Like mushrooms that grow after the rain, towards the end of the last quarter of this year will see various electric vehicles being sold in Malaysia. One of the new brands that will enter the local market is Leapmotor with their electric SUV, the C10, which will be available as early as next October.
Leapmotor is an electric car brand from China, and last year they were one of the three new EV brands in China, and even until July 2024 have sold more than 400,000 electric cars. Now under Stellantis, which is an automotive group that also supports big brands such as Peugeot, Maserati, Citroen, they will be the first brand under this group to offer the first electric car for the local market.
The Leapmotor C10 is obviously an electric SUV that has a size close to the Proton X90, but only has five seats. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processing chip, driven by an electric motor that delivers 160kW, (218PS) and 320Nm of torque, has a travel distance of up to 420km and can be charged 30%-80% in 30 minutes.
At the time of writing, full specifications have not been announced and there is no information on charging speed, nor how many model options will be offered.
But what is certain, the Leapmotor C10 shown at this media event looks elegant with two information displays, with one of them being a display for the driver. The large display in the center can launch various applications, but for now there is no integration with Android Auto or Apple Carplay that can be launched.
It also comes with a panoramic translucent roof and cushions that have child-friendly Oeko-Tex material. This material is said to be non-toxic and also does not use leather material to ensure the sustainability of nature.
In terms of comfort, there are several optional modes that will change the position of the seat accordingly, such as Nap Mode that allows you to take a nap for a while, or Camp Mode that allows for minimal energy consumption. In fact, it also comes with a ventilation system on the seat, allowing the driver to always feel comfortable especially for long distance driving.
But one thing that the driver may need to get used to is setting the direction of ventilation through the display. It may be less practical to change while driving because it requires attention, compared to a physical lever. But there are two buttons that can be changed in function, located on the steering wheel and also in the upper position - near the rear view mirror.
I had the opportunity to drive around the grounds of this event and one thing that can be commended is the customization function for your drive. Usually users may only be able to select Economy, Normal, or Sport modes for more energetic driving. And perhaps customization settings are only available for more expensive, or high-performance vehicles. The Leapmotor C10 allows users to set the level of acceleration, the level of regenerative braking, and even the driver's steering response level.
At the moment there is no price or final specification shared by Stellantis, but what is certain is that the Leapmotor C10 will give fierce competition if it is offered at a price range of RM 150K-RM 170K because that is the price range of popular electric cars in Malaysia, namely the BYD Atto 3 and also Tesla Model Y. Let's all look forward to the launch of this car on October 16.