Leapmotor T03 (2024 - )

Another week and another Chinese carmaker has emerged. It’s called Leapmotor and we would suggest this is a name to look out for. That’s because, unlike some carmakers from the region that seem to disappear into the ether, Leapmotor is 51 per cent owned by Stellantis here in Europe. So, that means the cars will be marketed in showrooms alongside Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and the rest of the company’s extensive line-up.

The T03, which is built in Poland for our market, is a five-door city runaround that is fully electrified and has a very USP. It’s priced at just £15,995 so will provide direct competition to the recently launched Dacia Spring. And, although I haven’t personally driven the Spring, we were able to view static models of both cars side by side. After some prodding and pushing, it has to be said the build quality of the Leapmotor is far superior to the Spring. The cladding is smooth and the charging flap is solid, unlike the sharp and flimsy offerings on the Dacia.

So, what do you get with the Leapmotor T03? The answer is quite simple – it’s a quirky little city car that can venture further if necessary. It’s generously equipped and very simple to drive. It’s not without its faults with lots of invasive chimes to alert the driver to speed or lane departure, and the range could also be better, but this is a great value little car and ‘value’ is the main objective of Leapmotor as it debuts here in the UK.

The trim levels are simple as there is just the one and there is also only a single battery choice – a 37kWh unit with a range of 165 miles between charges. The T03 was launched in Europe last October, but has just made its way to UK shores for us to test drive.
 

The pint-sized Leapmotor T03 is a funky-looking, five-door model that’s big on character and appeal. It’s a little bit Fiat 500-ish in its oval shape but with a flatter roofline. There’s a small bonnet, neat light clusters with daytime running lights, LED tail lights, quite wide pillars, large windows, a single front windscreen wiper (none at the back), a front charging port and 15-inch alloy wheels with petal-shaped spokes. 

Moving inside, the interior is TARDIS-like with impressive space and there is a panoramic sunroof with a powered blind which is a nice touch on a budget car.

The cloth seats are comfortable enough, but functions such as adjusting the door mirrors, is via the touchscreen which is a bit of a faff. The touchscreen itself is 10-1 inches in size and offers access to the on-board features, including the sat nav, Bluetooth, the rearview camera and radio. Noticeable by its absence though is the lack of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone compatibility. That becomes more of an issue with the rather poor graphics on the car’s navigation system, which at times, also dropped in and out of service.

Behind the steering wheel is an eight-inch driver information screen where all the vital data such as speed, driving range and battery charge levels is clearly displayed. In fact, it’s a fairly driver-focused cabin, although a little too touchscreen-dependent for certain function.
 

The front-wheel drive Leapmotor T03 is available with one trim and a single 37kWh battery delivering 95hp and 158Nm of torque. With a single-speed automatic transmission system, it can reach 62mph from a standing start in 12.7 seconds and tops out at 81mph. While those figures may not set the world alight, this is predominantly a city runaround with lots of stop-and-go driving on the cards. So, blistering pace will not be a priority for would-be customers.

The WLTP-tested range is a combined 165 miles, although this could potentially increase to 245 miles of urban driving which is less of a drain on the battery, plus extra charge can be recouped via regenerative braking.

Comfort levels are good and the ride quality is also decent enough, but there is quite an irritating whining noise when accelerating or braking below 20mph. 

But that aside, the handling is fine with good all-round driver visibility being another plus-point. Drive modes called Eco, Sport and Standard alter the handling and the regenerative braking becomes more noticeable in Eco mode. 

It is nicely balanced on twisting back roads and the suspension system does a worthy job of smoothing out bumps and dips along the way. It’s not exactly a performance car, but then we need to keep reminding ourselves of the very enticing asking price.
In addition, there is a wealth of safety features and driver assistance aids and these will certainly keep you alert with a stream of bings, bongs and beeps. Thankfully they can be deactivated, although that rather defeats the object of safety systems!
 

For a compact city car, the Leapmotor T03 is deceptively spacious. It stretches 3,620mm in length, is 1,652mm wide (excluding mirrors), 1,577mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,400mm.

But it’s the interior space that’s the really surprising factor here. Thanks to its high roofline, there’s bundles of room for a couple of six footers up front. And rear passengers also benefit from impressive leg, head and elbow space. A couple of grown-ups will fit in the back for shorter journeys and there’s plenty of space for their feet under the front seats. Trying to accommodate three adults would be too much of a squeeze due to the car’s narrow proportions, but it’s certainly plenty wide enough for a trio of youngsters.

As you might expect, the boot is fairly compact with just 210 litres of storage space. But that’s ample for the weekly shopping trip. The rear seats fold down as a single bench to open up extra storage room and there are numerous options scattered throughout the cabin to keep bits and pieces secure, including a glovebox, a single cup holder, door bins, USB-C ports and some trays.
 

The pricing structure for the Leapmotor 03 couldn’t be simpler with just one model priced at £15,995. Our test car featured Light White paintwork which comes as standard, but customers can specify Starry Silver or Glacier Blue shades that add £650 to the asking price.

Leapmotor representatives were very keen to stress the value of the vehicle and, with its impressive amount of tech as standard, they make a very good point. While the Dacia Spring can just beat it on price, the T03 boasts far superior equipment levels and, as we mentioned previously, a more robust build quality.

At present, all electric cars are free from Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) and owners enjoy plenty of other financial incentives for driving an EV such as being completely exempt from Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone fees, but the government will be withdrawing or reducing many of the financial bonuses this year. 
Most owners will likely charge their T03 from a home wallbox or a similar work-based unit which takes in the region of three hours to boost. But it can be charged via a CCS fast charger at a speed of 48kW where a 30 to 80 per cent boost takes 36 minutes.

And for added peace of mind, the vehicle comes with a four-year, 60,000-mile warranty package, increased to eight years and 100,000 miles battery cover.
 

The Leapmotor T03 offers plenty of appeal with its easy-on-the-eye styling, ease of driving and very attractive price-tag.

It’s competing in the A segment, but only really has one rival when it comes to price – the Dacia Spring. But the T03 offers a whole lot more kit for the price and the build quality is also superior. 

That said; Dacia is an established name and while people are being bombarded with Chinese models, brand snobbery could still be an issue. However, having the Stellantis name in its corner will certainly carry some weight.

And there are some attractive finance deals at launch with the T03 available for a £199 deposit followed by four years of £199 monthly payments.