What's the difference?
The B10 isn’t Leapmotor’s first car in Australia - the C10 has been here for more than a year now - but for many it might bring about the first time they hear about the Chinese brand.
The 2026 Leapmotor B10 lands in Australia promising to be the most European of its Chinese compatriots, with the brand’s connection to Stellantis giving it access to other brands under the company umbrella like Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Peugeot.
At its local launch, we get behind the wheel in scorching south-east Queensland to find out if that holds true for this electric small SUV, and to see if the B10 can bring with it a better first impression than the already-arrived mid-size C10.
The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has a new high-tech powertrain that allows it to run as an electric car, or run using the petrol engine, or even use both at the same time.
But the new hybrid SUV is not like a Toyota hybrid - because this one can be plugged in at home to recharge the batteries, and you should be able to get at least 50 kilometres of EV driving out of just a few dollars worth of electricity.
We’re talking about the new 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Plug-in Hybrid EV, or PHEV as we’ve called it in the past. The brand has renamed it to include both ‘Hybrid’ and ‘EV’ in the name because, well, it reckons those terms have a bit more cut-through today than when the company first launched its Outlander PHEV back in 2014.
But with the new Eclipse Cross PHEV variants attracting a huge premium over the regular petrol-turbo models, does the extra money buy you a better car? Let’s find out.
I’ll be a shame if the B10 doesn’t sell well, because it doesn’t suffer from many of the downfalls of its compatriots and its price is extremely competitive for what you get.
As a comfortable smallish SUV, it meets par, and it’s on the better side of tech when it comes to cars from China, and it doesn’t have any major on-road red flags.
You really wouldn’t be disappointed with this having paid $40K, just skip the base model and go for the Design.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Plug-in Hybrid EV is an interesting inclusion for the brand, especially as it is typically considered a ‘value player’ in the market.
But with negligible real-world fuel consumption benefits if you drive beyond the limited EV range and a high price premium over the non-PHEV models, it’s important you see if the sums add up for your particular needs.
Primarily going to use the car for running around town? Cool. Think the 50-ish-kay EV range will work for you and make you happy? Amazing. Sold on the look of the car? Hat tipped.
But let me say this - if you are considering the Eclipse Cross PHEV, there are some alternatives you should also have on your list, including the MG HS PHEV, the Hyundai Ioniq PHEV, Kia Niro PHEV, and - the one I’d buy - a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. For me, plug-in hybrid tech is a bit of a halfway house, in most instances offering too high a price premium for the range you’re getting to drive electric. Heck, a Kona Electric isn’t much more than the top-spec Exceed PHEV, and I’d have that if I wanted a real day-to-day EV experience.