You may mistake Leapmotor for just another one of the many Chinese auto brands setting up shop in Australia, but the reality is a little different.
Firstly, in just over a decade, Leapmotor has gone on to sell over a million cars and is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange with a value of over $16 billion (HKD$84bn). Secondly, it is partially owned by Stellantis, the same company that owns the likes of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, and even Maserati.
In some respects, Leapmotor is indeed the most European of the Chinese brands heading to Australia, by leveraging not just Stellantis engineers for research and development to cater to western requirements, but also its distribution and dealer network, which is why in Australia you will see Leapmotor sold alongside other Stellantis brands.
So if Leapmotor as a brand and a car company is seemingly doing so well, what should one make of the new B10, Australia’s cheapest electric SUV?
From the outside, the front end of this small electric SUV presents as a modern but arguably derivative design, but there is definitely a hint of Porsche Macan in the Leapmotor B10’s rear-end design language.
Following one in traffic from a few cars back will make many mistake it for the significantly more expensive German electric SUV. Ironically, now that the Macan has also gone fully electric, the difference between the B10, which starts from just $38,990 drive-away, and the Macan EV, which is about $140,000 drive-away for the cheapest version without many options, isn’t as big of a gap as you would expect.
Which brings up an interesting point: why the B10 makes a lot of sense in many respects. Going back a decade, before the mass importation of affordable battery-electric vehicles from China, getting a cheap car from Korea or Japan was incomparable in terms of dynamic performance, technology, and general luxury to what Europeans offered at the time.
These days, the Chinese are arguably offering better technology, comparable (or better) build quality, and rapidly improving vehicle dynamics. So if you are still stuck in the mindset that ‘Made in China’ is a bad thing, we highly recommend a trip to Shanghai, where you can experience the future.
The dark factories that now make cars in China rely far less on humans than those in any other global automotive manufacturing market. These cars are being built by the very best robots and engineers sourced from across the globe, and it shows.
All that aside, should you spend a good chunk of cash on a brand that most have never heard of? The short answer is yes, but only after some over-the-air software updates.
The B10 comes in two grades, Style and Design. There is additional equipment for the higher spec variant, but the main difference is actually the battery size, with the cheaper variant having a 56.2kWh LFP battery and a range of 442km (NEDC), while Design variants come with a larger-capacity 67.1kWh battery, giving it a range of up to 516km (NEDC). With a price difference of only $3000, we highly recommend you ignore the Style and go for the $41,990 B10 Design.
How much does the Leapmotor B10 cost?
This is a very well-priced vehicle. In fact, while it comes in at about $42k for the model you’ll want in Australia, the exact same car costs about A$60,000 in Europe, thanks to the tariffs imposed on Chinese automakers.
Such sharp entry pricing will make the B10 Australia’s most affordable electric SUV, undercutting the MG S5 EV (from $40,990 drive-away) and the Chery E5 (from about$40,430 drive-away). Leapmotor Australia is also offering three years of scheduled servicing for $200 if you register your interest before October 31 and purchase a B10 before January 31, 2026.
| Model | Price before on-road costs / Drive-away pricing |
|---|---|
| Leapmotor B10 Style | $38,990 (drive-away) |
| Leapmotor B10 Design | $41,990 (drive-away) |
To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
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What is the Leapmotor B10 like on the inside?
The interior of the Leapmotor B10 is very similar to that of other Chinese EVs, dominated by screens and nice-to-touch surfaces. The 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen is the central control for everything you want to do in the B10, from the air-conditioning to the music, and changing vehicle settings. It’s all hidden under menus and more menus.
Luckily, it’s a nice high-resolution screen and super-responsive. However, it can definitely be improved with larger fonts and icons to make it a little easier to use on the go.
It would also be nice to have some actual buttons for the temperature and fan speed, but given how infrequently one changes the temperature away from 23-24 degrees, these are very minor niggles.
We found the seats both up front and in the second row to be comfortable and supportive. It’s a very spacious four-seater but can accommodate three adults in the back if need be. Though if you are frequently carrying five passengers, the larger existing C10 may prove a better option.
What we very quickly came to dislike is the 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, which sits right behind the steering wheel in a manner that makes it unreasonably hard to see.
Where the bigger C10 has another large screen for driver information, the B10 has gone for a smaller screen that stretches across the back of the steering wheel.
This on its own isn’t a big deal, but Leapmotor UX designers have made some strange decisions, such as placing the speedo on the left-hand side of this small screen, making it hard to see when the wheel is turned, or if you happen to hold the wheel in a manner in which your fingers block the speed.
Easy to solve, surely? Obviously, one would imagine you could go through the menu, move the digital speedometer to the middle of the screen, and get rid of the entirely useless safety display? Nope.
So instead of seeing your speed (the car will beep very loudly if you go over the signposted limit) you get to watch a nice graphical representation that shows you what cars are around you in a digital format (for, you know… when you are blind to the outside world?).
This is such an obvious thing to fix, and we do hope that Leapmotor will apply a basic over-the-air update that allows you to shift the speedo to be in the centre, and move the useless information to the side.
Apart from that, though, the interior of the B10 is fantastic for its price point. Everything feels great to the touch, there is plenty of storage, and the cabin height and ambience outdo those of many far more expensive cars.
| Dimensions | Leapmotor B10 |
|---|---|
| Length | 4,515mm |
| Width | 1,885mm |
| Height | 1,655mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,735mm |
| Cargo capacity | 430L |
To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
Both variants of the B10 are powered by the same 160kW and 240Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels.
The B10 supports 11kW AC charging and ultra-fast DC charging up to 168 kW (for the Design variant), enabling a 30–80% charge in approximately 20 minutes. While the Style variant can charge at up to 140kW.
| Specifications | Leapmotor B10 |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electric |
| Battery | 56.2kWh or 67.1kWh LFP battery |
| Power | 160kW |
| Torque | 240Nm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel |
| Weight | 1,670–1,756 kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 8.0 seconds |
| Energy consumption (claimed) | 15kWh (Design) |
| Energy consumption (as tested) | 14.2kWh (Design) |
| Claimed range | 442km (NEDC) or 516km (NEDC) |
| Max AC charge rate | 11kW |
| Max DC charge rate | 140-168kW |
To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How does the Leapmotor B10 drive?
We got to experience the Leapmotor B10 around the countryside in France, which surprisingly has many poorly surfaced roads and relatively unskilled drivers, giving a similar experience to driving back here in Australia.
First impressions of the Leapmotor B10 are that they have given a pretty good Chinese electric SUV to European engineers for tuning… and not just any European engineers, but those from Fiat and Alfa Romeo. This has resulted in very sharp, precise steering and a ride that is supple, if not a little too soft.
The Leapmotor B10 is essentially a computer on wheels. It’s rear-wheel drive, which is a welcome change to the many cheap front-wheel drive SUVs on the market. Interestingly, it has been tuned to drive like it has an internal combustion engine. Which means that despite the electric motor delivering 160kW of power and 240Nm of torque, the B10 feels like it is building up revs to get going from a stop.
It took us a few minutes to adjust to the feeling of not having all of that torque instantly available, but if you have never driven an EV before, the gradual buildup of speed is actually a familiar and pleasant sensation. It also means you won’t be spinning your wheels in the wet.
We found the steering response of the B10 to be almost unnecessarily sharp and heavy, as if it were an Alfa Romeo. Except that it’s not and doesn’t need to be. Again, this took a few minutes of adjustment, but the reality is that sharp steering is better than vague steering, and once you adjust to the sensitivity, you get pretty used to it.
The ride comfort is delightful, and the suspension is tuned to take on the worst potholes and glide over them. On the flipside, it does mean the Leapmotor B10 has a bit more lean in corners than we would like, but the compromise in handling agility for the supple ride on soft suspension will be well worth it on Australia’s poorly maintained roads.
Thankfully, we are getting the same tune as European markets, so Australian-delivered vehicles should behave in the same comfortable manner on our roads.
The Chinese company claims the B10 will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in eight seconds and has a top speed of 170km/h. We tested both and found those numbers to be about right. It’s fast enough, but it’s definitely not as zippy as some of the other Chinese offerings at the same price.
However, all that good dynamic tuning is ruined by the super-intrusive advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which is a European Union government requirement created by bureaucrats who have no right to impose them on their own citizens, let alone force Australians to suffer alongside them (and pay for the system!).
Like many new vehicles, the Leapmotor B10 beeps and dings and drives you absolutely crazy if you do not drive exactly how Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen says you should. A few millimetres off centre in your lane? Here, have some beeping. A few more millilimetres? How about some super-intrusive steering correction to scare the crap out of you?
Going 62km/h in a 60 zone? Have some louder beeping to go along with your super stress-free day. Kids sleeping in the backseat? Too bad. They need to hear their parents misbehaving so they can become more obedient citizens.
It’s important to emphasise that, while some of these issues are software tuning-related that can be refined further by Leapmotor engineers, much of it is precisely how the Europeans have legislated their new cars to behave.
The good news is that Leapmotor allows you to save a profile with all (or some) of the ADAS systems turned off and you can activate it with a press of a single button (which you will need to do each time the car is turned back on). This is absolutely required because you cannot drive the Leapmotor B10 with the full suite of safety systems on and maintain your sanity.
Apart from the ADAS driving us crazy, we were very impressed by the Leapmotor B10’s driving dynamics. However, we will reserve final judgment until we drive it on local roads.
To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What do you get?
2026 Leapmotor B10 Style equipment highlights:
- 56.2kWh high-voltage LFP battery
- 442km driving range (NEDC)
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED auto headlights
- Heated exterior mirrors
- Fixed panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade
- Concealed door handles
- Automatic climate-control
- Over-the-air (OTA) software updates
- LEAP Pilot (Level 2 ADAS)
- 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Satellite-navigation
- Qualcomm Snapdragon chip
- Wireless phone charger
- NFC and Bluetooth key
- Leapmotor Connected Services
- 360-degree camera with dynamic guidelines
- Integrated 360-degree dashcam recorder
- Rear parking sensors
- Tyre inflator kit
- Rear cargo cover
Design adds:
- 67.1kWh high-voltage LFP battery
- 516km driving range (NEDC)
- TechnoLeather seat trim
- 6-way electric driver’s seat adjustment
- 4-way electric front passenger seat adjustment
- Heated steering wheel
- Heated front seats
- Ventilated front seats
- LED rear light bar
- Auto power-folding exterior mirrors
- Rain-sensing frameless wipers
- Rear centre armrest and cupholders
- 12-speaker surround audio system
- Power tailgate
- Rear privacy glass
- Multi-colour interior ambient lighting
To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
Is the Leapmotor B10 safe?
The B10 is yet to be rated by local independent auto safety body ANCAP, but its larger C10 sibling achieved a five-star rating from both ANCAP and Euro NCAP in 2024.
To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How much does the Leapmotor B10 cost to run?
The Leapmotor B10 is covered by a seven-year, 160,000km warranty, while its high-voltage battery pack is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty.
Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first, and pricing is capped for the first three services at $200.
| Servicing and Warranty | Leapmotor C10 |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 7 year, 160,000km 8 year, 160,000km (HV battery) |
| Roadside assistance | 5 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months, 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years |
| Total capped-price service cost | $200 (if purchased before January 31, 2026) |
To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
Daily Sparkz’s Take on the Leapmotor B10
The Leapmotor B10 is an exceptionally well-priced small electric SUV backed by a serious company.
It surprised us with its great vehicle dynamics, well-refined suspension, and well-packaged interior. With a few updates to the ADAS system and fixing the digital speedo issue, it would be among the favourites in this incredibly competitive segment.
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MORE: Explore the Leapmotor showroom
