Leapmotor hasn’t made a massive impact on the South African driving scene since it launched last year, but perhaps its new B10 hybrid EV will change that. A R500,000 starting price is an attractive start, with the pricier version of the Chinese brand’s semi-EV going for R550,000 (plus extras).
If you’re after a detailed (official) overview, though, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. The company only has a page to let you “register your interest” live for South Africa for the present. Orders open tomorrow, on 18 August, so we expect the full product details to go live then, too. Still, we’ve got most of what you’ll need right here.
B10 transforms driving?
Leapmotor calls its B10 compact SUV a REEV or Range Extended Electric Vehicle. The selling point here is that the 1.5l internal combustion engine (ICE) doesn’t actually drive the wheels. It’s electric all the way, while the ICE setup “acts solely as a generator, producing electricity when the battery level requires it.” It’s an interesting take, one that provides for 86km of claimed battery-only range and a total range (per 50l tank) of 900km. There’s also an all-electric version of the B10, but it doesn’t appear to be launching.
The B10 REEV’s work is done by a 186kW electric motor working with an 18.8kWh battery to keep drivers going. There should, in theory, be more interior space since the traditional motor replaced a massive battery pack. It also sort of misses the point of an EV. Still… petrol engine, EV torque… someone’s going to find this SUV fun to drive.
The cabin hosts a 14.5in touchscreen display (passengers only-we assume), remote unlocking, remote climate control, and charge scheduling. Most of this is facilitated by Leapmotor’s app. There are also “[h]igh levels of comfort and convenience equipment,” the specifics of which we’re supposed to wait another day for. You don’t have to wait to find out that there are seven airbags and seventeen Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, though.
The Leapmotor B10 hybrid arrives in two trim levels. The Style version starts at R500k, while the Design option begins at R550,000. The company isn’t very explicit so far about the difference between the two. The interior/exterior trim for the Design can be customised, with five exterior colour options and two interior selections available to buyers. Whether there’s more remains to be seen. We can’t promise that local features will match international spec, but it’s out there if you can’t wait.
