Leapmotor C10 REEV

Leapmotor have added a new REEV motor to their large C10 SUV, in effect a small battery couple to a petrol engine & a range extender. We spent a frugal week in one recently & here’s how we got on.

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The C10 REEV combines a 1.5 litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 158kW ( 215hp) electric motor that drives the rear wheels & is powered by a 28.4kWh battery. The engine is not connected to the road wheels but instead drives a generator that keeps the battery in an optimum state of charge to power the electric motor.

Fuel economy, emissions & range

We’ve seen a similar set-up in the Geely built LEVC taxi, so this is pretty good at a WLTP of 706.2mpg with CO2 emissions of just 38g/km. Maximum driving range is 603 miles. What we would caution is that an economy figure that high is unlikely day to day, unless you are permanently using the cars electric range, so we’d suggest that 60mpg is a more likely scenario. Electric only range is 90 miles.

Energy modes & charging

Accessed through a shortcut on the central touchscreen, you can select from EV+ where the powertrain always prioritises the electric motor, EV which is the same but will see the range extender generator intervene when the battery charge falls under 9%. Then you have Power+ where the range extender is always on, Fuel, where you get fuel EV driving when the battery is at over 80% charged wherein the generator kicks in & finally Save, which allows drivers to customise the range extender starting point. It sounds more complicated than it actually is & over time having chatted to LEVC cabbies, which features a similar system, you’ll find the ones that work best for you.

Regenerative braking

Drivers can choose from four different regenerative braking settings including a ‘one pedal’ mode. There’s also a ‘freewheeling’ function designed to maximise energy efficiency & higher cruising speeds. Simply lift off the accelerator on flat or downhill sections, and the C10 automatically disengages its motor, allowing the car to use its momentum to maintain speed without using energy.

Charging

With a DC rapid charging rate of 65kW, the C10’s battery charge can be increased from 30% to 80% in just 18 minutes. And with an onboard 6.6kW charger, a full charge using a domestic charger takes 4.5 hours.

Driving modes

Three & fairly standard; Eco, Sport & Standard. Plus you can customise the these with Robust, Smooth & Stable, again doing what they say on the tin. Furthermore the steering can be altered with a choice of Comfort, Sport or Standard.

Model choice

Priced from £36,500 the C10 REEV is only available in one high-spec equipment grade

Warranty

Four-year/60,000-mile warranty (and eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty)

Equipment

No keys rather a keycard you swipe on the driver side door mirror to gain entry. And keyless-go, dual-zone climate control, electric heated & cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless smartphone charger, rear parking sensors, a 360 degree all around camera, 12 speakers, panoramic sun roof, adaptive cruise control, 20” alloys & autonomous emergency braking. The Leapmotor App is also a pre-requisite.

Outside

The C10 is a very attractive amalgamation of the Porsche Macan at the back, with a full width light car & low number plate, clean sides with pop- out door handles & the Smart #1 at the front, with a narrow light band below the bonnet

Inside

The interior smacks of Tesla, so it’s clean & empty of controls, with almost all functions activated via the 14.6-inch touchscreen or the steering wheel scroll wheels. You also get a 10.25-inch instrument display, faux light grey leather upholstery & a full length sunroof.

Cabin practicality

A glove box, small front door pockets, under armrest space, twin centre cup holders, a space beneath the floating centre binnacle where two hard to reach USB inputs are located. Two rear USB C’s & front seat back storage. There’s also a rear fold down armrest. Leapmotor tell us that there’s actually 26 storage spaces.

Passenger space is exceptional with plenty of front head & legroom which is matched in the back. Manual steering wheel adjustment & electric seats makes finding a comfortable driving position easy, with the C10 remembering your choice & saving it via the screen.

Boot space

Thanks to the cars power set-up only 400 litres is offered, which is small for a car of this size, which rises to 1.375 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

Infotainment & functions

The screen on the C10 controls almost all, so you’ll have to get used to accessing the car safety functions every time you get into the car. This will allow you to adjust these to your personal preference. In our case off went Lane Departure, Speed Warning, Driver Attention & Drowsiness removing almost all of the annoying beeps that accompany them.

The built in Sat Nav is okay & you’re forced to use it because currently, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Some short cuts can be utilised by the voice control, which is interestingly in an American accent.

Safety

Extensive with 17 fitted & whilst the safety conscious may love these, some as with most Chinese built cars, are down right annoying hence the option to turn several off before you get going is to be recommended. Facial Recognition Technology is also offered

Cruise control

You select cruise control by pushing the right side steering wheel stalk from Drive down one notch to engage it. To be fair to Leapmotor our major gripe on the electric C10, which becomes most obvious when you’re on the motorway, namely a super-sensitive lane departure warning is better after a software update. So that was good news on the REEV. However  the slowing down too far from the vehicle in front when driving in cruise control is still there & is reminiscent of early systems we experienced over 10 years ago some work to be done there we feel.

Driving