Review: Leaping into 2026 with the Leapmotor C10 REEV
Leap Forward
Stellantis latest edition to the stable is Leapmotor. Their first new energy vehicle for the brand, and their first Chinese OEM to join the American and European manufacturers which they house under the Stellantis banner.
We first viewed the German premium looking SUV at the Stellantis Media Week earlier last year and had the pleasure of attending the launch of the Leapmotor C10 REEV later the same year.
Viewing the vehicle and road testing never compares to actually having the vehicle for a week to get a glimpse of ownership. The Leapmotor C10 REEV is definitely testimony to this.
The minimalistic silent head-turner has all the creature features and more.
Let's take a look what the Leapmotor C10 REEV is all about:
The Leapmotor C10 REEV is available in 2 Versions:
- Style
- Design
We tested the Leapmotor C10 REEV Design.
Exterior
The Leapmotor C10 REEV is available in 5 primary exterior colours:
- Pearl White
- Tundra Grey
- Metallic Black
- Glazed Green / Jade Green
- Canopy Grey / Terra Grey / Midnight Grey
The model we tested was the Leapmotor C10 REEV Design in Pearl White.
The Style version is fitted with:
- 18" Alloy Wheels
While the Design is fitted with:
- 20" Alloy Wheels
and an 18" Steel Temporary Spare Wheel
Both versions have the following standard exterior features:
- LED High/Low Integrated Beam Lamps
- Automatic Headlights
- Electric Headlight Height Adjustment
- Follow Me Home Function
- Automatic High Beam
- LED Daytime Running Lights
- Dual Fog Lamp & Dual Reversing Lamp
- Exterior Rearview Mirror Lenses Power Adjustment
- Exterior Rearview Mirror with Turning Lamp and Heated
- Exterior Rearview Mirror with Memory, Tilt & Folding Function
- Front Frameless Wipers & Rain Sensing
- Front-View Monocular Camers
- x4 Surround View Camera (360 Degree View)
- x4 Reverse Ultrasonic Radar
- x2 Rear Side Looking Millimeter-Wave Radar
The Design also has additional features which include:
- Tailgate Switch & Electric Tailgate
- Rear & Rear Windscreen Privacy Glass
- Panaromic Sunroof with Electric Sunshade
- Rear Light Bar (Illuminating) With Rear LED Taillight Animation
Safety
Both versions in the Leapmotor C10 REEV range have the following standard safety features:
- (ESC) - Vehicle Stability Control
- (ABS) - Anti-lock Braking
- (EBD) - Electronic Brake-force Distribution
- (HBA) - Emergency Brake Assist
- (TCS) - Traction Control System
- (HDC) - Hill Descent Control
- (DBF) - Dynamic Hold Assist
- (HHC) - Hill Start Assist
- (ARP) - Electronic Rollover Prevention
- (AVH) - Automatic Hold
- (MCB) - Secondary Post-Collision Braking
- (BOS) - Brake Override System
- (ESS) - Emergency Stop Signal
- (ACC) - Adaptive Cruise Control
- (LCC) - Lane Centering Control
- (TJA) - Traffic Jam Assist
- (FCW) - Forward Collision Warning
- (AEB) - Autonomous Emergency Braking
- (BSD) - Blind Spot Detection
- (HOD) Hands Off Detection
- (DOW) - Door Opening Warning
- (ELK) - Emergency Lane Keeping
- (LDW) - Lane Departure Warning
- (LKA) - Lane Keep Assist
- (RCW) - Rear Collision Warning
- (AVAS) - Horn for Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System
- (DDAW) - Driver Drowsiness Alert Warning Camera
- (ADDW) - Advanced Driver Distraction Warning
- (TPMS) - Direct TPMS Tyre Pressure Display
- Driver & Front Passenger Seat Belt Reminder
- PAB Disable Switch
- Farside Airbag
- Driver & Front Passenger Airbag
- 2nd Row Seat Belt Reminder
- Children Seat Interface ISOFIX
- Automatically activated door locking systems
- Collision Auto-Unlock
- Door Unclosed Reminder
- Central Door Lock
- 2nd Mechanical Child Safety Lock
- Front Side Airbags & Side Air Curtains (through rows 1 and 2, left and right sides)
Interior
The standard interior features in the Leapmotor C10 REEV Design and Style are:
- One-Touch Power Windows With Anti-Pinch Feature For All 4 Doors
- Leatherette Steering Wheel & Multi-Functional
- Steering Wheel Adjustment (Up & Down) and (Front & Rear)
- Anti-Dazzling Interior Rear View Mirror (Manual)
- Front & Rear Door Armrest Leather Trim Cover
- Electrically Operated Concealed Air Vents & Rear Seat Air Vents
- Dual Zone Automatic Air Conditioning
- 6-Way Electric Adjustable Driver Seat
- Driver Seat with Memory and Welcome Function
- 4-Way Electric Adjustable Passenger Seat
- 2nd Row 4/6 Seat Folding
- Rear Seats with Manual Angle Adjustment in Two Positions
- Driver Seat Departure Reminder
- Front Row & Rear Row Reading Lights
- Front & Rear Central Armrest
- Front Central Storage Compartment & Cup Holders
- Driver/ Front Passenger Sunvisor with Vanity Mirror & Light
The Design has a few additions to the interior:
- Heated Steering Wheel
- Ambient Light (With Rhythm)
- Ventilated & Heated Front Seats
The Style's seat cover material is PVC, while the Design's Seat Cover Material is Silicone Leather + PVC.
Infotainment & Other
The Leampmotor C10 REEV range is fitted with:
- 10.25" LCD Instrument Panel
- 14.60" Central Control LCD Screen
- 12 Speakers System
- OTA (Over-The-Air) Capability
- Dual Microphone Noise Cancellation With Dual-Zone Voice Recognition
- 15W Wireless Phone Charging & 12V Power Socket
- Rear Luggage Compartment Curtain - Pull-Out Type
- Reversing Camera (With Dynamic Guidelines)
- 12V Power
- Transparent Chassis View
- Instrument Speed Limit Reminder - 120km
- AM/FM, Bluetooth
- Front & Rear Row USB
- NFC Key *1
- Mechanical Key *1
- Type 2 Mode 3 Charging Cable
- Rear Towbar Connection
- Warning Triangle
- Tow Hooks
Powertrain & Performance
The Leapmotor C10 REEV makes use of an Electric Motor (EV) and a:
- 1.5L Natural Aspiration Inline 4 engine (ICE)
The petrol engine produces:
- 63kW Power and 125Nm Torque
and the electric motor produces:
- 158kW Power and 320Nm Torque
with a Voltage Platform of:
- 326.4 (Volt)
Charging Time for the Electric Motor:
- 18 min DC (30% - 80%)
- 3 hours AC (30% - 80%)
The Battery is Liquid-Cooled with a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) Drive Train
C02 Emissions on the Leapmotor C10 REEV are:
- 21g/ km for under the WLTP cycle
Fuel economy claims for the Leapmotor C10 REEV:
- 0.9L / 100km combined cycle
The Fuel Tank is:
- 50 Litres
the Battery Energy Capacity is:
- 28.4 (kwh)
The Electric Only Range is:
- 145km
while the Combined Range (ICE) + (EV) is:
- 970km
Leapmotor C10 REEV at Charging Station
Photo Credits Ziyaad Plaatjes
Pricing
The Leapmotor C10 REEV pricing is as follows:
- Leapmotor C10 REEV Style - R759 900
- Leapmotor C10 REEV Design - R799 900
Warranty
Both Leapmotor C10 REEV versions come standard with a:
- 5 year/ 100 000 km warranty plan
Service and Roadside Assistance Plan
The Leapmotor C10 REEV models also include a:
- 5 year/ 100 000 km service plan
- 5 year/ 100 000 km roadside assistance plan
Leapmotor is currently running a special which includes:
- 7 year extended service plan
- R5000 charge card credit
- 6 month payment holiday
- Free Insurance
*Terms and Conditions Apply*
Competitors
BYD Sealion 6 DM-i from R639 900
Chery Tiggo 8 CSH APEX from R729 900
Haval H6 GT PHEV from R799 900
JAECOO J7 SHS from R689 900
OMODA C9 SHS from R999 900
Verdict
Stellantis have made a good move to include a new energy vehicle and a Chinese manufacturer to their house of iconic brands.
Leapmotor's first vehicle to hit South African shores will definitely make some waves, as the minimalistic design and the premium appearance will have many trading in their Volkswagen's and Audi's for one of these.
The NFC card might take a bit of getting used to, as the only way we had entry to the vehicle was to tap the card against the driver's door mirror. Leapmotor have mentioned a mechanical key as part of their spec-sheet and there is also the official Leapmotor App which is reported to have remote access to vehicle functions, allowing you to unlock doors, operate the boot, pre-cool the cabin, and check vehicle status updates.
Having hardly any buttons and controlling most of the functions via the infotainment screen or steering wheel has become a norm now, and the Android-based LeapmotorOS interface is very user-friendly as it is setup like a smartphone and has similar functionality.
You can feel the difference in the naturally aspirated engine to the usual turbos we are used to in many vehicles today. However the vehicle does not lack any power, it is just not instantaneous as most would hope.
When the vehicle is in EV mode the ride is smooth and quiet, but when switching to the petrol engine there is a bit of engine noise, and more so if the battery is being recharged at the same time.
We managed to travel just over 800km during our time with the Leapmotor C10 REEV about a quarter was from Pure Electric and the rest from Fuel, with a range left of about 151km (116km of Fuel and 35km of Charge). According to the vehicle's diagnostics we averaged about 6.4l/ 100km and 14.9kWH/ 100km.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ / 10
Ziyaad Plaatjes is the Co-Founder of iloveza.com & Let's Torque ZA, the Founder of the After Fajr Grind Academy, a Radio Co-Host for a youth focussed programme, Level Up, on Radio Islam International, previously a Radio Host for the longest running award-winning Motoring show in South Africa - Bumper2Bumper on Cii Radio, and a Brand South Africa Play Your Part Ambassador, who was named one of Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans in the Arts, Entertainment, Film & Media Category.
He is a Bachelor of Commerce Honours graduate and has been running businesses since the age of 13. Ziyaad is a social media fundi and content creator, but has taken on many roles in various industries over the years. With his entrepreneurial skills and vast knowledge he assists individuals and businesses to grow and achieve their goals.
Find him at: Instagram: @ziyaad_86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii X: @ziyaad86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii Facebook: iloveza.com / Let's Torque ZA LinkedIn: Ziyaad Plaatjes / iloveza.com YouTube: iloveza.com SoundCloud: iloveza.com / Radio Islam International TikTok: @ilovezacom / @b2bcii Threads: @ilovezacom iono.fm: Bumper2Bumper Hashtags: #AfterFajrGrind #iloveza❤️🇿🇦 #LetsTorqueZA #LevelUp #B2BCii #WheresDaddyZA E-mail: ziyaad@iloveza.com
