Leapmotor C10 EV Walkaround: What Surprised Me Inside This Chinese Electric SUV?
I went through a brand-new Leapmotor C10, fresh off the truck at the showroom: space, a 360 camera with a see-through chassis view, vehicle-to-load, rear occupant detection and a lock button on the steering wheel. Plus the official battery, range and charging specs.
The Leapmotor C10 had just arrived at the showroom, with only 41 km on the clock, when I climbed in with my camera. This wasn't a long-distance efficiency test but a detailed walkaround, button by button, of a Chinese family electric SUV that wants to win over European buyers with lots of standard tech. And I'll admit it: more things got me excited than I expected.
The Leapmotor C10 in a nutshell
The C10 is a midsize SUV, 4,739 mm long, with a 2,825 mm wheelbase and 180 mm of ground clearance, according to the official "Leapmotor" brochure. The fully electric version uses a 160 kW (218 hp) permanent-magnet synchronous motor with 320 Nm, driving the rear wheels, and a 69.9 kWh LFP battery.
Leapmotor quotes 0–100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, a 170 km/h top speed and 420 km of WLTP combined range, with official consumption around 188 Wh/km. DC fast charging peaks at 84 kW, and 30 to 80% takes about 30 minutes. The current European brochure lists an 11 kW on-board charger; my video description from 2024 listed 6.6 kW, so it's worth checking which version you are getting.
Beyond this EV, the range also includes a larger 81.9 kWh battery version and a Hybrid EV that uses a small petrol engine purely as a generator.
Space: a big trunk and generous rear seats
I started with the trunk, which felt very roomy. The European brochure lists 485 liters, growing to 1,645 liters with the rear seats folded. There's a subwoofer under the floor, and the tailgate closes with a button.
The rear bench has plenty of legroom, and the panoramic roof makes the cabin feel even airier. Rear passengers get an armrest with cupholders, USB-C and regular USB ports and their own air vents. The doors open and close with very little effort, and the door panel material has a texture that resembles Alcantara.
The driver's seat and a few details I hadn't seen before
The steering wheel has just two spokes and adjusts manually for height and reach. On it I found something I had never seen in any car: a button that locks and unlocks the doors. The car starts with an NFC card placed in a reader, and the gear selector sits on the steering column.
The central screen offers a Romanian-language menu and handles almost everything: climate control with auto and eco modes, heating, ventilation and even the direction of the air vents, which you can move left-right and up-down electrically from the screen. Ambient lighting can be set to any color, separately for front and rear, and can pulse to the music. Your phone charges wirelessly, and the car shows on screen when charging has started.
The 360 camera impressed me the most. The 3D view can be rotated freely, and the see-through chassis mode shows what's under the car, which is very handy near curbs or on rough roads.
Features built for an EV
In the charging menu you pick your limit, from 80% to 100%, and the system recommends 90% as the optimal level. There's also vehicle-to-load, meaning you can draw power from the battery through an adapter, for example to run a microwave or other appliances. In the video I guessed around 3 kW of output, but that's just my estimate, not an official figure.
For driving you get Eco, Comfort and Sport modes, a one-pedal mode, creep when you release the brake and hill descent control. The navigation shows charging stations and can search for them along your route, and the system includes apps such as Spotify, radio and a dedicated charging station app.
One safety detail I really liked is occupant detection. After you lock the car, the system can alert you if a child or a pet has been left inside.
What I saw on the dash
Since this was a brand-new car with very few kilometers, the on-board figures say little about real-world efficiency. The computer estimated around 320 km of remaining range, but I couldn't find the battery percentage displayed anywhere, which I'd like to see. The energy report since the last charge showed that only 26% went to driving, 43% to climate control and 31% to other systems, which is normal for a car that spent more time standing with everything switched on than actually driving.
The steering is very light, forward visibility is excellent thanks to the high seating position, and I really liked the clean design with its discreet front camera.
What it means for drivers
The Leapmotor C10 makes sense for families who want a spacious electric SUV with lots of standard tech. The 69.9 kWh battery and 420 km WLTP rating easily cover daily driving and weekend trips, and LFP chemistry copes well with frequent charging close to 100%.
On long trips, 84 kW DC charging isn't among the fastest, so plan stops of roughly half an hour. If you want much quicker charging, the 81.9 kWh version goes up to 180 kW. Before buying, take a test drive, ask which on-board charger your car has, and check how the battery level is shown on screen to make sure the interface works for you.
