Leapmotor C10 a small step rather than giant leap

Hangzhou-based start-up's mid-sized crossover offers mix of hits and misses

- Christopher Tan

Most people will remember a time when reputation and heritage were values consumers considered when buying a car. Toyota's reliability, Mercedes' solidness, Volvo's safety, BMW's sportiness and so on.

These were perceptions often tested by fire and formed over decades. After all, many of these legacy carmakers have been around for a very long time.

The Chinese are now turning this notion on its head. Most of the Chinese carmakers are infants when compared with brands like Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Honda. They have little in the area of reputation and heritage. Yet, they are taking the world by storm.

In just three years, 17 Chinese car brands have landed in Singapore and they now account for nearly one in every five new cars sold.

Leapmotor is the latest to join the fray. The Hangzhou-based startup formed in 2015 is partly owned by European automotive group Stellantis, which has brands like Peugeot, Citroen and Alfa Romeo.

The first model here is the C10, a mid-sized electric crossover which looks somewhat like a smaller version of the Porsche Cayenne. The C10 is 4,739mm long, 1,900mm wide and 1,680mm tall, with a 2,825mm wheelbase.