Leapmotor B10 prototype review: on course to be the fledgling brand’s best EV yet

Verdict

We came away pleasantly surprised by our early drive in the new Leapmotor B10. The cabin is spacious, well built and filled with tech, and while the range and charging speeds appear little more than mediocre on paper, in real-world use they meet expectations. Throw in a solid and refined driving experience, plus a price expected to start with a two, and it’s easily Leap’s best effort yet.

As promised, Leapmotor – the Chinese brand backed by Stellantis in Europe and the UK – will continue its product onslaught later this year with the introduction of the B10 compact SUV. It’s roughly the same size as a Skoda Elroq, but with an estimated starting price of less than £30,000, it’ll undercut cars from the segment below.

Based on the firm’s new Leap 3.5 architecture, the B10 boasts cell-to-chassis technology, plus a shedload of advanced driver-assistance systems, to create what bosses call the “most intelligent” car in its segment. To get a taste of what’s in store, we headed to the firm’s factory in Jinhua, China, for an early drive.

Sales for the domestic market began this month – 8,000 cars have been delivered in just two weeks, apparently – but UK customers will need to wait until autumn before being able to place an order. Just one battery and a single fully-loaded trim will be offered here, although exact specifications are yet to be determined.

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Our experience with the car began in the passenger seat, as we journeyed the 200 miles from Shanghai along mostly smooth, fast-flowing motorways. The B10 is impressively quiet, and the relatively long wheelbase allowed for a comfortable ride. The seats, both front and rear, are supportive, with those in the back treated to a completely flat floor and plenty of room to stretch out.

Quality in general is very good, too. No matter where you’re sitting, you’ll find the sort of soft-touch materials you’d ordinarily expect in cars costing quite a bit more, surpassing almost anything at this price point. The lack of a rear wiper raised a few eyebrows in the pouring rain, mind.

The infotainment system is similar to the one found in the larger C10, which is to say it responds snappily and the graphics are sharp. The menu layouts take some getting used to, and the firm doesn’t yet offer Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. We’re told both are coming, however.

Along the way, we stopped to top up at a high-power DC rapid charger. Despite a mediocre quoted peak speed of just 80kW, we witnessed the car go from roughly 20 to 70 per cent in 15 minutes – suggesting Leapmotor’s claim of 30 to 80 per cent in 19 minutes should be achievable. The maker quotes a range of 260 miles, or around 30 miles more than the similarly priced (but smaller) Ford Puma Gen-E.

The B10’s single rear-mounted motor produces a claimed 215bhp and 240Nm of torque, and 0-62mph takes only 6.8 seconds. A brief stint behind the wheel showed it to be perfectly swift in a straight line; throttle response is good thanks to the car’s instant torque, making light work of impromptu overtakes. It tails off above 50mph or so, but feels adequate for a car of this type.

There are different modes for the throttle and steering, but the latter is light in anything but the heaviest Sport setting. Configure it as such and it handles neatly; thanks to that cell-to-chassis tech and the weight sitting so low, it corners with composure, and even in the wet didn’t seem susceptible to understeer.

Our drive over a controlled test route included a variety of surfaces, including those allegedly akin to a Belgian cobblestone street. Despite tackling it at relatively high speed, the B10’s accomplished damping prevented sharp shocks from entering the cabin.

As mentioned, UK buyers will be offered just one specification – with necessities such as LED lights and alloy wheels to be bolstered by luxuries such as the big central screen and digital instrument cluster, as well as a full-length panoramic roof. Prices should be confirmed later in the year.

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