First batch of Leapmotor C10 en route, launch soon?

Welcome to this part of the world – Leapmotor International has announced that the first batch of C10 SUVs are being shipped from Shanghai to our region, indicating that we won’t have to wait much longer for the Malaysian launch.

According to the Amsterdam-headquartered company – a 51/49 Stellantis-led entity between Stellantis and Leapmotor – the shipment kicks off a long-term collaboration aimed at transforming the landscape of electric mobility in the Asia Pacific region, with at least one new model planned to go on sale every year in the next three years.

Leapmotor International added that it will sell EVs in Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Australia and New Zealand starting October, and that it plans to set up over 40 Leapmotor sales points in India and Asia Pacific by the end of this year.

We’ve seen the RHD C10 inside and out as well as test-driven the car in Milan – the five-seater D-segment SUV is slightly larger than a Chery Tiggo 8 Pro and price wise, will go up against the BYD Atto 3 and perhaps the upcoming Proton eMas 7.

The vehicle previewed to the media was single-motor rear-wheel drive. Details were scarce, but global markets including Australia get a 218 PS motor/lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery combo. China gets 52.9 kWh and 69.9 kWh capacities – global markets should get the bigger pack. Range is a quoted 420 km WLTP.

The preview car also had 20-inch alloys, liquid-resistant Oeko-Tex ‘silicone leather’ upholstery and a power tailgate, consistent with Australia’s top-spec Design variant. There was also a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen incorporating satellite navigation, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (but no Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto), a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel and dual-zone auto climate control.

Other items that we could be getting are a fixed panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade, 12 speakers, heated/ventilated front seats, wireless charging, ambient lighting and an NFC card key, which has to be placed on the centre console for the EV to be started. Safety? There should be seven airbags, a 360 camera and a 16-function Level 2 ADAS suite.

As always, we’ll bring you more on the Leapmotor C10 closer to the launch, including the all-important price – will the upstart indeed be priced to challenge Malaysia’s most popular EVs?

GALLERY: 2024 Leapmotor C10 test drive in Milan

GALLERY: 2024 Leapmotor C10 Malaysian preview, RHD

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