New Leapmotor T03 EV to hit the UK in 2025 and challenge the Dacia Spring
The Chinese EV maker Leapmotor is launching in the UK early next year with the help of Stellantis, owners of Vauxhall and Citroen
Chinese electric car maker Leapmotor is officially coming to the UK. It’s due to launch here in March 2025 with two EVs, but has promised to introduce at least one more new model every year for the next three years.
One of its first offerings to UK customers will be the Leapmotor T03: a budget-friendly city car that will go toe-to-toe with the recently updated Dacia Spring, as well as the BYD Seagull that’s also arriving here in 2025.
The T03 measures just 3.6 metres long, which is shorter than the already compact Spring, but the brand claims it offers as much cabin space as a larger supermini. It also offers a WLTP range of 165 miles, or about 30 miles further than the Dacia can go on a single charge
We’re a long way off learning the UK price, but if the T03 hopes to compete against the Spring or Seagull, then it will need to start from around £15,000.
The other Leapmotor model confirmed for the UK is a family-focused mid-size SUV called the Leapmotor C10 that will rival the Tesla Model Y, among many others. The C10 sits on the company’s own Leap 3.0 architecture that it developed in-house, offers up to 261 miles of range and features an intelligent cockpit powered by the latest Qualcomm processors, and with the latest semi-autonomous and advanced driver assistance systems.
What will give Leapmotor a headstart in the UK and European markets is it being partly owned by Stellantis – the automotive giant that runs an army of brands, ranging from Vauxhall, Jeep and Citroen, to Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
The target figure for Leapmotor dealers in the UK has yet to be determined, but Stellantis is hoping to have 500 “points of sales” for the brand across Europe by 2026.
The Leapmotor T03 models sold in the UK will be built in Europe, reportedly in the same Stellantis plant in Poland where the Jeep Avenger, Alfa Romeo Junior and Fiat 600 are produced. Meanwhile the C10 will be imported from China.
Would you choose a Leapmotor T03 over the Dacia Spring? Let us know in the comments...
