Cut-price BYD Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid and Geely EX5 and Tesla Model Y electric car rival gets power and range boost! Upgraded 2026 Leapmotor C10 starts from $26,500 in China and could be coming to Australia soon

Despite only being a year old and launching in Australia earlier this year, Leapmotor has upgraded its C10 electric (EV) and range-extender plug-in hybrid (REEV) SUV in China.

Dubbed the 2026 Leapmotor C10, it has now been priced for the Chinese market, where it starts from 122,800 RMB (A$26,500) for both the EV and REEV.

For context, the Leapmotor C10 range currently opens at $43,888 before on-roads for the C10 REEV Style.

This sharp Chinese pricing for the updated model means the C10 range could potentially receive a price cut in Australia to compete with other cut-price electric and plug-in hybrid SUVs like the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV, Chery Omoda E5 and Geely EX5.

A Stellantis Australia spokesperson said the brand hasn’t confirmed specifications and pricing, among other further details on the 2026 Leapmotor C10 just yet.

A highlight of this update is the C10 EV receives an 800V electrical architecture, up from the 400V of the pre-update model.

This has allowed Leapmotor to fit a more powerful electric motor. The C10 EV is now powered by a 220kW electric motor, up from 170kW. This has reduced the 0-100km/h sprint time from 7.3 seconds to 5.9 seconds.

It’s worth noting the global version of the C10 EV, which is what we get in Australia, currently is powered by a 160kW/320Nm electric motor and is claimed to be able to sprint from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds.

The 800V architecture has also helped improve charging speeds. As part of this, Leapmotor has fitted a larger 74.9kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is up from 69.9kWh.

Leapmotor claims the updated C10 EV can now travel 605km on a battery charge, according to lenient CLTC testing standards. Its battery can also be charged from 30 to 80 per cent in 16 minutes.

Despite all the changes to the C10 EV, the C10 REEV’s powertrain remains unchanged. It retains its 158kW electric motor and 28.4kWh battery, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine acting as a generator for the battery.

Other highlight changes for the 2026 Leapmotor C10 range, as reported by Car News China, include a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P processor for the multimedia system, a new purple exterior paint colour, powered door handles and a 50W wireless charger.

At this stage it appears this update doesn’t include Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

As previously reported, the Leapmotor C10’s architecture isn’t currently compatible with this popular technology and it cannot be retrofitted.

However, Leapmotor is aware that Apple CarPlay and Android are important to Australian buyers.

The reason it was omitted is because its founder Zhu Jiangming had an ambition to model Tesla, which notably also doesn’t offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Leapmotor has confirmed, however, its forthcoming B10 small SUV is being marketed as a “globally developed” model and will carry the technology thanks to its newer architecture.

According to the brand, it’s working on an alternative wireless solution for the C10 to be rolled out in the second half of 2025 through an over-the-air update that will allow for screen-mirroring functionality, although he didn’t go into detail on how this technology would look.