All-electric Leapmotor B10 earmarked for South African debut

Currently fielding the range-extending C10 as its only available model, Stellantis-backed Leapmotor has confirmed that a second model is being lined-up for South African introduction this year.

EV only

Unveiled last year, the B10 will slot-in below the C10 as the new energy start-up brand’s most affordable model.

One of the first Chinese products to be assembled in Europe, in this case, the Zaragoza plant in Spain that also assembles the Opel Corsa and Peugeot 208, the B10 foregoes the C10’s range-extending powertrain for a conventional fully electric setup.

Dimensions

Based on the updated LEAP 3.5 platform, the B10’s dimensions add up to the following:

• Length: 4 515 mm;
• Wheelbase: 2 735 mm;
• Height: 1 655 mm;
• Width: 1 885 mm;
• Ground clearance: 170 mm

Providing seating for five, boot space amounts to between 420 and 1 415-litres, the latter with the 60/40 split rear seat folded.

Spec

Depending on the trim level, the Chinese-market B10 offers the following:

• LED headlights;
• 18-inch alloy wheels;
• electric tailgate;
• folding electric mirrors;
• imitation leather upholstery;
• ambient lighting;
• climate control;
• wireless smartphone charging pad;
• 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster;
• six or 12-speaker sound system;
• 14.6-inch infotainment display;
• type-A and type-C USB ports;
• multi-function steering wheel;
• electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats

On the safety and driver assistance side, again depending on the trim grade, the B10 is available with:

• front and rear parking sensors;
• tyre pressure monitor;
• 360-degree surround-view camera system;
• transparent chassis view display;
• six airbags;
• traction control;
• Adaptive Cruise Control;
• Lane Centering;
• Electronic Stability Control;
• Hill Start Assist;
• Collision Mitigation Braking;
• Hill Descent Control;
• Forward Collision Warning;
• Automatic Emergency Braking;
• Lane Departure Warning;
• Lane Change Assist;
• Blind Spot Monitoring;
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert;
• Park Assist;
• Reverse Automatic Braking

Finally, the more upscale variants also receive LiDAR while all models feature a drive mode selector with three settings: Standard, Comfort and Sport.

Battery power options

As with its rivals, the BYD Seagull/Dolphin Surf, incoming Chery Q and Geely E2, the B10 utilises a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive setup, with power coming from a choice of two battery pack options.

Its platform being an 800-volt architecture, the entry-level B10 uses a 56.2-kWh battery powering a single electric motor. The claimed outputs are 132kW/175Nm.

Supporting DC charging up to 168 kW, the battery has a claimed range of 510 km according to China’s CLTC cycle, and will require a waiting time of 19 minutes from 30-80%. The claimed top speed is 160 km/h with 0-100 km/h taking 9.3 seconds.

In its most potent form, the second battery has a capacity of 67.1-kWh, which translates to 160kW/240Nm.

Still with a single electric motor, the setup offers a CLTC range of 600 km, 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 170 km/h.

Aside from having the same waiting time as the 510 km variant, the 600 km B10 will require a four hour wait from 30-80% using the on-board 11 AC charger.

Arriving soon

In China, the B10 line-up spans five models priced from 99 800 to 129 800 yuan, which equates to between R239 307 and R311 243 when directly converted and without taxes.

As such, it will dramatically undercut the C10, which is priced between R759 900 and R799 900.

Responding to The Citizen about future product availability, Leapmotor confirmed that the B10 is “earmarked” for introduction in the third quarter of this year.

Therefore, expect more details regarding pricing and spec to be announced then.