The entry-level C10, the Style, will kick off at about $10K less than the Tesla, at around $45K, while the top-spec Design will be around $49K. Both are before on-road costs and any concessions.

Standard equipment for the Style includes a huge panoramic glass roof with sun shade, dual-zone climate control, electric front seats, a 10.25-inch driver display and a 14.6-inch central screen with in-built nav but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

There’s also wireless charging, keyless entry and start (using a little card or your phone), a 12-speaker stereo, 18-inch alloys and LED lighting.

The Design adds 20-inch alloys, an auto-opening boot, heating and ventilation for the front seats and a heated steering wheel.

Inside the C10 you'll find a pared-back space but one that’s frustratingly free of physical buttons. Most brands will spin some yarn about aesthetics, or modernity, but to Leapmotor’s credit they just straight up said it was a cost-saving measure.

Eco materials are used on the seats, which feel like a blend between soft fabric and leather, and in another big perk for the C10, the giant sky roof has a sun shade, which is non-negotiable in Australia.

The Leapmotor gets a single rear-mounted electric motor, delivering 160kW and 320Nm, which it sends to the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission.

The C10 is a five-seat SUV with heaps of room, especially in the cavernous back seat, where leg and headroom are beyond ample.

One party trick the C10 offers is the ability to fold the front seats almost flat, so that they connect with the rear seats, creating a bed-like space to chill out on while you’re waiting to charge.

It’s kind of cool, but I don’t really know how often you’d be reclining in it while charging on the basement level of a shopping centre carpark or something like that.

The published zero to 100km/h time for the Leapmotor C10 is 7.3 seconds. Top speed is 170km/h.

The C10 is fitted with a 69.9kWh LFP (lithium ferro-phosphate) battery, which delivers an okay 424km of driving range, but its 400V architecture limits its fast charging capability, with the C10 only set up for an 84kW maximum.

That means it will take 30min to charge the battery to about 50 per cent, or just over 210km of driving range.