A LITTLE-known car brand is ready to take the UK by storm with the release of two budget motors – including a small EV that is priced at just £15,995.
Chinese firm Leapmotor have joined the likes of Omoda and Avatr as new makers of electric vehicles seeking their fortune in Europe.
Leapmotor are coming to the UK with two bargain EVs – including the second-cheapest electric car to be made available[/caption]
The little city car is only £1,000 pricier than the Dacia Spring[/caption]
The brand are also releasing a mid-size SUV to take on the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5[/caption]
Leapmotor, which is less than 10 years old, has revealed two great-value models that could become wildly popular – their C10 family SUV and the T03 city car.
The T03 stands out for its £15,995 price tag, making it the UK’s second-cheapest electric car at just £1,000 more than the Dacia Spring.
Similar in looks to the Kia Picanto, Sun Motors supremo Rob Gill has already taken the T03 for a spin – describing it in his road test as a “no-frills, budget EV” and highlighting that it’s £6,000 cheaper than a Fiat 500.
Indeed, Leapmotor has teamed up with Fiat-making Stellantis – who owns the likes of Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and others – to build and sell their cars in Europe.
For the extra £1,000, the T03 comes with a larger battery than its Dacia rival that provides an extra 26 miles of range per charge – roughly the length of a marathon.
It’s also slightly nippier than the Spring, with a motor capable of 94bhp that is capable of hitting 0-62mph in 12.7 seconds.
But for Brit drivers looking for something a little bit bigger, Leapmotor’s C10 model is closer in style to the hugely popular Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model Y, and will be offered in just one specification that’s priced at £36,500.
Described as a mid-size crossover SUV, the C10 packs a 215bhp motor with a range of 261 miles and a battery that charges from 30-80% in about half an hour.
Orders for both motors will be opened next month, and first deliveries are expected to begin in December, while Leapmotor will reveal their third model, an SUV called the B10, at the upcoming Paris motor show.
This comes as another Chinese firm called Denza is preparing for its European launch and will look to take on the might of Porsche.
And a British sports car brand is ready to release a new flagship model in just weeks – and it’ll follow a legendary supercar from the 1990s.
Sun Motors’ Rob Gill recently took the T03 for a spin and compared it to the Fiat 500[/caption]
Both cars will be sold in the UK by December[/caption]
