Leapmotor C10 REEV review

Driving position

The C10 REEV is almost identical to the electric C10 in every perceivable way, and this is most true in the cabin where you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart unless you went into their screens and compared tech specs.

For a more detailed look at the interior, we suggest checking the Leapmotor C10 review out separately.

In summary, though, you’ll get that high-up driving position that made SUVs as popular as they are today. It offers excellent outward visibility but maybe not quite the sporty seating position you’d be able to find in, say, a BMW X3. The seat doesn’t go quite as low.

On the whole, the driving experience is pleasant and calm, with fairly low wind noise at speed and very light steering for city side streets. It’s the sort of car you can relax into, but maybe not the type you’d want to drive enthusiastically.

Tech and features

As we’ve come to expect from electrified vehicles, the interior is dominated by a large 14.6-inch touchscreen, and not much else.

Leapmotor has done a good job of making the operating system as easy to understand as possible, given that there are hundreds of car controls hidden in different menus and subsections.

Special shoutout to the complementary app, though, because this allows you to control some car functions like the heating remotely to make the cabin nice and toasty before you set foot outside your front door, but it also serves as your key.

Unlock and lock the car automatically via Bluetooth, and just enter a pin to authenticate the car to drive. It’s a very similar experience to something like the Tesla Model Y or Volvo EX30 – and the car comes with credit card-like keys you can store in your wallet for emergencies.

Just like its electric sibling, the C10 REEV is one of those ‘all or nothing’ cars. You can only buy it in one trim (in the UK), and it’s a top-spec one.

An 840W, 12-speaker sound system, a panoramic roof, heated seats and steering wheel, cooled front seats, a powered boot lid – all of the luxuries we now expect in the mid-2020s are included for a cost that far undercuts key rivals (not that the REEV model specifically has any primary rivals, but more on that below).

À la Tesla, Leapmotor’s system currently lacks Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, but it could come in a future over-the-air (OTA) update. We don’t think the built-in sat-nav is the easiest to decipher, so it would be a welcome move.

Electric motors and power

Leapmotor C10 performance stats

– Power: 215hp

– 0-62mph: 8.5 seconds

– Top speed: 106mph

– Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive

First and foremost, the Leapmotor C10 REEV is an electric car, not a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

The difference is that a PHEV uses any combination of the electric motor(s) and/or petrol/diesel engine to drive the wheels.

In the C10 REEV’s case, the rear wheels are only ever driven by the electric motor.

Instead of a frunk/froot under the bonnet, though, you’ll get a 1.5-litre petrol engine that works as a generator to keep the car topped up on the go.

It’s sort of like keeping the car plugged in while you drive – you can add miles, but you’re still using electricity to drive the wheels.

Because this system adds a bit of weight and bulk, the acceleration time drops to 8.5 seconds (from 7.5 seconds in the C10 EV).

It’s not the type of ‘fast’ that shoves you back into your seat, but it’s got plenty of pace to join a motorway, for example.

Handling and ride comfort

Instead of getting a little bit of power from an electric motor and a little bit from a petrol engine, which can sometimes feel jarring or clunky, the C10 REEV delivers 215hp directly from the electric motor.

This means, as a driver, you’ll get to experience all the benefits of owning an electric car, including smooth acceleration without gears, instant torque delivery for acceleration that feels quicker than it actually might be, and a generally quiet ride (especially when the engine is off).

If you’ve ever experienced or looked into Nissan’s e-Power system, which is used in the Qashqai and X-Trail, it’s an extremely similar concept. And you’ve probably heard enough praise about that setup.

The difference between that and the C10 REEV is that the Leapmotor has a bigger battery, so it can keep the engine off more of the time.

Even when the engine springs into life, it’s quiet and doesn’t rev highly in accordance with your throttle position. It just ticks away, efficiently pumping juice back into the battery.

To be honest, we’re not sure why more manufacturers aren’t deploying this type of system. It works brilliantly.

Boot space

Leapmotor C10 boot space

– Boot space: 400 litres

– Incl. Rear seats folded: 1,375 litres

– Front boot (froot): N/A

The C10 is all about rear-seat space, but you still get a big 400-litre boot, which is similar in size to most family hatchbacks and small SUVs.

While it may not be class leading (or is it – because the C10 REEV doesn’t currently have any direct rivals if you’re narrowing them down by powertrain), it’s a practical square-ish shape.

Rear seats

Leapmotor says this is a D-segment car, which in layman’s terms means it’s the next step up in terms of quality, size and practicality from a family hatchback like the VW Golf.

Inside, you can tell. Even the tallest of passengers will never have an issue with legroom, and headroom is good thanks to the high roofline that continues into the rear of the car.

Storage solutions

Just like the electric model, there are 26 storage spaces in and around the cabin and boot, so if you’ve managed to fill an entire bag for life emptying your previous car, its contents should disappear into the C10 quite easily.

The front armrest area is like a large island, with cupholders, wireless phone charging and a storage cubby all built-in.

Leapmotor C10 dimensions

– Height: 1,680mm

– Width: 1,900mm

– Length: 4,739mm

– Kerb weight: 1,950kg

Safety

Euro NCAP awarded the Leapmotor C10 a full five-star safety rating thanks to its extensive list of standard kit, like autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic braking and driver drowsiness monitoring.

All in all, Leapmotor claims there are 17 driver assistance tools at your disposal.

Range and charging

– Range: 90 miles/603 miles

– Battery size: 28.4kWh

– Max charging speed: 65kW

– Charge port location: Back left

– Charge time (AC): 0-100% in 4 hours 20 minutes

– Charge time (DC): 30-80% in 18 minutes

– Efficiency: 3.0mi/kWh

– Charging cost: From £2.00

This is where the Leapmotor C10 REEV stands out from many plug-in hybrids, because you can treat it mostly as an electric car.

The 28.4kWh battery is good for a 90-mile range, with a claimed efficiency of 3.0mi/kWh (0.4mi/kWh less than the EV).

Admittedly, rapid charging peaks at a slower 65kW speed vs. 84kW in the EV, but the battery is less than half the size, so it’ll still do a 30-80% charge in 18 minutes. And to have rapid charging in this type of vehicle, which is best compared with PHEVs, is still not so common. So kudos to Leapmotor there.

6.6kW charging at home will deliver a full top-up in around four-and-a-half hours – perfect for your cheap overnight tariff.

According to the sales material, the C10 REEV will do 706.2mpg if you’re running it as a petrol car, but we suspect this is massively and artificially inflated because of the way tests are designed and run (this is not Leapmotor’s fault).

Reliability

Because Leapmotor is a new car brand both in the UK and globally, long-term reliability data is scarce.

Still, we’re fond of the fact that even the REEV model uses an LFP battery. This is a type of chemistry that’s good for full and regular charges. Other manufacturers use NMC batteries, which should generally be limited to an 80% charge unless you need the full range for a longer trip.

The brand offers a four-year/60,000-mile warranty to UK buyers, which is a year more than the industry average, but it falls short of rivals like BYD. It’s in line with Tesla.