2025 Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid Review

On the heels of Leapmotor’s electric C10 comes the hybrid version. And it’s not just any hybrid but an Ultra Hybrid. It has a 28.4kWh battery capacity giving a claimed 145km EV range while the 1.5 litre combustion engine acts as a range extender, kicking in to to churn a generator ensuring the battery is charged on the go. And then you’ll see up to 975km of combined range on the dial, so they claim. This C10 hybrid drives like an EV because the ICE does not turn the road wheels. All the drive comes from the rear-mounted, electric motor. It’s $5k cheaper than the BEV too, at $49,990, so is competitive in the market place.

We trialled its ultimate range over the recent long weekend with a Kiwi roadtrip. Despite plugging in overnight prior to our departure to achieve ‘peak range’ something went awry, interrupting the charge. Anyhow, with a full 50L tank and around 70 per cent battery we had 1100km of range showing. Heading away, the slow grind out of Auckland was done on battery power and once the traffic cleared we switched modes to ensure the system was working as efficiently as possible, the battery set to drain no lower than 30 per cent to ensure optimum performance. Hills, wind, traffic and a full load with five on board gave it a proper test. Over the weekend we made it as far south as Foxton and heading back north, we had to refill in Taihape having covered 750km. So not quite the stated claim then, with consumption settling at 6.7L/100km. That’s not class leading amongst hybrid SUVs, while you have to add RUCs to the fuel cost. 

It rides well on the main highway, soaking up the bumps, while there’s enough power to execute a safe overtake. And the delivery is smooth, given its electric driveline. With 245/45R20 Dunlop eSport Max, road roar is a constant however. 

This does its best work in town. While it might seem a tad sluggish in the Comfort mode, Sport mode is more like it. The steering is light on weighting (and feedback) but coupled with a tight turn around, it makes for an easy commuter. The brake pedal is a little sensitive, and the regen is mild, even on its max setting. We like the column-mounted shifter, which also doubles as the cruise control activator. And that this hybrid can be DC charged at up to 65kW, should you ever need to (but you’ll do 99 per cent of your charging at home, or you should).  

The C10 hits some high notes. Though everything is done via the touchscreen it’s quick enough, logically ordered and has an okay voice assistant too. There’s good cabin storage for a family roadtrip, everyone’s drink bottles in place, and enough charge points to keep everyone topped up. The cabin is well made, the surface treatments quality. Its seats are comfortable, though hopefully the trim (‘silicon’ leather seats with OEKO-TEX) is more durable than it feel. The back row is comfy too we were told from our three, a flat floor and lots of leg room helping there. The boot is a useful size too (546L the quoted volume, expanding to 1375L), just enough to take everyone’s gear for a long weekend away, though there’s not much room for extras. 

The C10 also has a few issues. Perusing the specs you’ll see a long list of features, typical of new Chinese contenders and lots of safety assistants. These are a prerequisite for a five-star safety rating, but some need more fine-tuning. We were advised to turn off the Intelligent Speed Assistance upon starting up and to turn off the driver monitor as well. This is easy thanks to a couple of short-cut buttons but then you also lose the speed limit recognition. The one you really need to cull is the Emergency Lane Keeping Assist, which requires a deeper dive into the sub-menus before heading off. There’s also no key, so access and start-up is a bit convoluted but we are told owners use the Leapmotor app (your phone becomes the key) which overcomes this issue. We couldn’t fathom the ventilation; it wanted to either cook or freeze us and the volume for the sound system was oddly quiet. Even turned up to the max, it was hard to hear over the road noise at 100km/h. While there’s a four-year/100,000km warranty (battery four years/160,000km), a charge cable is an extra cost ($499) and any other colour than Jade Green is $1199.  

This would suit an urban buyer better, using that substantial battery to get around town without using any gas, charging every night and enjoying lower RUCs than the BEV. And when you do occasionally travel out of town, you have plenty of touring range without the need to plug in.  

Leapmotor C10 Ultra Hybrid 
$49,990  /  0.9L/100km  /  22g/km
0-100 km/h 8.5s
System output  158kW / 320Nm
Drivetrain  Single-speed-auto / RWD
Weight (claimed)  1950kg