Leapmotor C10 review (2025 onwards) | Expert Rating

Summary

The Leapmotor C10 is a new mid-large electric SUV that was launched in the UK in early 2025. The C10 and the small T03 city car are the first models to be sold by new Chinese car brand, Leapmotor.

Leapmotor is part of the huge Stellantis network of brands, so its dealerships are popping up alongside various Vauxhall, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroën dealers around the UK. It’s early days but there will be up to 80 dealers by the end of 2025.

The C10 plays heavily on being a value proposition, meaning you’re getting a lot more car for your money than with many similar vehicles from other brands. It’s much more spacious than pretty much anything else at a similar price point, or if you prefer, it’s a lot cheaper than cars with a similar amount of space and standard equipment.

The biggest criticisms of the C10 so far have been the way that it drives. Although it’s mostly comfortable in how it rides and copes with bumps, the steering and handling have been judged harshly by the automotive media. Car, for example, was less than glowing about the “decidedly average driving experience”. But the biggest complaints have been reserved for the car’s accident-avoidance systems, which Auto Express described as “infuriating” and Electrifying said are “horribly intrusive”. Our own editor at The Car Expert, Stuart Masson, has said that “the constant beeping and bonging is so bad that it would be a deal-breaker” for many customers.

As of May 2025, the Leapmotor C10 holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68%. It scores top marks for its five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and its zero tailpipe emissions, while its running costs are also good (although we don’t have a full data set yet). But it’s let down by very poor media reviews from the UK launch. This may improve over time as more journalists spend more time with the car, and if Leapmotor can address some of the key problems with the C10’s accident-avoidance technology.

Key specifications

Image gallery

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Although the Leapmotor gets an excellent safety rating for including all of the systems designed to help protect you in an accident, the high score for helping you avoid an accident (the ‘safety assist’ score above) is not backed up by the actual driving experience. Pretty much every single review of the C10 has singled out the car’s accident avoidance warning systems as being terrible.

Our own editor at The Car Expert, Stuart Masson, has said that “the constant beeping and bonging is so bad that it would be a deal-breaker” for many customers, and that the C10 is “a prime example of badly executed safety systems that actually make driving less safe”. We strongly suggest you test drive a C10 before buying one…

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of May 2025, the Leapmotor C10 has not been assessed by Green NCAP.

The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the C10 is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.

The Leapmotor C10 is only average when it comes to running costs, according to numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

We don’t yet have service and maintenance costs, so we will update this table when we have more information. However, the insurance group is high for a relatively budget car, and the electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon in a petrol or diesel car) is only average.

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of May 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Leapmotor C10 to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops. 

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the C10, we’ll publish the results here.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Leapmotor C10

As of May 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Leapmotor C10, which is not surprising, since it’s a brand-new car. However, this information is updated very regularly, so it may have changed.

You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Leapmotor dealer.

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Leapmotor C10, you might also be interested in these alternatives.

Audi Q4 e-tron | BMW iX3 | Ford Explorer | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | Kia e-Niro | Kia EV5 | MG S5 EV | Mini Couintryman Electric | Peugeot e-3008 | Subaru Solterra | Tesla Model Y | Toyota bZ4X | Vauxhall Grandland Electric | Volkswagen ID.4

The Leapmotor C10 is very aggressively priced, meaning that it competes on price against smaller electric SUVs, or against similarly sized electric SUVs that are more expensive.

More information

More news, reviews and information about Leapmotor at The Car Expert

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