Leapmotor B10 Review & Prices

The Leapmotor B10 is very comfortable, extremely well-equipped and feels like great value - but the wallowy driving experience lets it down

Leapmotor B10 alternatives
There are currently no deals for this model on Carwow, but you can find and compare great deals on new and used alternatives to the Leapmotor B10.
wowscore
8/10
Reviewed by Tom Wiltshire after extensive testing of the vehicle.

What's good

  • Huge back seats
  • Posh-feeling interior
  • Lots of standard equipment

What's not so good

  • Range is only so-so
  • Frustrating built-in tech
  • Suspension and steering not up to par with alternatives

Find out more about the Leapmotor B10

Is the Leapmotor B10 a good car?

The Leapmotor B10 is a smart-looking electric SUV, which has the spaciousness and equipment levels of a family SUV but a price tag to rival many much smaller cars. It feels like great value, but once you’ve driven it for a bit you can see where Leapmotor has cut costs.

The mantra of so many Chinese car manufacturers is to offer more, for less. So the Leapmotor B10, much like the Jaecoo E5, the MG S5 EV and the BYD Atto 3, features tons of standard equipment and an interior that feels like a car from the class above - especially in terms of spaciousness.

When it comes to European or Korean alternatives, the B10 has cars like the Kia EV3, the Skoda Elroq and the Volvo EX30 in its sights. It’s like a Hisense TV or a Xiaomi smartphone - not cheap enough to raise alarm bells, but certainly a value-led proposition that could be good enough to get your head turning.

The B10’s styling probably won’t have you falling in love immediately, not like you might with something like the Range Rover-aping Jaecoo 7. It’s all smooth curves and soft lines, though the slim LED strips (daytime running lights - the headlights are hidden further down) and the full-width lightbar at the rear give it a sharper - if somewhat derivative - edge. It does look rather top-heavy, though, and even though the alloy wheels are 18 inches in diameter they appear to be too small for the size of the car.

Leapmotor B10: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 270 miles
Efficiency: 4.0 mi/kWh
Battery size: 67.1kWh
Max charge speed: 168kW (DC)
Charge time AC: 9hrs 40mins, 0-100%, 7kW
Charge time DC: 20 mins, 30-80%, 168kW
Charge port location: Rear right
Power outputs: 218hp

The inside is significantly more convincing - and rather better than Leapmotor’s other SUV, the larger C10. The artificial leather upholstery feels great, better than even some premium brands can manage, and though there are a few cheap plastics they’re mostly used in places you don’t touch.

There’s more than a whiff of Tesla about the way the interior operates. Every function is routed through the large 14.6-inch central touchscreen, down to the adjustment of the door mirrors or switching the drive mode. Leapmotor doesn’t even give you a key - you get a card for emergencies, but generally you’re encouraged to use the smartphone app.

The screen looks great and responds quickly, though it could do with a software update or two to fix some of its more annoying quirks. There are far too many menus to wade through to accomplish simple tasks, such as switching off the lane-keeping aids, and the built-in voice commands are borderline useless.

The B10 comes in the UK in one trim level, with just one battery and motor combination. Leapmotor claims you should be able to get 270 miles of range from it, which is about what you get from an entry-level Skoda Elroq or Kia EV3. It’s competitive with those cars in terms of charging speed, too, and performance is perfectly adequate for the size and price of car.

There’s a lot to like about the Leapmotor’s posh-feeling interior, but don’t try and have a conversation with the voice assistant unless you value your sanity

If you’re cruising along the motorway or pootling through a traffic jam, the B10 is a pleasant place to sit. It’s extremely quiet, and the soft suspension does a good job of isolating you from smaller bumps.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel quite convincing when you get out onto the open road. The steering is extremely light, so you get an unpleasant feeling of being disconnected from the front wheels, and the soft suspension wallows about in the corners or over imperfections in the road.

Still, not everybody buys a small electric SUV to go for a B-road blast. If your priority is a car that’s comfortable, quiet, and rather more expensive-feeling than you’d think from the pricetag, then the Leapmotor B10 might be a good option for you.

Check out our latest Leapmotor deals right here on Carwow, or browse the latest leasing deals – and remember that when the time comes for the big car-change, you can even sell your old car right here on Carwow.

How much is the Leapmotor B10?

The official price of the Leapmotor B10 is £31,495 - the only optional extra available is paint, at £575 for any shade other than the rather nice ‘Starry Night Blue’. Leapmotor offers a ‘Leap-Grant’, aimed at equalling the government’s EV grant, which brings the price down to £29,995.

That’s extremely competitive. The Standard and Long Range versions of the MG S5 EV flank that by a few hundred pounds on either side, while the Skoda Elroq is just £215 more expensive with the EV grant applied. The Kia EV3 is a little pricier at just over £33,000.

None of these models can compete with the Leapmotor when it comes to standard equipment, though. Not only do you get the aforementioned 14.6-inch touchscreen and artificial leather upholstery, you get big luxury car features such as heated and ventilated front seats, a huge panoramic sunroof, 360-degree cameras, an electric tailgate and an array of software features such as downloadable apps or configurable ‘modes’ for camping, leaving a pet in the car or having a nap.

You’d need to spend rather a lot more on a top-spec version of any alternative to get those features - though the gap’s a bit narrower with a Chinese alternative such as a Jaecoo E5, which matches that spec for just over £30,500.

Performance and drive comfort

The Leapmotor B10 is extremely quiet and has plenty of punch - but it feels out of its depth on a twisty road

In town

The Leapmotor B10 feels at its element in town. The response of the electric motor isn’t too hyperactive, even in ‘Sport’ mode, so it’s easy as pie to set off gently without jerking your passengers around. The brakes are pretty progressive too, even if the pedal feels a little squidgy, so you can stop smoothly too - though it’s a pity that even the strongest level of regenerative braking feels pretty weak. There’s certainly no option for ‘one-pedal’ driving like you get in a Volvo EX30 or Kia EV3.

The soft suspension can feel a bit bouncy when you’re going over speed bumps, but it irons out smaller imperfections in the road well. And while it’s quite a large car to park, the standard 360-degree cameras make it easy to see what’s around you. There is, however, no rear wiper, which is annoying.

On the motorway

Get onto a faster road and the B10 feels very comfortable indeed. The suspension is still upset by sharper jolts such as expansion joints, but generally it floats along quite comfortably. It’s also impressively quiet - wind and road noise are both really well-contained, and there’s obviously no engine noise from the electric motors. So it feels very serene.

The cruise control can be a bit of a pain, though - it slows you dramatically for what looks like really gentle curves, and the lane-keeping aids really want to keep you bang-smack in the middle of your lane - drift over to one side and they soon start protesting.

There’s more than enough power for confident overtakes and short sliproads, even if it’s not quite so hyperactively endowed as some alternatives.

On a twisty road

With a reasonable amount of power and rear-wheel drive, the Leapmotor B10 has the ingredients to be quite satisfying to drive on a twisty road. That’s not really the case, though. The soft suspension leans in bends and gets quite upset if you hit a bump mid-corner, while the steering is completely devoid of any feedback regarding what the front wheels are doing - it feels a bit like you’re piloting a video game.

Though the B10 we tested was using budget Chinese tyres without much grip, UK models will wear proper Hankook tyres which should be a big improvement.

Space and practicality

Storage for smaller items is only adequate, but the Leapmotor B10 has a reasonable boot and cavernous rear seat space

Getting comfortable up front in the Leapmotor isn’t perfect. The seat adjusts electrically, but only in six ways - you can’t tilt the base up for better under-thigh support, and nor is there any adjustable lumbar support. The steering wheel doesn’t go very far down, either, so you might not be able to get as comfortable as you’d like.

The centre console has an under-armrest storage area, plus a space in front of that with space for two phones - though only one is a wireless charging pad. There’s a cutaway ahead of this with quite awkward flip-up cupholders, which don’t feel very secure for narrow beverages like some drink cans. Fold them away and you do get a nice spot to put a handbag, though.

The door bins and glovebox are both a bit small, too, so storage for your odds and ends isn’t as good as it is in the Kia EV3 or Skoda Elroq.

Space in the back seats

Rear seat passengers will have a great time in the back of the Leapmotor B10. There’s far, far more legroom than you get in a Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq or MG S5 EV - in fact, there’s enough to give the larger Kia EV5 or Skoda Enyaq a run for their money. The floor isn’t too high, either - a common problem in electric cars - but even the long-legged will be able to stretch out and put their feet under the seat in front.

It’s also quite wide, so three people can sit across more comfortably than they can in those cars. And if there are only two of you, you can flip down a comfortable armrest with two cupholders. You get ISOFIX points on both outer rear seats, plus a USB-A and a USB-C in the rear of the centre console to charge up devices. There’s also a handy storage bin just underneath.

Boot space

With 430 litres of space, the Leapmotor B10’s boot is a little bit down on the 460-litre Kia EV3, 453-litre MG S5 EV or 470-litre Skoda Elroq. A Kia-matching 25-litre frunk provides a useful storage space for charging cables, though.

The boot opening is wide and unobstructed and it’s easy to slide items in, and while you can’t fold the rear seats down from the boot they fold down easily to extend the load area. They don’t sit flush with the boot floor, though, leaving a hump in the load floor.

Interior style, infotainment and accessories

Leapmotor’s best interior yet, the B10 feels impressively premium - but it could still do with a software update or two before it’s as good as the alternatives

The Leapmotor B10’s interior is a bit more friendly-feeling than the ultra-minimalist C10 - there are a few more colours and textures at play. Material quality for the most part is very good, especially considering the car’s price - the artificial leather seats in particular feel very soft and comfortable, while in most of the places you’re likely to touch the plastics are soft-touch and feel good.

There are a few quirks to the design - the aforementioned awkward cupholders, for one, or the window switches which unexplainably seem to operate the wrong way round - but none of these are insurmountable.

The B10’s 14.6-inch infotainment screen is bright, colourful and responds quickly to your touch. However, once you start using it things aren’t quite so rosy. Normal functions require too many presses, and there are a few icons that aren’t obvious at all - the outline of a car, which you’d think would take you to the vehicle settings menu, actually just operates the sunblind, for example.

You’ll be diving through menu after menu trying to switch off some of the more annoying safety equipment, for example, and if you want to use the built-in music streaming services you need to come right out into the main menu before adjusting them. There are also a couple of awkward software choices, such as the air-conditioning which doesn’t have a setting lower than 19 degrees.

At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be added to UK cars soon via an over-the-air update, so you have the option to bypass Leapmotor’s interface if you want to. You’ll certainly prefer using their built-in voice assistants to using Leapmotor’s one - when we asked it to perform very simple tasks, it got caught in a feedback loop listening and responding to itself.

It’s a shame because there are quite a few very cool features. Leapmotor’s smartphone app - which the firm wants you to use instead of the credit card-sized key - works really well, and there are camping mode and ‘guard mode’ functions to keep occupants comfortable.

Electric range, charging and tax

Leapmotor claims a maximum of 270 miles of range from the B10’s 67.1kWh battery, which works out to efficiency of around 4.0 miles per kWh. We saw about 3.7 mi/kWh on our testing, which is reasonable considering the test route we were on had a lot of fast, twisty roads. When we get the B10 in the UK we’ll be able to do some more representative testing.

The 270-mile range figure matches the base-spec Kia EV3 Air, and beats the entry-level MG S5 or Skoda Elroq. However, all three of those cars are available with long-range variants which - in the case of the Elroq and EV3 - push range well over 300 miles, making them much more convincing long-distance partners.

Leapmotor does offer a smaller battery in other markets, but it’s unlikely that model will be sold in the UK. The company hasn’t said whether a bigger unit is on the horizon, but hinted that a range-extending plug-in hybrid may be offered in the future.

The B10 charges at a maximum rate of 168kW, and Leapmotor quotes a 30-80% charge time of less than 20 minutes, which is a useful top-up speed and is faster than all its key alternatives.

As a pure EV, the B10 attracts the most favourable rates of company car tax as well as first-year road tax.

Safety and security

The B10 hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP just yet, but Leapmotor says it’s anticipating a full five-star verdict. That would tally with the five stars awarded to the larger C10 when it was tested in 2024.

Certainly the safety equipment roster is extensive - you get everything you’d expect such as autonomous emergency braking and speed limit alerts, but you also get blind-spot monitoring, safe exit assist and 360-degree cameras for low-speed manoeuvres.

However, a lot of this is quite poorly calibrated and is therefore so annoying that you’ll want to turn it off before every drive. Our test vehicle not only threw a hissy fit if we so much entered the same postcode as the white lines on the road, but constantly alerted us that there was a danger of crashing into large animals.

In addition, it demanded that we pull over for a break every 15 minutes, and this drowsiness detection system can’t be turned off. It made for a very frustrating drive, although in an improvement from the C10 you don’t need to be in Park to switch some of these systems on or off.

Reliability and problems

Leapmotor hasn’t been selling cars in Europe for long enough to comment with confidence on its reliability, but the company has the backing of the mammoth Stellantis group, which includes brands such as Peugeot, Vauxhall and Fiat. This means that, unlike some fledgling Chinese car manufacturers which have spotty UK dealership networks and even spottier parts availability, you can buy and service your Leapmotor from a huge array of sites.

It’s a bit of a shame that Leapmotor doesn’t offer a longer warranty, though, to go along with the seven years of cover you get with a Kia, Jaecoo or Omoda. As standard you get four years and just 60,000 miles of cover.

Leapmotor B10 FAQs

The B10 starts at a standard price of £31,495, but at the time of writing Leapmotor’s ‘Leap Grant’ brings this down to £29,995.

Leapmotor is two companies - a Chinese one and an international one which deals with the cars sold outside of China. The European company is 51% owned by the Stellantis group, which also owns Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and several other brands. Stellantis also owns 20% of the parent company.

The Leapmotor B10 measures 4,515mm in length, 1,885mm in width and 1,655mm in height.

Leapmotor B10 alternatives
There are currently no deals for this model on Carwow, but you can find and compare great deals on new and used alternatives to the Leapmotor B10.