies with China’s ill-fated Great Leap Forward, which feels like a misstep in these trying times. It’s also one of the first Chinese model line-ups to accord with European manufacturers’ panic about ultra-competitive products from the East. And although both T03 and C10 are sophisticated on the surface, there’s still a sense of version 1.0 about the whole enterprise, despite the involvement of Stellantis.

One major benefit of the partnership is that Leapmotor arrives in Europe with access to a global dealer and service network. The T03 will also be built in a Stellantis plant in Poland, a much-needed tariff-avoiding workaround that will become more and more commonplace. Next up will be the B10 SUV (to maintain the confusion, this will be a C-segment SUV), to be followed by two more hatchbacks and another small SUV. A brand worth keeping an eye on; just be sure to take a good look before you leap.

Leapmotor C03, from £15,995, C10, from £36,500, Leapmotor.net