This would have to be the new best bang-for-buck new vehicle on the market. It’s the Leapmotor C10 AWD Sport+ Special Edition, confirmed for Australia and arriving next month.
Based on the otherwise boring Leapmotor C10, the AWD Sport+ packs two electric motors, up from the single rear motor in the regular model, combining to produce an insane 440kW and 760Nm.
Leapmotor claims 0-100km/h can be achieved in just 4.0 seconds, making it one of the quickest SUVs in its class, outright. The system uses an 81.9kWh LFP battery offering a range of 510km (NEDC), or 437km on the WLTP cycle.
It is an 800V system although DC charging maxes out at 180kW. That doesn’t compare that well to plenty of other EVs on the market that support upwards of 250kW. Even so, Leapmotor says it’ll go from 30-80 per cent in 22 minutes.
Strangely, the press release doesn’t say anything about upgrades to the chassis, suspension or brakes. It does, however, come with special interior mats with red stitching, some logos and decals, and a ‘Sport+’ cargo mat… so that’s good.
The most incredible thing about the new variant, though, is the price. It starts from just $53,888 (excluding on-roads). That undercuts the MG4 XPower, which is currently on sale as an MY2025 from $55,990 (excluding on-roads).
Although, the XPower has a quicker official 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds despite offering 300kW from its twin-motor system. The XPower also comes with upgraded brakes. Let’s hope the C10 does as well once they announce the full specs.
As with the regular C10, the new variant is backed by Leapmotor’s six-year/150,000km warranty with eight years roadside assistance, and an eight-year/160,000km battery warranty, as long as scheduled services are maintained.
The new variant is on sale priced from $53,888 as mentioned, with showroom arrival scheduled for April, 2026.
