Leapmotor came out swinging hard late last year when it launched the C10 into global markets, even going so far as to hold the international launch in Milan, intentionally telegraphing that it wasn’t just yet another Chinese electric SUV.
Now Leapmotor has moved further from that “yet another Chinese electric SUV” descriptor by dropping the “Ultra Hybrid” version of the C10 in New Zealand.
What’s an Ultra Hybrid I hear you ask? Well, in this case, it’s basically a range extended EV (or REEV in Leapmotor terms) that features a smaller battery than the EV but adds a small petrol engine that acts solely as a generator to charge the battery when it gets low.
The petrol engine never drives the wheels directly and won’t even power the electric motors directly - it is literally there just to charge the battery. It’s all very similar in principle to what the likes of BMW was doing with the i3 back in the early days of EV emergence here, but the execution is light years away from that.
Where the i3 used a tiny scooter engine to charge up its battery, which would lead to a cacophonous crescendo of revs whenever the battery needed a top up, the C10 is massively more refined and civilised than that, being all but silent in its operation, giving - for the most part - the distinct impression that it is an EV.
This is largely due to the fact that, because the ICE never drives the wheels, there isn’t the potential fussiness of transitioning between petrol and electric power like other plug-in hybrids - in fact the C10 doesn’t even have a transmission.
But it’s also because the C10 will do the vast amount of urban running without even bothering the ICE. Indeed, if you plug it in each night then the only time the petrol engine will ever kick into life will be when the computer brain decides it has been idle for too long and needs to be turned over.
Leapmotor claims that the C10 will do up to 145km on the battery alone, and that isn’t far off the real world totals we saw during our time with it - easily over 130km - while the company says you will get a total of close to 1000km with a full tank of gas thrown in.
This total seemed a tad more optimistic, with a trip of just under 500km seeing a remaining range of just under 300km remaining. This total range may be impressive but is largely irrelevant in respect to real world use, so that 130 to 140km of not using petrol at all is far more impressive.
The C10 also supports DC fast charging, so keeping it entirely on electricity is a rather effortless affair on a daily basis relegating that petrol range to a handy backup that comes into play far more on long trips, negating the need to stop and charge.
But while the C10 is a superb daily urban commuter because of this, it is surprisingly agile and dynamic on a winding road as well, something that is rather (pleasantly) surprising in this segment where comfort has a much higher focus.
That’s not to say the C10 isn’t comfortable, because it very much is, but the chassis has an impressive agility to it that belies its medium SUV status. Yes, there is body roll, but the C10 is one of those impressive cars that leans into a corner and then holds station, tracking faithfully through corners while remaining impressively stable.
The steering is very light and video game-like in its feel but is wonderfully direct and offers up a surprising amount of information when you drop it in sport mode and start chopping through a few corners. It’s not a sports car, but it is considerably more enjoyable and predictable than you would ever expect a mid-size electric SUV to be.
The C10 Ultra Hybrid represents a compelling package that is impressively refined, has an enormous range and truly does represent the best of both worlds,
While overall comfort isn’t unduly affected by this surprising agility, it does come at the expense of a slight brittleness that shows up over rough surfaces at moderate speeds. It’s certainly not a deal-breaker though, but there is one aspect of the C10 that just might be…
Yes, I am talking about the driver assists. The cabin of the C10 is deeply impressive when it comes to its refinement and soundproofing, but this is undone by the incessant amount of chimes and bongs that it emits when you do… well, anything.
While it is mainly the inconsistent speed sign recognition system that is an issue at urban speeds (it often misses signs, yelling at you in a 50km/h zone because it thinks the 10km/h limit from the supermarket parking lot still applies…), it is a different story at open road speeds.
Here the lane assists kick in, shouting at you every time you even think about getting close to a line, while the worst offender is the emergency lane keeping that is constantly tugging and jerking at the steering wheel.
Yes, these all can be turned off, but most of them have to be done before you move off and will all default back to on when you restart the car.
The steering is supoer-light and nicely direct, making it utterly effortless around town, while firming up nicely for sportier driving.
This would be easily fixed by grouping all your preferences into one customisable choice that you can access from the quick menu, much like the Smart #1 and #3 offer. Still, the C10 is a live vehicle with OTA updates, and Leapmotor does say there will be further updates to rectify these issues, so hopefully that is one of them.
As it stands now, however, the C10 Ultra Hybrid represents a compelling package that is impressively refined, has an enormous range and truly does represent the best of both worlds, while also throwing in surprisingly nimble handling, excellent road manners and a truly excellent audio system.
It’s just a shame that the audio system’s main task is drowning out the incessant driver assists…
How much is the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid?
Like the fully-electric version of the C10, the Ultra Hybrid drops in at a remarkably sharp price, but the hybrid version is even sharper, slicking $5000 off the EVs price by arriving here at just $49,990.
What are the key statistics for the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid?
The hybrid version of the C10 ditches the EV's 69.9kWh battery in favour of a smaller 28.4kWh battery and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine solely to charge the battery. There's a 160kW/320Nm electric motor on the rear axle that handles all the direct driving of the wheels.
Is the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid efficient?
Yeah, the clue is in its name; it really is an ultra hybrid. the big battery range means that even if you only bother to plug it in once a week you'll still probably never use petrol, while if you go on a longer road trip and use all the electricity it will still only return around 5l/100km. Using more as a conventional hybrid Leapmotor says you will use around 1.0l/100km, which seems about right.
Is the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid good to drive?
Better than you might expect. While it has a comfortable enough ride (there is a slightly brittle edge over broken surfaces) and SUV-style body roll through corners, the C10's chassis is surprisingly agile and enjoyable through corners. The steering is supoer-light and nicely direct, making it utterly effortless around town, while firming up nicely for sportier driving.
Is the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid practical?
It most certainly is. The combination of the SUV body style and an EV platform always makes for an absolute space bonanza on the inside, and the C10 is no exception to that. The engine is nestled away in the nose, but there is no transmission tunnel to worry about, as it literally is only a generator, meaning the floor is flat right the way through. There's plenty of clever little cubbies and storage pockets scattered around the cabin and rear seat legroom is particularly impressive.
What do we like about the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid?
Sleek looks that crib hints of Porsche, Smart and Tesla make for a handsome mid-size SUV with a minimalist vibe, which we like. The surprisingly engaging handling is also a bonus, as is the high quality cabin's superb comfort.
What don’t we like about the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid?
Those driver assists... the lane assista re by far the worst offenders here and, while they can all be turned off, they are deep inside a menu and default back to being on every time you restart.
What kind of person would the Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid suit?
Anyone who wants a comfortable, high quality mid-size SUV with an absolutely banging audio system that is ridiculously frugal and good to drive should take a look at the C10. You will also need a high tolerance for electronic intervention, or a strong belief in the idea that over-the-air updates can make everything better, however.
