Leapmotor B10 test: The price breaker without the cheap flavor

No, not «organic», Mr. Neighbour: B10 is written on the small SUV from the young Chinese brand Leapmotor. Speaking of «organic»: Leapmotor's biography is that of a career: only eleven years old, already as big as Seat last year and currently close on the heels of Fiat in terms of market share in Switzerland, for example. The new B10, a city SUV that is also spacious in the back for everyday use in the suburbs, is available as an electric car without or now with a range extender (petrol engine as an on-board power generator, a plug-in hybrid, so to speak). Price: 29,900 francs each. We test the pure e-version.

Cheap does not look cheap

The design is a matter of taste, but the B10 certainly doesn't look bad. Inside, we can't find any flaws with the best will in the world. Cheap? Economical perhaps, i.e. lots of hard plastic - but solid, high-quality, rattle-free. The metal-look air vents and cool ambient lighting are attractive. There is only full equipment, for example with a 360-degree camera, heated seats and steering wheel and, and, and. What's not there? A rear window wiper! Really now? Please change that, Leapmotor. Great on the other hand: Five (battery eight) years (or 200,000 kilometers) warranty is a real confidence-building word.

The electric drive with 160 kW/218 hp is silky, spontaneous, powerful and quiet. Steering is light but precise. The suspension is firm, but never harsh: exactly the mix that sells well and is suitable for everyday use. The view from the excellent seats is good, but the steering wheel cannot be adjusted down far enough. It doesn't matter, because the 4.52-meter-long format is pleasantly compact. Only in terms of digitalization does the B10 do too much of a good thing, as unfortunately so many new cars do: everything, everything down to the mirror adjustment wants to be operated via touchscreen.

Only the assistance is annoying

It's a matter of getting used to, if it weren't for the unpleasantly annoying assistance systems. This is also the case in many cars today, but here something is always beeping. As a precaution, we switch off a lot of the assistance systems, which is completely counterproductive in terms of safety and also impractical due to the menu navigation (see picture below). The EU cruise control would still work, it doesn't get too loud. But the lane assist intervenes too harshly: If you want to make room for oncoming traffic on a narrow road and drive on the far right, the steering wheel jerks violently to the left in the direction of oncoming traffic. We would ask for an update. The same applies to the attention assistant: depending on the seating position, even the left hand can cover the steering wheel's sensor if you hold the steering wheel in an exemplary ten-in-front-of-two position, and then the assistant beeps continuously.

Otherwise, despite its low price, the B10 can't even be criticized for its range and charging speed. According to the WLTP standard, the B10 with a 67-kWh battery manages 434 kilometers. In the test, despite a lot of heating, it was a minimum of around 350 kilometers and an average of 370 kilometers - that's enough for us to commute for over a week, and at higher temperatures 400 kilometers should be possible. And although we never reach 168 kW peak charging power (20 minutes from 30 to 80 percent), we do manage 30 minutes from 50 to 100 percent, for example. Well done, newcomers! The B10 should arrive.

Expert opinion
Leapmotor B10 EV

The Leapmotor B10 is a price breaker without compromising on quality or driving performance. Whether hybrid or electric, you really get a lot of car for your money, which is why we are happy to forgive the somewhat annoying assistance.

Advantages
+ favorable price
+ good range
+ high quality

Disadvantages
- No rear wiper
- annoying assistance