2025 Leapmotor C10 – Australian specifications confirmed for new EV SUV entrant

The Australian new car market is not wanting for challenger brands right now, and the latest arrival is Leapmotor. Founded in 2015 and hailing from China, Leapmotor is coming to Australia under the aegis of Jeep and Fiat’s parent company Stellantis, and will initially only offer one model: the C10.

Landing squarely in the midsize SUV class, the C10 will also arrive with all-electric power. There’s a plug-in hybrid version available in its home market of China, but at its local launch in November the Aussie-market Leapmotor C10 will be exclusively battery-powered. Despite that, with sharp pricing expected to be announced closer to launch, Toyota’s popular RAV4 hybrid may have some competition in the midsize SUV space.

And so will the Tesla Model Y. With a 420km range from its 69.9kWh LFP battery and a modest 160kW/320Nm from its single rear-mounted electric drive motor, the Leapmotor C10 lines up favourably with Tesla’s entry-level standard range RWD Model Y, which currently retails for $55,900.

Australian pricing for the C10 has yet to be confirmed, but it’s understood that a sub-$50K retail sticker is being targeted for all variants in the C10 range.

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At launch, the C10 will be offered in two flavours: base Style, and the up-spec Design. With only one battery and motor choice across the lineup, the differences between the two largely boil down to trim, seating, and wheel size.

As standard, the entry-level C10 Style comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, a panoramic glass sunroof (with a retractable shade), dual-zone climate control with an efficiency-boosting heat pump, power-adjustable front seats (6-way for the driver, 4-way for the passenger), a360-degree parking camera, rear parking sensors and heated wing mirrors.

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Infotainment hardware is comprised of a 10.25-inch digi-dash display for the driver, and a massive 14.6-inch touchscreen as the main interface, running Leapmotor’s own operating system and featuring built-in satnav.

A wireless charge pad also equips the C10 Style, and the infotainment system allows the ability to log into embedded apps like Spotify, TikTok and Zoom, as well as control functions like cabin ventilation remotely via the built-in 4G internet connection.

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Moving up into the C10 Design brings a powered tailgate, 20-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, animated LED rear lights, air quality monitoring, customizable ambient interior lighting, and ‘silicone leather’ seat upholstery, replacing the ‘TechnoLeather’ of the Style. Both upholstery materials can be had in either black or tan colourways.

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The cabin layout doesn’t deviate much from the midsize SUV playbook, with two rows of seating with space for five adults. Leapmotor claims legroom metrics of 937mm for the front row and 951mm for the rear row, with more than 1009mm of headroom in both front and back.

However, the C10 does have one party trick: with the front seats slid all the way forward and the headrests detached, the backrests can be folded flush with the rear seat base to form a bed.

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Behind the rear seats is a 581-litre boot space, which expands to 1410 litres when the rear seatbacks are folded. Unlike many EVs, however, there's no under-bonnet storage in the C10.

Five exterior colours will be offered for both variants, with pearl white, metallic black, two shades of grey and dark green.

Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist (with lane centering control), front and rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert/braking, driver fatigue monitoring, and blind spot monitoring, plus a suite of seven airbags.

The C10 will be covered by a 7-year, 160,000km vehicle warranty, with a separate 8-year, 160,000km for the high-voltage battery. For customers taking delivery before 31 March 2025, Leapmotor will throw in a year’s worth of free charging on the Chargefox network.