Leapmotor C10 REEV review

Long-distance runners find that a boost from an energy gel or a protein bar goes a long way in helping them reach the finish line. And similarly, the petrol engine generator of the otherwise electric Leapmotor C10 REEV tops up the battery to keep it going.

In short, the C10 REEV is what’s called a range-extender hybrid and is similar to the system in a Mazda MX-30 R-EV.  This means the engine never drives the wheels directly and solely charges up a battery. However, like that car, the C10 REEV is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), so you can also charge it via a socket if you want to maximise fuel efficiency.

So how does it fare against fellow Chinese rival, the MG HS PHEV, and established athletes, such as the Audi Q3 and Volkswagen Tiguan? 

What’s new?

January 2026 – on sale date for the C10 REEV in the UK

How fast is it and which engine is best?

The C10 REEV is based on the C10 electric SUV, but it combines a 158kW electric motor with a 1.5-litre petrol engine to produce 212bhp. 

With a linear (albeit leisurely) delivery of power from the electric motor, the C10 REEV completes the 0-62mph dash in 8.5sec, which is more than two seconds slower than the MG HS PHEV and a little behind the Kia Sportage 1.6 GDi AWD.  

There are three driving modes: Eco, Standard and Sport. In Standard and Eco modes, acceleration feels pretty sluggish both from a standstill and for overtaking, but things improve in Sport.

There are also separate customisation settings for the acceleration and steering, which on the face of it sound useful, but do feel rather like overkill for everyday use. We found the best combination for making swift progress to be Robust acceleration and Sports steering. 

On top of all this, there are four hybrid settings that can be selected via the touchscreen (EV+, EV, Fuel and Power+). These alter the charge rate at which the engine fires up to charge the battery, ranging from sticking with pure electric power only until it’s all used up (EV+), to sticking with petrol assistance all the time (Power+). We found the car more responsive when it was in Fuel and Power+ modes.  

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Dynamically, the REEV is very similar to the Leapmotor C10 electric SUV. This means it’s generally comfortable around town, but the ride is fidgety at speed.  

Driving over potholes and other road imperfections sends a thud through to the interior and makes the car feel unbalanced. There’s also a fair amount of vibration through the steering wheel on all but the smoothest surfaces. 

The C10 REEV’s handling is only average. The firm ride helps to keep the body upright through corners, but front-end grip is poor on tighter bends. On top of this, the steering is light, which is useful for driving around town but provides very little feedback, making it harder to know what the front wheels are doing. Switching to Sport steering mode does help matters, though.

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

The C10 REEV is smooth and refined, with the petrol engine remaining super quiet when it chimes in. It suffers from little road and wind noise regardless of whether you’re driving slowly around town or at motorway speeds. 

The brakes can be grabby though, and that makes it more difficult to slow the car down smoothly.

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

With a 28.4kWh (total capacity) battery, the C10 REEV can officially travel up to 90 miles on electric power alone before the engine kicks in, which is farther than the MG HS and VW Tiguan PHEVs. 

You can also charge it at speeds of up to 65kW, which means a 30-80% charge takes around 18 minutes from a suitably powerful public charger. 

Like a lot of PHEVs, the official fuel economy numbers are a bit misleading. On our test route of mixed driving, we managed an average of 44.8mpg, which isn’t bad but it’s a long way off the official 706.2mpg figure.

"The C10 REEV’s steering is light and uncommunicative in Standard and Sport driving modes, which is useful for city driving and getting into small parking spaces, but not helpful for suburban and rural driving. Switching to Sport mode adds more feel." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer 

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

The C10 REEV’s interior is the same as that of the pure electric Leapmotor C10. That’s good because that car is heavily influenced by Tesla interiors, so all the materials have a quality feel to them, with the few pieces of hard plastic and untextured trim kept out of sight. Build quality seems pretty good, too.

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

The driver’s seat is high up, and it’s easy to find a good driving position because there’s plenty of electrical adjustment on the seat as standard. There is no height adjustment for the front seatbelts, though, so taller or shorter drivers may find they sit too low or high for comfort. 

Forward visibility is good because the front window pillars are narrow and the front windows are large, providing a good view out at junctions and over the car's bonnet. The view over your shoulder is impressive too, with large rear windows and big cut-outs in the rear pillars giving a wide view to the rear.

To make parking easier, rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera come as standard. You also get standard-fit automatic LED headlights to help out when it gets dark.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Every C10 REEV comes with a high resolution 10.25in digital driver's display that shows all the info the driver should need. The text on it is larger than the screen on the smaller Leapmotor B10, making it easier to read. 

There are hardly any physical buttons inside the C10 REEV. In fact, the only ones are four buttons on the steering wheel and two scroll wheels, which are strongly reminiscent of those on Tesla models.

While the 14.6in touchscreen is crisp and fairly quick to respond, you have to dive into it to adjust almost everything. What’s more, there are a lot of sub-menus and small icons to tap, which makes it very distracting to use while driving. It’s not that different from the systems in the MG HS or Volkswagen Tiguan, though. 

The earliest examples of the electric C10 didn’t come with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity, but this is standard on the REEV, and should be retrofitted to older cars via an over-the-air update. 

"While the infotainment screen is pretty large and high resolution, it’s complicated and it’s a shame there aren’t any physical controls for frequently used systems underneath it, making it harder to change settings on the move." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer 

How much space does it have for people?

Space for the driver and front seat passenger are excellent, with plenty of room for a pair of six-footers to spread out. Rear seat passengers are just as well catered for, with enough head and leg room even if they’re sitting behind tall adults. 

There’s no transmission tunnel running down the middle of the car, so a third adult can also sit comfortably in the middle pew. 

There are lots of useful storage solutions, too, including a deep cubby under the central arm rest, a large compartment under the centre console and a pair of cupholders and a wireless phone charging pad up front. Only the front door bins let the side down a bit because they only have enough room for a standard water bottle rather than anything bigger. 

How much room is there for luggage?

The boot opening is large and wide and there’s no load lip to negotiate to get heavier items into the boot, but the boot floor is fairly high up.

At 400 litres, the C10 REEV’s boot is on the small side for such a roomy family SUV. Its capacity is around 100 litres less than the MG HS PHEV (507 litres) and VW Tiguan (490 litres).  

The rear seats don’t do anything particularly clever, with only the ability to split 60/40 and fold down flat but not slide back and forth. That is the same as those on the MG HS PHEV, but not as versatile as the 40/20/40 seats you get in the VW Tiguan.

"Given the length of the C10 REEV, it’s disappointing that the boot is significantly smaller than those of its rivals." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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

The C10 REEV costs £36,500, the same as the pure electric Leapmotor C10. That pitches it around £6000 below a comparable VW Tiguan, but £1800 more than the higher spec Trophy version of the MG HS PHEV.  

That said, the C10 only comes in one trim level and that has an impressive tally of standard kit, including a heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats with electric adjustment and a memory function, dual-zone climate control, LED front and rear lights, an electric tailgate and a panoramic sunroof. In fact, the only optional extra you can add is a special paint hue. 

The REEV’s CO2 output of 38g/km places it in a low BIK bracket, making it a good option for company car drivers. However, the pure electric C10 costs even less.

Is it reliable and how long is the warranty?

Being such a new brand, Leapmotor wasn’t included in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey. 

However, the brand offers a four-year/60,000-mile standard warranty on all models and eight years/100,000 miles on the battery pack. 

The brand is partly owned by Stellantis, and many of its existing dealers will sell and service Leapmotor vehicles, so buyers should have the benefit of easy access to servicing and parts. 

How safe is it and is it easy to steal?

One area worth mentioning is the safety systems. While the car has a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and loads of standard safety kit, the lane-keep assist and driver monitoring systems are not very intuitive in real-world driving. In fact, they’re sensitive to the point where they are a hindrance rather than a help, with too many bongs, warnings and tugs from the wheel.

You can, of course, switch off the lane-keeping assist, but this requires diving into the infotainment touchscreen when stationary in order to do so, including the extra emergency lane-keep system. You can’t turn off the driver monitoring system, though. Leapmotor has already implemented over-the-air (OTA) software updates to help improve these systems and it says there will be more to come in future. 

"Although Leapmotor doesn't have a proven reliability record in the UK or Europe, it is backed by Stellantis, which should ensure a good supply of parts when needed and lots of dealers on hand should anything go wrong." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buy it if…

-You want a PHEV with a long electric-only range

-You like cars with lots of tech

-You want a car with lots of standard equipment

Don’t buy it if…

-You value ride comfort

-You want an SUV that handles well

-You want a car with a user-friendly interior

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