RIP RAV4 HYBRID! This electric SUV is going to be a BARGAIN! 2025 Leapmotor C10
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00:00This is the LeapMotor C10, and if you've never heard of it, I'm not surprised.
00:04It's a new brand, and this is a brand new SUV for the Australian market.
00:09And they say that it's going to be competing with petrol SUVs, not other EVs, and that
00:13means pricing under $50,000.
00:17So let's take a look at this car.
00:18I'm not driving it in this preview video, I'm just going to show you around and give
00:22you an idea of what to expect.
00:24But if you do want to stay up to date with all of my content, ring the bell and you'll
00:28be notified when I do my drive review of this car later in 2024.
00:31But let's take a little squeeze, shall we?
00:38The brand has said that there are going to be two different versions of this car available
00:41in Australia, and both of them are going to come in under $50,000.
00:46That seems pretty good value for money, right?
00:48Like you are looking at something like a mid-spec or higher spec version of a Kia Sportage or
00:54a Mitsubishi Outlander or something like that for that kind of money.
00:57This is fully electric, so stacking up well there.
01:00And when it comes to the standard spec, it stacks up pretty well as well.
01:04So the entry-level version, it's called the Style, and as I said, don't know the prices
01:08yet, but it does come with heaps of standard equipment.
01:11Things like LED headlights, you get 18-inch alloy wheels, a big panoramic glass roof with
01:16a shutter for it as well.
01:19And on the inside, you're getting a nice interior trim with a big 14.6-inch touchscreen media
01:24system.
01:25It doesn't come with CarPlay or Android Auto, but it does have a bunch of in-built apps,
01:28which I'll show you in a second, a big digital instrument cluster as well, and also you get
01:34near-field communication, so a little tap card that gets you into the car, or you can
01:38use the app because it's got connected services as well.
01:42And up from there, there's going to be a high-grade version called Design, which is this one here,
01:47and it adds a few things that you will like.
01:4920-inch wheels, an electric tailgate, heated and cooled front seats, and a heated steering
01:55wheel among other things, so I think from a value-for-money perspective, this is seeming
02:00like it's going to stack up very well.
02:01If both of those cars come in under $50,000, yeah, compelling I would say.
02:07So, what might you otherwise consider?
02:12So what other SUV of this size comes fully electric for this kind of money?
02:17There isn't one.
02:18Essentially, that's the whole point of this car, is that it's going to come in and offer
02:22a really affordable option for someone who is looking for a family-sized SUV.
02:27I mean, obviously you could be looking at something like the BYD ATO 3, which does have
02:32a lower price point, but it's a smaller car with less practicality, so it doesn't necessarily
02:37make as much sense as this straight off the bat, but there's also the Tesla Model Y, and
02:42who knows what will happen with pricing for that car because it seems to be always changing.
02:46Currently, it's around $55,000 for the entry-level model, so this looks like it's going to undercut
02:52it, like I said, and like I said before, it's probably going to compete with the likes
02:56of a high-spec RAV4, Sportage, Tucson, yeah, this could be a real value killer, we'll have
03:03to wait and see, but like I said, subscribe and you'll be updated when I know more.
03:11So what do you think of the look of this thing?
03:12I actually reckon it looks pretty smart.
03:15It's very smooth and not very offensive to look at, and in fact, in some ways it reminds
03:20me of a previous gen Mitsubishi Outlander.
03:23I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just saying that that's what it brings to my mind.
03:28One thing that I don't like about it already are the flush-fit door handles.
03:31I've opened those doors, or tried to open them a couple of times already, and I don't
03:37know why we need to reinvent door handles, but you tell me what you think about that
03:40in the comments.
03:41Look at the back of it, I reckon it's a really striking looking piece of design at the rear.
03:45It has a good stance to it, it's got the oh-so-on-trend big LED bar across the back, now the low-grade
03:54version doesn't have an LED light across the back like that, I don't believe, but let's
03:58have a look in the boot.
03:59It's a button to open the boot, and you can see for yourself, there's plenty of space
04:06in the back of this car, and that's the whole point here.
04:08Leap Motor is trying to offer people a very practical size of car for less money than
04:14they might otherwise be paying, that's what they're telling us anyway, but practicality,
04:18yes, maybe, but it doesn't have a spare wheel of any type, it's got a tyre repair kit, but
04:24plenty of storage space underneath the boot floor, and under this front section there's
04:28also storage for cables and so forth, which is pretty handy I reckon.
04:33You've got a shopping bag hook on this side, subwoofer down there, another shopping bag
04:38hook, LED light, and also a pretty decent little side storage cubby too, so all that
04:44seems pretty handy, but let me fold down those back seats and show you how much space you've
04:49got in that configuration.
04:52I mean, you could probably sleep in there if you wanted to, it's a fairly big space
04:56with those seats folded down, definitely going to be big enough for the IKEA run or the Bunnings
05:01trip.
05:02Rightio, so here's your point of view perspective of what it's like to sit in the
05:08LeapMotor C10, and I have to say, it is a comfy space, and it does seem pretty practical.
05:14This is going to appeal to family SUV customers, no doubt in my mind, but also those who have
05:20a bit of a bent for the tech side of things.
05:23Now, this decent-sized 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is pretty neat I have to
05:29say.
05:30Have to see what it's like when it comes to actually driving the car, but yes, you can
05:33see that it does have a speed sign recognition system as part of the safety suite, yes it's
05:37got built-in sat-nav as well, and there's a few different controls on the steering wheel.
05:42It's rather inspired by Tesla, you might say, with some of those controls.
05:48You've also got a column-mounted gear selector, and yes, you do have a stalk, thank goodness
05:54for that, for your wipers and also your blinkers.
05:56Over here, ah, who's this bloke?
05:59It's me!
06:00This is the YouTube app that's built into this screen, I haven't had much time to play
06:05with this screen, so bear with me, but it does have a heap of different menus and controls
06:10available here.
06:12As you can see there, it's got built-in Spotify, it does have TikTok as well, and it's also
06:18got a really nice display crispness to it as well.
06:23Like I said, it does have sat-nav built in, and you can see it's a pretty tidy little
06:28system.
06:29It's all connected to the internet as well, so yes, you won't have to worry about streaming
06:34using your data from your phone because it has a data plan built in for life, which is
06:38pretty handy.
06:39You've got a pair of cup holders down here as well, a wireless phone charger, and a covered
06:44centre console bin which is quite large.
06:47And behind there, there's also a pair of cup holders for those in the back.
06:50And down under here, there's a storage section underneath with USB A and C ports.
06:56That's pretty handy in terms of the space utilisation, and I just think that this does
07:00look pretty tidy.
07:02Obviously, I'll go into a lot more detail when I get a chance to drive the car and live
07:05with these controls to see if they are liveable or not, but I just want to call out this lovely
07:11brown trim.
07:12I mean, it's not necessarily to everyone's tastes, brown, but I think it looks fantastic.
07:18I don't know that I would pair it with pink personally, but I think that you can configure
07:23those ambient lighting colours to suit your tastes.
07:26Now, let's check out the back seat and see if it's spacious enough.
07:30So this seat is set for my driving position.
07:32Just have a look at this.
07:33I've got so much space in front of my legs, I can sort of stretch out and almost lay down
07:39in here.
07:40It is a very spacious cabin, and yes, your kids will have enough room, even if they're
07:45big units, because just have a look at this headspace, very, very impressive.
07:50I'm feeling like this is a very comfy family SUV with lots of room and lots of practicality
07:56as well.
07:57Let me show you some of the features.
07:58So yes, you've got ISOFIX points in the window seats.
08:01There are three top tethers as well, a flip down armrest, no cup holders though, but like
08:07I said, you've got cup holders just there.
08:09There's also directional air vents here as well, USB ports down there, and matte pockets
08:15on the seat back.
08:16Sorry, it's a little bit dark.
08:18And this seat can also do some pretty handy nifty tricks in terms of actually turning
08:22into like a bedroom area.
08:24So I'll show you that in my detailed review when I get a chance, but I think that from
08:29the initial impressions perspective, this is a very roomy and pretty comfy space.
08:35Like these seats, you know me, I like a bit of a squish to the seats, and apparently there's
08:40seven different types of foam used in these seats, kind of like a citron or something.
08:45Yeah.
08:46Comfort.
08:47I like it.
08:48But I don't like one thing that I forgot to mention.
08:51It doesn't seem to have an auto-dimming rear view mirror on this top spec model.
08:54Hmm.
08:55But one thing that I also mentioned that I should show you, it's got a very, very big
08:59glass roof.
09:002.1 metres square of glass roof.
09:04And yes, it does have a sliding cover.
09:06Don't go crazy at me in the comments saying that Australians don't like big glass roofs.
09:11Some people do.
09:12There's actually not that much to see under the bonnet of the CX, and in fact, it's kind
09:18of surprising that there isn't a little bit more attention paid under there because a
09:22big storage caddy under there would be very advantageous, I would have thought, but there
09:27must be a reason that it's not there.
09:29Now, when we're talking about powertrain tech for this car, it is a single electric motor
09:34at the rear axle with pretty decent power and torque outputs.
09:37You'll see them on your screen now.
09:39Comes with a single-speed transmission.
09:40Like I said, it's rear-wheel drive, so all the fun is at the back, and there is no all-wheel
09:45drive version yet.
09:46So, maybe there will be in the future, but at this point in time, just rear-wheel drive.
09:50But hey, it does have a pretty astounding 0-100 time of 7.5 seconds, and that's faster
09:55than a lot of mid-sized SUVs with petrol powertrains, that's for sure.
09:58Now, let's talk range and charging.
10:04This car comes with a 69.9 kilowatt hour LFP battery pack, and that's designed for better
10:10durability than some other options out there, so if you are going to full charge it to the
10:14max all the time, it should last a little better.
10:18And the battery chemistry aside, it's also got a pretty decent EV driving range.
10:23420 kilometres of WLTP rated range is what we are getting.
10:27That's pretty cool, I reckon.
10:29Underneath the body of the car is where the batteries are held, and in fact, they are
10:32integrated into the chassis of the car, which is a little bit different, and the brand says
10:37that it's called on Maserati to help out with the suspension tuning, so can't wait to drive
10:43it.
10:44Make sure you subscribe to keep up to date.
10:46Let's have a look at the charging situation here.
10:48Yes, you do have a type 2 combination plug AC charging at the top, it even says so right
10:54there, at a maximum rate of 6.6 kilowatts, and that should mean a charge at home from
11:0030 to 80 percent in about 6 hours.
11:03Now DC charging, yes, 160 kilowatt DC charging is capable there, and that should mean a half
11:10hour 30 to 80 percent charge.
11:13So not necessarily setting any new benchmarks in terms of the charging speed and capabilities,
11:18but hey, if the price is right, does it really matter how fast it charges?
11:26So there you have it, the LeapMotor C10.
11:28I reckon that this could be a very compelling choice for people who are looking for a value-focused
11:32family SUV that's fully electric.
11:35If both come in under $50,000, it could be a bit of a game changer in this market, but
11:40tell me what you think about it in the comments section below.
11:42Do you like the look of it, and how much should it cost?
11:45If you haven't already, please ring the bell to keep up to date with all of my content,
11:48and I'll see you in the next one.