Leapmotor News

A key affordable electric and range-extender hybrid family SUV has been given a refresh in China, and it could be headed to Australia next.The Leapmotor C10 has undergone noticeable design changes, with a generally boxier overall shape and an additional 10mm in length.There have been more changes inside the cabin.The C10 now gets a panoramic head-up display spanning the length of the dashboard.To accommodate a bigger 17.3-inch central touchscreen, there is a now a smaller 8.8-inch digital driver display now.The car has also gained more speakers for its audio system as well as heated, ventilated and massaging front seats.The C10 will continue to be available in range-extender and fully-electric set-ups, both of which are on sale in Australia.It appears there won’t be any changes to the performance of these models.The range-extender hybrid has a 1.5-litre petrol engine to charge the battery, and an electric motor producing 158kW and 320Nm.EV versions have an electric motor producing 160kW and 221Nm.It is unclear whether this update will see the car increase in price. The range-extender currently starts from $43,888 (before on-road costs), while the EV starts from $45,888.The C10 competes against the BYD Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid and Sealion 7 EV.The brand just announced a range-extender version of the smaller B10 SUV would join its Australian lineup.The B10 range-extender was priced the same as its fully-electric sibling, so could be the same deal with the updated C10 when it gets here.Earlier this year, Leapmotor brought across a special edition high performance variant of the C10, boosting power and torque to 440kW and 760Nm.It was the first C10 to feature an all-wheel drive, but it doesn’t look like the updated base model will have the system available.The new C10 will launch in China later this month, more information from an Australian perspective likely to come later on in 2026.

China’s latest budget SUV has just been priced in Australia and it will come with one key difference to some of its hugely popular rivals. The Leapmotor B10 Hybrid will start from $37,888 (before on-road costs), with the top grade costing an extra $3000. This makes it the same price as the fully-electric version of the B10 already on sale Down Under.The B10 is on the larger end of the small SUVs segment, shaping up bigger than the Hyundai Kona and Toyota Corolla Cross. It will be a more direct competitor to other Chinese rivals like the electric-powered BYD Atto 3 ($39,990) and plug-in hybrid Jaecoo J7 ($43,990).Leapmotor is labelling the B10 as a hybrid, but is more akin to a range-extender set-up, representing a point of difference to key competition.Its 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is solely responsible for charging the battery powering the electric motor.A single electric motor drives the rear wheels and produces 160kW and 240Nm, eclipsing many of its competitors in the small SUV segment.This means it can shift from 0-100km/h in less than eight seconds, going on to a top speed of 170km/h.Its 19kWh battery offers an electric-only driving range of 84km, and when the battery is fully charged, fuel efficiency sits at 0.9L/100km. The range-extender B10 has a total driving range of up to 900km, according to WLTP standards. A DC fast charge at 46kW takes 20 minutes to charge from 30 to 80 per cent. The car’s interior features a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and 8.8-inch digital driver display, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Elsewhere in the cabin, there is a wireless phone charger, along with a fixed panoramic glass roof and electric sunshade. The top-spec grade seats are wrapped in synthetic leather. Both front seats have heating, ventilation with electric operation. It also comes with a heated steering wheel, 12-speaker audio system and power tailgate. The B10 comes with plenty of safety gear, such as a 360-degree camera, rear parking sensors. 2027 Leapmotor B10 range-extender pricing Australia  

Jeep and Peugeot parent company Stellantis has announced a plan to launch 110 new or refreshed vehicles by 2030, including 60 brand new models, as part of sweeping changes to the business, which include an optimised manufacturing footprint and tweaks to the company’s partnerships and platform strategy.This wide-reaching set of changes is part of a grander plan Stellantis dubs FaSTLAne 2030 in order to “maximise capital efficiency, avoid duplicate spending, and support profitability”.Stellantis will optimise its global factories, accelerate research and development to reduce model cycles to 24 months rather than the current 40 months, and sharpen its pencil on cost competitiveness and quality.In terms of where its portfolio of 14 brands will sit in this plan, the company said it will focus on four global brands: Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat.It said Chrysler, Dodge, Citroen, Opel and Alfa Romeo are “regional brands”, while its luxury European arms, DS and Lancia, will be managed by Citroen and Fiat respectively and “developed as specialty brands”.Maserati will be “strengthened” with a plan including two new large vehicles to be announced at a later date.The realignment will also see Stellantis’ platform strategy sharpened, with the group planning 50 per cent of its global volume to be on just three platforms as it continues to consolidate its global portfolio, which was previously split between the US market and Europe where the company is strongest.It specifically earmarked its STLA One platform as being the primary growth driver. This new modular platform is expected to underpin a huge percentage of the company’s global model footprint in much the same way as Volkswagen Group’s MQB and MEB platforms currently do, and will seemingly replace the current CMP and EMP2 (aka STLA Small and Medium) platforms it inherited from PSA. It will be the first platform to roll in all of the brand’s latest tech, like the STLA Brain computing system, STLA SmartCockpit UI system and new steer-by-wire technology.The company says the STLA One platform will launch in 2027, has the ability to cover small to upper-mid-sized vehicles, and will allow the brand to reduce complexity across much of its line-up.It is capable of supporting multiple levels of electrification from hybrid to full EV, and will have an 800-volt electrical architecture.By 2035, STLA One will underpin 30 new models and is expected to account for two million sales.It will also come with a realignment of its manufacturing presence. Stellantis will reduce its capacity in Europe by 800,000 units, re-purposing factories, while increasing production in the US, the Middle East, and Africa, with a goal of at least 80 per cent utilisation.Meanwhile, it will lean on its partnership with Leapmotor for more expansion in the Asia Pacific region, which it described as an “asset-light” region.Partnerships of previously unprecedented scale will help Stellantis toward its goal, with existing deals opening doors for Leapmotor and Dongfeng to manufacture cars in Stellantis facilities in Europe.The partnership with Dongfeng, which also works with Nissan, will form the basis for two new Peugeot and two new Jeep models.Meanwhile, the recently-inked memorandum of understanding with both Indian giant Tata and its Jaguar Land Rover unit will open more doors for Stellantis in India, and JLR in the US where it hopes to side-step tariff requirements.Locally, Stellantis’ historic brands and even its new Leapmotor portfolio are struggling to make an impact on Australia’s more-competitive-than-ever new car landscape.Jeep, once the crown jewel of the group’s offering Down Under, has taken a battering year-to-date, down 65 per cent to just a handful of sales (249 units) made up predominantly of its signature Wrangler off-roader.It is a similar case for Peugeot, which is down 32.3 per cent so far this year, moving 320 units, nearly half for its Partner van (142 units).The best performing brand under the Stellantis umbrella has, unsurprisingly, emerged as Leapmotor, which has had reasonable success in 2026 off the back of its competitively-priced B10 small SUV. Leapmotor has moved 420 units this year, up 116.5 per cent.

Chinese brand Leapmotor's most performance-focused model to date is firming for an Australian launch, with the B05 Ultra on the cards to follow the regular B05's launch later this year.

Leapmotor has performed a welcome about-face on its controversial keyless entry system, with the brand to introduce physial keys on all future models.

Leapmotor's flagship SUV, the D19, is firming for Australia, with the PHEV version promising a mega EV-only driving range that would free most owners from the daily plug-in.The D19 is a sizable – we're talking more than 5.2m in length and 1.9m in width – six- or seven-seat large SUV, that promises to be a more road-focused alternative to models like the Denza B8, LandCruiser 300 Series and Lexus LX.There are three powertrains on offer, including the choice of a dual-motor or triple-motor EV, or a plug-in hybrid REEV solution.It's the latter that is the most interesting, with Leapmotor fitting a giant battery to the D19 that would free PHEV owners from having to plug in every day.On board is a choice of 63.7kWh or 80.3kWh LFP batteries, with the latter delivering an all-electric driving range of up to 500kms under CLTC testing, which is admitedly known to be more leniant than Australia's WLTC measurements. That should convert to around 400kms in our market, which is still an impressive number for any plug-in hybrid vehicle. Speaking of our market, Leapmotor says the model "would work" in Australia, with a local launch firmly on the cards, and that – at its fastest – a launch here could occur early next year."The D19 is a car that has been, just this moment, launched in China. So we have already run the opportunity study for multiple regions," says Leapmotor International's Global head of Brand Strategy, Product and Marketing, Francesco Giacalone."In Australia, it could work. The Middle East, of course, is a market. South America is interested. "Definitely it's a flagship right now. And wherever there is appetite, we will try to be there. The localisation for overseas is nine to 12 months after what has happened in China. If tomorrow morning we say, ‘you know what, we want D19’, that is nine months."In terms of pricing, nothing has been confirmed for our market, but in China, the REEV model starts at 210,800 CNY, which is around $45,000 in AUD.Like all Leapmotor REEVs, the battery is used to power an electric motor or motors, which in turn is used to drive the wheels. Also on board the D19 is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine which is used to recharge the battery, or to provide power to the motor.In the D19, the system produces a total 300kW and 520Nm, and the brand is promising a total driving range of around 1300kms with a full tank and a full charge.Also available are dual-motor or tri-motor EV versions, making 410kW/625Nm and 540kW/745Nm respectively, and which promise a range of up to 720km, and a sprint to 100km/h in less than four seconds in the tri-motor variant.

Leapmotor’s B05 small electric hatch has been approved for Australia, according to Federal government documents seen by CarsGuide.Just six months after its Munich motor show debut, the Leapmotor B05 has now been cleared to land in Australia where it will rival the MG4 and BYD Dolphin.The Australian Federal Government Road vehicles standards website published approval details on April 20 of a vehicle made by Leapmotor with the “marketing designation” B05. Publishing the approvals notices is the normal transparent process for all imported vehicles and typically indicates that a model will soon arrive in Australia. The document also lists some details which help us find out in advance a few specifications of the upcoming vehicle.   According to the published approval documents the vehicle is fully electric with a 160kW motor;  it’s a four door, five-seater measuring 4430mm in length; and has multi-link rear suspension.That 160kW output is identical to the power produced by the two other electric models Leapmotor currently sells in Australia - B10 small SUV and C10 mid-sized SUVWhile the B10 and C10 are both SUVs the B05 is a small hatchback and Leapmotor boasts that it has a 50:50 weight distribution and that even balance is a good sign the car will be fun to drive.Ahead of the B05’s debut in Munich Leapmotor’s vice president Cia Li said the car would be a “gift” for young people  "We want to build a dream car for young people who refuse to settle, conform, or be ordinary!" Li said.Leapmotor has been in Australia since late 2025 arriving first with the C10 mid-size SUV. Since then the brand has added the B10 small SUV and a hybrid version of the C10 to its local line-up.Pricing is yet to be announced for the B05 but Leapmotor will likely price it to be competitive with the MG4 which starts at $37,990 driveaway and extends to $55,990 for the top grade.

Leapmotor has detailed its D19 large SUV, a battery-electric (BEV) and extended-range hybrid (EREV) the Chinese maker is positioning in the domestic market as its “flagship luxury SUV”, the latter version fitted with what is claimed to be the world’s largest EREV battery.With a maximum 80.3kWh capacity, the D19 EREV is able to cover up to 500km (CLTC) in pure-EV mode.Measuring just over 5.2 metres long, a fraction under 2.0m wide and close to 1.8m tall with a 3110mm wheelbase, the six- and seven-seat D19 is a potential challenger to the likes of the BYD Sealion 8, Chery Tiggo 8, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-80, Omoda 9, Skoda Kodiaq and Toyota Kluger.The D19 EREV is a 300kW dual-motor AWD with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine operating purely as a generator to charge one of two (CATL-sourced) battery options - 63.7kWh and 80.3kWh.The car’s 800-volt electric architecture means it can be charged from 30 to 80 per cent in a claimed 15 minutes.Offered in (410kW) two- and (540kW) three-motor variants, the D19 BEV runs a 1000V system and also offers two battery options - 99.6kWh and 115 kWh. Range varies from 620km to 720km (CLTC) and claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in the tri-motor version is “under three seconds”.Included features across the seven-model range (three EREV grades and four BEVs) include 21-inch rims, a 17.3-inch central media screen, 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a 21.4-inch entertainment screen (with 6.0-inch control screen) for second- and third-row passengers, dual glass sunroofs, 23-speaker audio, an oxygen generation system (!) and an 8.1-litre fridge. ‘Digital Clock’ megapixel DLP projector headlights incorporate one million pixels and are able to project complex welcome animations (including a swimming whale) in front of the car, while a ‘Happy Pixels’ interactive screen at the rear not only incorporates the full-width tail-lights but can be set to deliver animations or a battery charge read-out.Soft-close doors, multi-way power seat adjustment, semi-aniline leather upholstery, wood grain trims, configurable ambient lighting and “velvet ceiling material” are part of a premium interior treatment.All D19 versions boast 337 litres of boot space with all seats upright and up to 2677 litres with the second and third rows folded in seven-seat models. A 176-litre front trunk includes a 220V outlet. Active crash-avoidance tech includes “28 assisted driving sensors” (including a Lidar on the roof) and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) operating between four and 150km/h.Suspension is alloy dual-wishbone at the front and five links at the rear with ‘Dual-cavity’ air-suspension providing continuously variable damping.Chinese-market D19 pricing ranges from ¥219,800 (~$45,000) for the entry-level 400 Premium Edition EREV to ¥269,800 (~$55,000) for the 680 Tri Motor Performance Edition BEV.Leapmotor’s local line-up currently consists of the pure-electric B10 small SUV and C10 BEV and plug-in hybrid medium SUV. And when contacted for comment on the D19’s potential for the local market a Stellantis Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide the newcomer is “on its radar” adding the brand will be “able to hopefully confirm new product in the near future.” 

Last year saw a paradigm shift in Australia’s new-car market.The introduction of the government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) catapulted Australia’s emissions regime from the 1980s into the 21st century, and many brands began re-thinking their line-ups in Australia as the clock started on tough fines.Perhaps the biggest and most unprecedented change was the rise of the BYD Shark 6, which pretty much single-handedly proved the dual-cab ute class can be electrified, while the Chinese juggernaut stormed its way up the charts, helping to permanently re-shape the make-up of Australia’s favourite automakers.In the first months of 2026, the shift has continued. China has now become the number one source of new cars to Australia, finally taking over from Japan and Thailand.But what can we expect to look back on by the end of this year? What will change and how will your new car buying experience be re-shaped?Making predictions is always dangerous, but with another fuel crisis hitting hard, we can be fairly certain of at least a few outcomes — let’s see what we think.The dawn of the diesel-hybridChery’s headline-grabbing news from the past few months has been the confirmation of its upcoming diesel hybrid ute, codenamed KP31, for Australia.The upcoming and much-hyped Chery ute will bring what many buyers are asking for - diesel capability with plug-in hybrid fuel consumption.We know more about this upcoming ute thanks to its reveal in China under Chery’s commercial arm, Rely.It will use a new ground-up ‘Kaitan’ platform, and will maintain solid links to the axles - more like GWM’s Cannon Alpha PHEV than the BYD Shark 6.It will also be hoping to seize on the plug-in hybrid ute trend, which BYD has kick-started, and many of its rivals are now seeking to emulate. Whether the extra capability and allure of diesel is enough to make it the next hot thing in dual-cabs remains to be seen.More storied automakers will look to China for helpNissan has made it fairly clear that it will look to China for help, with its appealing range of Chinese-built vehicles benefitting from Chinese hybrid and EV know-how and rapid development cycles. The latter, which has become known as ‘China Speed’ in the industry, will cut the time it takes to do things that once meant long waits, like the conversion to right-hand drive and the various changes required to meet compliance regulations in obscure markets like Australia.No doubt Nissan’s most sought-after Chinese-built model will be the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid dual-cab, long suggested by executives to be an emissions-friendly alternative to be sold alongside the Mitsubishi Triton-based new-generation Navara in the Australian market.Nissan’s Chinese portfolio doesn’t end there. The brand also has an array of well-received-in-China electric cars, including the N7 sedan and upcoming NX8 SUV as ideal replacements for its ageing Pathfinder, and NVES-friendly supplemental models to the hybrid X-Trail and Qashqai.Nissan certainly isn’t the only brand that might be forced to turn more to China to bolster its line-up. Ford, facing a particular cliff with NVES in the coming years thanks to its diesel-heavy sales footprint of Rangers and Everests might need to import cars like the Chinese ‘New-Energy’ plug-in hybrid Ford Bronco (related to the American Ford Bronco in design only) as a more appealing emissions-friendly option for its more adventure-curious buyers.Even Toyota, whose line-up is already heavily hybrid may need to turn to its Chinese joint-ventures for more price-sensitive zero emissions models like the GAC Aion V-based bZ3X which was recently announced in right-hand drive for the Hong Kong market. Watch this space.The top-10 will continue to be re-shapedAt the end of 2025 there were three Chinese brands in the top 10 in Australia: GWM in seventh position, BYD in eighth position, and MG in 10th.Already in the first few months of 2026, this ranking has continued to shift. BYD has already unseated GWM as Australia’s favourite Chinese brand and has vaulted Mitsubishi, landing in sixth position through the first two months of the year.This puts it within striking distance of Hyundai in a tightly contested race for a top-three position (there are less than 1000 sales between Mazda, Ford, Kia and Hyundai in the next four positions below Toyota), which BYD bosses bravely predicted for 2026.GWM is holding position in seventh, but Mitsubishi might not be able to hold it at bay for long.Chery is one to watch in 2026, as it has managed to leapfrog MG and clinch eighth position so far this year.Other more recent arrivals from China also have brave top-10 predictions. GAC could be the next brand to leap up the charts following in the footsteps of its contemporaries. While it may seem farfetched now, the Toyota-allied brand has access to the right products at similarly aggressive prices, with hybrids and plug-ins featuring heavily in its line-up, which the brand recently told CarsGuide is set to include a large SUV and ute before long.China-owned MG, too, will be playing defence, launching a range of more affordable vehicles as it looks to hang on to its top-10 position.Thailand is down, but not outThailand at various times has been one of the locations from which most Australian cars are sourced. Toyota, Honda and Ford have historically sourced many models from there, with the current top-selling Ranger, HiLux and D-Max all being sourced from the country.It has dropped down the list, as Chinese-built cars have increasingly been sourced for Australia from both new and historic brands. With even the Kia EV5 and Hyundai Elexio being Chinese-built Korean cars for the Australian market.But Thailand’s importance looks to be re-asserted as more Chinese brands establish strategic manufacturing facilities in the South East Asian auto hub.Obvious advantages are the fact that cars are built there on dedicated right-hand drive production facilities, freeing up space in Chinese factories to focus on other left-hand drive markets, while favourable government kickbacks, a free trade agreement with Australia, and a domestic market with an increasingly large taste for electrified vehicles will keep Thailand important for years to come.Big SUVs will be the next Chinese automaker battlegroundIn case you haven’t noticed, many big Chinese brands have shifted their focus. While utes and affordable hatchbacks and small SUVs continue to be all the rage, in their quest to actually generate profits, many Chinese brands have thrown huge amounts of resources into developing large luxury electric and plug-in hybrid models.The five-meter-long SUV space looks to be the next major battleground for these automakers, with Zeekr’s much-hyped plug-in hybrid 8X large SUV earmarked for an Australian arrival, and no doubt MG’s luxury IM marque will be looking to import versions of its LS8 or LS9.GAC has announced its next move will be a large SUV (likely the car known as the GS8 in China), while Leapmotor will move into new territory with its D16 and BYD’s Great Tang flagship have created some major buzz.Will they sell in Australia? With more fuel-conscious than ever new car buyers still crying out for more affordable electric options than the Kia EV9 for example (from $97,000) and Chinese automakers heavily incentivized to seek higher profit margins in markets like Australia, it seems possible we could be inundated with models like this in the latter part of the year.

The extremely rapid pace of development maintained by Chinese car brands is impressive and largely comes down to the immense resources afforded to the industry.However, it’s not all money, the tech sector and people-power. Australia has had a significant hand in many of the nimble adaptations made since China’s car brands began looking past its borders for customers.To varying degrees, Australia has been somewhat of a testing ground for new Chinese cars as engineers and designers find the strengths and weaknesses of their work.This is not to say the Chinese car industry is in its infancy, but until recently there was no need for brands to tailor cars to suit global tastes.New car engineers from brands outside China have generally noted the preference, for example, for soft, wafty suspension and driver assistance systems.“We recognise that the Chinese tuning approach is very different from what we need to have here in Europe. So every market has a different taste,” Mazda Europe's Senior Manager of Product Development and Engineering Alexander Fritsche told media last year when explaining the work that went into developing the Mazda 6e electric car as a global model.Based on the Deepal L07, the Mazda 6e underwent major suspension changes and driver assist adjustments to suit Europe, and by extension Australia.“Particularly interesting… is that the Chinese market seems to like very mild, soft ride comfort,” Fritsche said.Preferences between Australia and Europe are more similar than between Australia and China, but the changes Mazda Europe made to the 6e aren’t the only example of this. Chinese brands have adjusted their approach to global models very quickly in the last few years, with the feedback from Australian customers, media, and even the brands’ own importers or Australian subsidiaries helping deliver cars that aren’t just built for domestic tastes.Stellantis Australia Senior Product Manager Rick Crichton spoke to media at the local launch of the Leapmotor B10 in early 2026 and said Leapmotor’s headquarters was not only receptive to Australian feedback, but regularly sought it.“They are constantly asking for our feedback,” Crichton said.“Us being the closest to the ground, I've got a pretty good handle on the Australian automotive landscape, so they are always curious for my feedback. “They want my input, and we put requests into them and they're super responsive because they are geared for success. “Even in some of the requests I've made for simple feature changes via OTA, they're coming through in, you know, lightning quick.”It’s not just brands new to the market like Leapmotor or Deepal that are quickly learning what Australian drivers and car buyers prefer.GWM has been in Australia for approaching two decades, having launched in 2009 as Great Wall.Although only the last decade of that has been factory-backed from headquarters in China, the brand’s long-running presence in Australia compared to its compatriots last year saw GWM take the step of employing one of Australia’s best-known ride and handling engineers, former Holden vehicle dynamics lead engineer Rob Trubiani.“GWM has been actively listening to local customer feedback for several years now with much of this feedback already making its way into the final tuning of new models making their way to the Australian and New Zealand markets,” GWM said in a statement announcing Trubiani’s recruitment in March 2025. “In hiring Mr Trubiani, GWM’s objective is to strengthen local engineering efforts with a view to further improving vehicle dynamics and, ultimately, customer experience across the region.”While the long-term effects of Trubiani’s presence at GWM are yet to be seen, new entry to the market, GAC, has already locally tested its three models from launch having worked with Toyota in China for decades.“We have learned a lot from them, and we believe that the customer will have a different experience by driving GAC,” Deputy General Manager of GAC Australia Cheney Liang told CarsGuide in November 2025.The Aion V mid-size electric SUV, the M8 plug-in hybrid people mover and the Emzoom compact SUV were the first three confirmed cars from the brand to land in Australia. “When we picked the models, we came to Australia. We have already done the Australian test,” Liang confirmed.Different approaches, different results, but the common theme that Australia is often the first external market for Chinese brands to learn in is clear.Who knows what the market will look like in a few more years, but it’s likely the increasing quality of Chinese cars won’t slow down.