Leapmotor B10 review

You could compare the explosion of compact SUVs to the sudden influx of coffee shops that have taken over high streets across the country. And now, there’s another one about to arrive on our shores: the Leapmotor B10.

But what is it, exactly? Well, the B10 is a pure electric family SUV that sits below the C10 SUV and is priced at the entry-level end of the class, placing it in line with the MG S5 and Skoda Elroq.

Outside, the B10 takes styling cues from its C10 sibling, with razor-thin headlights, chunky SUV proportions and a generally minimalistic look.

Indeed, the Leapmotor B10 is the third model offered in the UK by the Chinese firm, which is part of the cohort of brands owned by automotive giant Stellantis. The latter owns a host of car manufacturers including Jeep, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

What’s new?

- September 2025: official European launch of Leapmotor B10
- August 2025: first consignment of Leapmotor B10 models sets sail for Europe ahead of launch at Munich motor show
- April 2025: New B10 SUV officially launched at Shanghai motor show
 

How fast is it and which motor is best?

There’s only one electric motor option for the Leapmotor B10, developing 215bhp and sending its power to the rear wheels. That’s enough to propel the B10 from 0-62mph in 8.0sec, putting it on a par with the entry-level MG S5 EV and beating the Skoda Elroq 50. 

There’s plenty of power when you put your foot down and you won’t struggle getting up to motorway speeds or when overtaking. That said, more powerful versions of the S5 and Elroq are available.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The soft suspension does a pretty good job of filtering out drain covers at low speed, and while it takes a second for the body to settle down again over speed bumps, it’s not wallowey enough to make occupants feel queasy.

However, start building up speed out of town and the B10 exhibits a lot of lean when cornering. There’s a moderate level of grip for it to feel safe, but the light and vague steering makes it difficult to judge how much input is required when turning into a corner. 

While the MG S5 takes a similarly soft approach, it's a bit better controlled and the steering responds more naturally. However, the Skoda Elroq feels the most composed, with limited body lean, higher levels of grip and well weighted steering.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

Three driving modes are available: Comfort, Standard and Sport. The spikey accelerator pedal response in Sport means progress can be jerky, otherwise, the B10 is very easy to drive in a smooth manner.

A regenerative braking system helps to recoup some electric energy as you slow down after lifting off the accelerator pedal. There are three levels of strength to choose from, including a coasting mode, but even the strongest setting is quite mild and won’t bring you to a complete halt. A strong one-pedal mode is due next year as part of an over-the-air software update.

At least the braking effect is smooth and gentle, and when it comes to using the brake pedal itself, the response is linear and less grabby than the much more expensive Renault Scenic.

On the motorway, there’s a bit of wind fluttering around the front pillars, otherwise road and suspension noise is low. There’s also hardly any of the tyre thump at low speeds that the MG S5 suffers from. In fact, you tend to hear the hum from the artificial sound generator in a similar way to the BYD Atto 3.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The B10 will be offered with just one battery: a 67.1kWh (total capacity) unit that can officially travel up to 270 miles on a full charge. That’s slightly better than an entry-level MG S5 EV in SE trim (at 211 miles) and Skoda Elroq 50 (around 230 miles). That said, both these rivals are available with longer range options for a little more money, with the S5 offering up to 298 miles of range and the Elroq SE L 85 up to around 350 miles.

That battery can accept charging speeds of up to 168kW, meaning a 30-80% top-up should take around 20 minutes. It’s worth noting that both the MG S5 SE and Skoda Elroq (50 and 60) take around 24 minutes to charge from 10-80%. 

A small bonus for the B10 is its vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging function, meaning you can charge up external devices using the battery. A heat pump is standard to help warm up the interior more efficiently.

“I found the B10’s steering incredibly light when set to Comfort mode. That’s great for making low speed manoeuvres effortless, but less confidence-inspiring once you’re on the move” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The Leapmotor B10’s interior is available with two different grey colour themes, with a lighter version fitted as standard and a darker, more monotone Shadow Grey one available as a no-cost option. 

There’s plenty of soft, padded faux-leather material on the doors, steering wheel and centre console. It feels solidly put together and the plastics don’t feel hollow or brittle. Overall, the B10 puts in a solid effort to feel upmarket for the price.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The driver’s seat gets six-way electric adjustment that makes it effortless to find your ideal seating position, but it does miss out on adjustable lumbar support that comes as standard on many rivals. What’s more, those who like to sit lower to the ground may find the steering wheel doesn’t quite come down far enough when setting its height. 

Meanwhile, the front passenger seat also gets four-way electric adjustment, although some may find the lack of height adjustment means they’re perched quite high up.

Forward visibility is mostly good, thanks to a low dashboard and a raised seating position. The front pillars aren’t particularly chunky but the way they slope means they can obscure your view out at junctions, though. Rear visibility is slightly hampered by a rear screen that’s mostly obscured by the rear head rests. There’s also no rear wiper.

Rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view camera come as standard to help with parking, and the image the camera feeds to the infotainment screen is huge and clear, if not quite as high-res as the MG S5’s. Automatic LED headlights with automatic high beam also help maximise visibility at night.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

The B10’s 14.6in central touchscreen is bigger than those in the MG S5 and Skoda Elroq and displays sharp graphics. It responds quickly enough to inputs and includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. 

The biggest downside is that you do have to rely on the touchscreen to control most things, including the air conditioning, mirror controls and even the sun shade for the panoramic sunroof. 

The B10 misses out on the brilliant physical ventilation controls found in the MG S5, and while there are plenty of customisable shortcut icons on the bottom of the screen, they are very small and tricky to aim for when driving. True, the menu layout is fairly logical, but you do have to spend a lot of time scrolling down to find your function.

Behind the steering wheel is an 8.8in digital instrument display. It’s wider than what you get in an Elroq, but smaller than the MG S5’s. The display is clear and you can scroll through to see a trip computer or a small map on the right hand side. 

A 12-speaker audio system is standard and sounds quite punchy, while offering surround sound to feel more immersive. 

"You get physical buttons on the steering wheel, but I can say with confidence the B10 is the first car I’ve ever driven with the central locking button fitted on here. It’s somewhat convenient but also easy to press by mistake" – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

How much space does it have for people?

If there’s one area the B10 scores big points on, it’s passenger space.

There’s a generous amount of leg and elbow room up front, while the standard-fit panoramic roof still leaves plenty of clearance above a six-footer’s head.

In the back seats, a six footer gets limo-like leg room when sitting behind someone of equal size and (unlike in the Kia EV6), has space to tuck their feet under the front seats. There’s also plenty of head room.

A flat floor means a middle passenger has space for their feet and enough clearance above their head from the glass section of the ceiling.

How much room does it have for luggage?

There’s plenty of storage space dotted around the B10’s interior, including a deep centre cubby under the armrest and a tray for two phones - with one that has wireless charging. The door bins are deep and long and there’s a lower storage tray below the air vents with two fold down cupholders. The 8.5-litre glovebox is claimed to be able to hold a 14in laptop, but we’ll see if this remains the case for right-hand drive cars.

Head round to the boot and the B10’s 430 litre load area is slightly smaller than the MG S5’s (453 litres) and Skoda Elroq’s (470 litres) but it should still be enough to fulfil the needs of most families. A powered tailgate is standard to boost convenience, along with a height adjustable boot floor. There is quite a drop from the boot entrance when the floor is set to its lowest position and there is a step up to the rear backrest when folded. That said, in its highest position, the floor sits flush with both these areas, which makes it trickier to slide bulkier items through.

There’s also a 25-litre storage area under the bonnet, which you don’t get in the S5 or the Elroq.

The B10’s rear backrest folds in a 60/40 split, which isn’t as versatile as the 40/20/40 split you get in more expensive rivals, such as the Renault Scenic. You can’t slide the rear bench or recline the rear back rest. That said, you can fully recline the front seats, which has been designed to help front occupants relax or for rear occupants to use them as a leg rest. However this could also help versatility when you need to cater for longer items from the boot.

"There’s a huge amount of space available in the B10 and it feels airy, too. I wouldn’t complain about which seat I’d sit in at all.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

Prices for the B10 start at £31,495, but private buyers will benefit from a £1500 'Leap-Grant', taking the starting price down just below £30,000. That undercuts the Skoda Elroq and most other family electric SUVs, although the entry-level MG S5 EV can be had for less.

Better still, if you’re a company car driver, the B10’s lower P11D price means it costs less in salary sacrifice than most rivals, despite sitting in the same BIK tax bracket.

Every B10 will come equipped with 18in alloy wheels, climate control, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, automatic windscreen wipers, rear privacy glass and adaptive cruise control.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

With Leapmotor being a new brand to the UK, it’s yet to feature in the What Car? Reliability Survey. The B10 comes with a four-year, 60,000 mile warranty, while the battery has its own eight year, 100,000 mile cover. The brand is also backed by Stellantis so you’ll have easy access to servicing and parts.

How safe is it?

The B10 is yet to be crash tested by safety experts at Euro NCAP. Safety equipment includes seven airbags, two rear Isofix points, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, driver attention monitoring, traffic sign recognition and rear-cross traffic alert. 

“There aren’t any optional extras available on the B10, but it’s so well equipped it doesn’t matter. If you wanted a Skoda Elroq with heated seats and a heat pump, you’d have to pay extra.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Buy it if

- You need a car with a huge amount of space

- You tend to drive around town

- You want plenty of kit

Don’t buy it if

- You want a car that handles neatly 

- You would prefer physical controls inside

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