Leapmotor C10: The journey continues - with a declaration of war!

Spotlight on the next Stellantis brand: The Chinese start-up aims to gain a foothold in Europe with a BEV duo consisting of the small car T03 and the mid-size SUV C10. A venture that major automakers from the Middle Kingdom are currently struggling with. Just ask BYD and Great Wall Motor. We've already taken a closer look at the T03; now it's the turn of the SUV C10. "This is a family car that combines all Leapmotor technologies," says Leapmotor's international product planner Zhong Tianyue, then adds with a smile:

"By the way, we make all the important technologies ourselves."

The concept of producing as much as possible in-house is certainly not a wrong one and is practiced by some Chinese automakers. It lowers costs and reduces dependence on supply chains, which is undoubtedly a good thing in times of volatile supply chains. Accordingly, the Chinese manager is also self-confident. Tianyue adds:

"Our electronic architecture in the C10 uses four domains. The German automobile manufacturers try, but they can't manage it."

In the same breath, he points out the advantages of this concept: For example, the Asians have built the software in individual layers. This allows problems to be fixed more quickly. "If you find a mistake and we work really hard, the mistake will be fixed before you publish the article," Tianyue drums out a challenge. More on this later.

Leapmotor aims to be quieter than BMW

Wham. That sits. And since the product strategist is in a giving mood, he goes on to take on the German manufacturers. This time it's Munich's turn: "We have extremely quiet electric motors in the C10, reducing the noise level to 76 db(A). That's quieter than the German premium models, even BMW." For this, Leapmotor has installed 40 acoustic measures, so that as much calm as possible settles in the interior. It can already be said that it is quiet inside the Leapmotor. To what extent the Chinese electric vehicle outperforms the German competition will be shown by measurements. The Chinese are also proud of the seat covers, which are said to be so soft that even a "baby's bottom" wouldn't hurt. Additionally, the fabrics are certified according to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100.

Reduced cockpit in Tesla fashion: Of course, the competitor here is also the Model Y

Enough drumming: Let's take a look at the dimensions: With a length of 4.74 meters, the high-riding electric vehicle is a mid-size vehicle and aims to meddle in the territory of the Tesla Model Y. This becomes clear as soon as you get inside. The cockpit is reduced in true Tesla fashion: The steering wheel is equipped with rotary and push buttons. The display for the instruments measures 10.25 inches and the touchscreen 14.6 inches. Otherwise, you won't find any analog controls. This is known from California's electric vehicles. It looks good and is a delight for fans of streamlined design. The infotainment itself holds no big surprises. Its operation is similar to that of other vehicles from the Middle Kingdom. You select the area on a virtual bar on the left and scroll through the submenus on the right.

There’s still room for improvement in digitization and electronics

When operating the window lifters, it is noticeable that the direction is reversed. If you push the lever forward, the window lowers; if you pull it back, the glass goes up. Unlike what you're used to in Europe. Even the climate control could not maintain the desired temperature of 21 degrees throughout the test drive. At times, a strong cold draft blew on the legs of the two front occupants. The navigation system also occasionally acts sluggishly and gives instructions too late. So the highly praised Chinese technicians by Zhong Tianyue still have some homework to do. So, not everything that glitters at Leapmotor is gold.

Light unladen weight: From 1,980 kilograms, which is little for its size

But an automobile doesn't bear its name for nothing. Its core competency is mobility. And even there, the Asian engineers have their homework to do. The chassis is geared towards comfort, which is not inherently bad. Especially since the C10 is supposed to be a family car. In detail, however, the chassis is unbalanced: the springs are firm (after all, the C10 weighs 1,980 kilograms), but the dampers are soft. As a result, the body rocks when crossing bumps. The steering, which is not particularly direct, fits in with the rather accommodating impression of the vehicle and is not bothersome.

Moreover, the power of 160 kW / 218 hp and 320 Nm of torque is fully sufficient. Even in Eco driving mode. The other settings, Comfort and Sport, mainly differ in the throttle response. If desired, you can also set the system to recuperate so strongly that you can drive with just one pedal.