Adoption from China - Leapmotor joins the Stellantis line-up
Leapmotor International is a joint venture between Stellantis and Leapmotor, distributing products that have been available in Poland since last year. With this, the Chinese brand has joined the 13 other marques of the American-Italian-French group. We tested the fully electric Leapmotor B10.
The Leapmotor B10 is a compact SUV whose size seems to fit its segment perfectly. The body is 4515 mm long and 1885 mm wide. The wheelbase is 2735 mm. The car's design is dominated by smooth surfaces, rounded shapes and slim lights. Visually, its silhouette is more reminiscent of a slightly raised, stretched estate than of an “off-roader”. But it is certainly easy on the eye.
The car we tested came in the higher of the two trims, “Design”, which stands out on the outside with a full-width LED rear light bar, tinted windows in the rear doors and tailgate, and richer comfort equipment. This includes electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated seats, a power tailgate and a heated steering wheel. The heating and ventilation functions (both with three levels) are activated from the central screen. The boot (430 litres) is opened by pressing a tiny button placed off-centre on the tailgate.
Interior, screens and practicality
The interior of the Leapmotor B10 we tested was finished in pastel shades and made a very good impression in terms of style. Add the fact that the Chinese car stands out for its spacious cabin, both in the front and on the rear bench, and you will feel like applauding. The car also had a huge glass roof measuring 1.8 square metres. There is no shortage of storage compartments and shelves, and there is even a lidded glovebox in front of the passenger seat, something Chinese manufacturers are increasingly doing without. It would be worth considering, however, making some of the plastics softer and therefore more pleasant to the touch.
Speaking of practicality, it is worth adding that under the bonnet there is a 25-litre storage compartment, perfectly sized for the charging cables, which are then kept separate from the main luggage. The car can be unlocked with a card, whose sensor is located in the driver's side mirror. You can also use your own smartphone with the brand's app. It lets you lock and unlock the doors remotely, check the battery status, switch on the air conditioning and receive updates on charging progress.
The centrepiece of the dashboard is a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, and in front of the driver there is an 8.8-inch display. This is almost standard in Chinese cars. The number of buttons has been reduced to the absolute minimum. On the steering wheel you will find two scroll wheels and a few buttons. The scroll wheels are assigned the other way round: the left one controls the cruise control and the right one the audio volume. The Leapmotor B10 is equipped with cameras that provide a view all around the car when manoeuvring, but it has no rear window wiper. This is completely incomprehensible.
Driving, cruise control, navigation and audio
The Leapmotor B10 we tested accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.0 seconds and has a top speed of 170 km/h, with a 218 hp motor delivering 240 Nm of torque. The car has three driving modes (comfort, standard and sport), and for each one you can choose a suitable level of regenerative braking and steering assistance (three settings in both cases). Driving on expressways requires a good deal of concentration from the driver. With adaptive cruise control switched on, the car can brake sharply even when the vehicle ahead is in the next lane. If, while on cruise control, you take over and briefly increase speed, the car starts slowing down and speeding up of its own accord. It seems as if the car cannot decide whether to “listen” to the cruise control or to the driver pressing the accelerator.
The built-in navigation deserves praise: it is clear and comes with new features. It shows the number of junctions with traffic lights along the route; in other words, you can choose a route that is marginally longer but which you will cover more smoothly. Unfortunately, when the car approaches a junction or roundabout and detects a drop in speed, it automatically switches the navigation display to the 360-degree cameras. The map disappears and you do not know which exit is the right one. Each time, you then have to bring the navigation back with a button on the steering wheel.
Music lovers should feel at home in the Leapmotor B10 Design. The car has 12 speakers and can automatically adjust the sound to six types of music. You can also tweak individual frequency bands, from ultra-high to ultra-low (seven sliders). Another matter is the system's insufficient volume. The sound, including during phone calls, is too quiet.
Test summary
The Leapmotor B10 is spacious and has a warm interior design, good built-in navigation, a panoramic roof, ventilated seats and a comprehensive set of safety systems. It is nimble around town, has a practical boot and extra space for the cables. The design is coherent and elegant. Let us hope that a few irritating details will be ironed out in the next generation of the car.
