2025 Leapmotor B10

The Leapmotor B10 is one of those cars that makes you question what value still means in the EV market.

Because on paper, this is a relatively affordable electric family SUV from a Chinese brand that is still building its name in Europe. In reality, it feels far more mature than that description suggests. We drove the fully electric B10, not the REEV range-extender version, and the first impression is simple: this thing is suspiciously well put together.

The materials feel good. The interior looks clean. The space is impressive. The driving experience is pleasant. And when you look at the price, it becomes very clear why established European brands should be paying attention.

Design: familiar, clean and very current

The Leapmotor B10 follows the design language we are seeing from many new Chinese electric SUVs. Slim light bar at the front. Small headlights integrated lower down. Smooth flanks. Rounded shoulders. A clean rear with another horizontal light signature. It is not shocking, but it is modern, balanced and easy to understand.

You could almost mistake it for a new compact SUV from NIO, Zeekr or another young EV brand. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The B10 does not look cheap. It does not look strange. It does not try to compensate for a new badge with excessive design noise. Instead, it feels calm and well resolved. Maybe not the most emotional SUV in the world, but definitely a good-looking one for the money.

Interior: the biggest surprise

Everything feels more premium than expected. The version we drove had Light Grey Eco-Leather, which felt good to the touch and gave the cabin a more expensive atmosphere. The steering wheel is also nicely finished, with black leather on the outside and a surprisingly premium feel.

More importantly, there is very little cheap plastic within easy reach. That may sound basic, but in some modern cars this is becoming almost a disease. Hard, hollow, unpleasant plastics in places you touch every day. The B10 avoids that better than expected. Even the air vents feel solid.

Space: genuinely strong, especially in the rear

The B10 is a proper family SUV in terms of space. Up front, visibility is good and the low dashboard helps create an open feeling. In the rear, comfort is genuinely impressive. There is plenty of room, also for taller passengers, and it feels like a pleasant place to spend time.

The boot is also useful, with around 430 litres of luggage space and up to 1,700 litres with the rear seats folded. The loading floor is practical, and there is also a small frunk for extra storage. The tailgate button is a bit oddly hidden in the rear light surround, which takes some getting used to, but the practicality itself is strong.

Seating position: not perfect for taller drivers

The main ergonomic issue is the seating position. At 1.87 m, we never found the ideal driving position. You sit a little too close to the pedals, and the seat adjustment is too limited. The front seat cannot tilt enough, which makes it harder to create a properly natural position for longer journeys.

It is not uncomfortable. But it is not perfect either. For short and medium trips, most people will be fine. But for taller drivers doing long distances, this is something to check carefully during a test drive. The strange thing is that the rest of the cabin feels well thought-out, so this stands out more than it should.

Technology: too much lives inside the screen

The B10 follows the modern EV rulebook: big central screen, minimal physical controls, clean dashboard. Visually, it works. Practically, not always. Almost everything is controlled through the touchscreen. That includes settings you do not change often, which is fine, but also things you sometimes want quickly: adjusting the panoramic roof brightness, lowering a mirror while parking to avoid kerb damage, changing regeneration strength or controlling fog lights.

That is where the system becomes frustrating. The menus are long, and there are too many possible settings. It feels like the car can do a lot, but finding the right function is not always as simple as it should be. Make our life easier, please. This is a recurring issue with many new EVs. Minimalism looks good, but buttons still matter when you are actually driving.

Key card: different, but not easier

The B10 also uses a key card rather than a traditional key. That sounds modern, but the execution is not completely natural. You unlock the car by using the card on the left mirror, then you need to place it on the centre console to start driving. That feels a little strange.

There are alternatives, including using your phone as a key, but even then the process does not feel as effortless as it should. In a car that otherwise feels so modern, this is one of those details that could be more user-friendly. Sometimes new is not automatically better. Sometimes a normal key simply works.

Driving: light, balanced and genuinely pleasant

For an electric SUV, it feels relatively light and nicely balanced. Leapmotor claims a 50:50 weight distribution, regardless of battery size, and you can feel that in the way the car behaves. Especially in dry conditions, the B10 feels stable and pleasant through corners, with limited body roll and a surprisingly composed chassis.

The damping is on the soft side, but not in a bad way. It gives the car a comfortable, easy-going character that suits a family SUV. It is not trying to be sporty, and that is fine. The steering and accelerator response can be adjusted through different modes, although the differences are not dramatic. Still, the basic setup is good enough that you do not feel the need to constantly change things.

Regeneration: good options, but no proper one-pedal drive

The B10 has different regeneration settings, but unfortunately they are only adjustable through the central screen. That is annoying. Regeneration is one of those things you may want to change while driving, depending on the road, traffic or mood. Having to dive into the infotainment system for that is not ideal.

More importantly, none of the regeneration modes is strong enough for proper one-pedal driving. That is a shame. One-pedal driving is one of the unique advantages of an EV. It can make city driving smoother, calmer and more intuitive. The B10 misses an opportunity here. It is not a dealbreaker, but it is one of the areas where Leapmotor still feels less polished than the best electric rivals.

Efficiency: better than the official numbers suggest

Officially, the B10 is not presented as an efficiency miracle. Depending on the battery, Leapmotor lists a WLTP range of up to 361 km for the 56.2 kWh version and up to 434 km for the 67.1 kWh version. Consumption is listed around 17.2 to 17.3 kWh/100 km.

But in real life, the B10 can do better. During our drive, avoiding too much motorway use and driving with some care, it was perfectly possible to go below the official consumption figure. That is impressive. Because affordable EVs need to be efficient. A low purchase price is one thing. But if the car also keeps energy use under control, the whole ownership story becomes much stronger.

Charging: competitive, but read the numbers correctly

The B10 is available with two battery sizes: 56.2 kWh and 67.1 kWh. Both support 11 kW AC charging, while DC fast charging goes up to 140 kW on the Pro version and up to 168 kW on the ProMax. Leapmotor claims a 30 to 80% charge in around 20 minutes.

That is competitive. But the detail matters: this is a 30 to 80% claim, not the more commonly used 10 to 80% figure. Still, for a car in this price range, the charging performance is good and should make the B10 usable beyond daily city driving.

ADAS and beeps: the car needs to calm down

The B10 comes with a generous list of safety and assistance systems as standard. That is good. The problem is how some of them behave. On narrow roads, the lane assistance can become too active. Warning sounds and steering corrections arrive quickly, especially when the car thinks you are too close to road markings or the edge of the lane. After a while, it starts to feel like the car is more nervous than it needs to be.

The good news is that these systems can be adjusted or switched off. The bad news is that doing so means diving into the menus. Leapmotor is reportedly working on a quicker shortcut through an over-the-air update, and that cannot come soon enough. European drivers want safety systems, but they do not want a car that feels like it is constantly panicking.

Price: the reason this car matters

This is where the Leapmotor B10 becomes impossible to ignore. In Europe, pricing starts from around €29,900. For that, you get a fully electric family SUV with rear-wheel drive, decent range, strong standard equipment, a spacious interior and a surprisingly premium feel.

That is aggressive. Very aggressive. Because once you sit in the B10, touch the materials and drive it, the price starts to feel almost uncomfortable for the competition. European brands can still win on brand trust, refinement, dealer history and long-term value, but they can no longer assume that Chinese EVs feel cheap.

AutoNext Verdict

The Leapmotor B10 Electric is not perfect. But the fundamentals are strong. Very strong. The B10 feels well built, spacious, efficient, comfortable and much more premium than its price suggests. The interior quality is genuinely impressive, the rear-seat comfort is excellent, and the driving experience is far more polished than many people will expect.

This is not an inspiring driver’s car. But it is a very convincing electric family SUV. And at this price, that makes it dangerous. If Leapmotor improves the software, simplifies the controls and fixes some ergonomic details, the B10 could become a serious problem for established European brands. Because this no longer feels like a cheap alternative. It feels like a real competitor.