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Stellantis-backed carmaker Leapmotor has launched a revised C10 SUV with a new electric motor and battery for the EV, and additional technology.
Electric Cars
An update for the Leapmotor C10 electric and range-extender plug-in hybrid SUV has debuted ahead of a potential Australian launch by the end of the year.
Revealed in China, the 2026 Leapmotor C10 has moved to an 800-volt electrical architecture – up from 400 volts – with a more-powerful 220kW electric motor for the EV variant, up from 170kW.
It is unclear if this change will be applied to the global version of the C10 – including for Australia – as it currently has a 160kW/320Nm motor different from the previous 170kW and new 220kW units available in China.
A 74.9kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack has been added to the C10 EV in China – up from 69.9kWh – rated for a 605-kilometre driving range on the Chinese CLTC lab-test standard.
Leapmotor claims the updated C10 EV can complete the 0-100km/h acceleration sprint in 5.9 seconds, a 1.4-second improvement over the outgoing 170kW model. The 160kW global model is rated at 7.5 seconds.
There are no changes to the C10 range-extender plug-in hybrid model, which retains its 158kW electric motor and 28.4kWh battery, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine only used to generate electricity for its battery.
"[The] updates are under consideration, but we won't be able to confirm [2026] specs until later in the year," a spokesperson for Stellantis Australia – the local distributor of Leapmotor cars, along with its main Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Fiat brands – said.
Other revisions include an updated Qualcomm Snapdragon '8295P' processor for its infotainment system, a new purple exterior colour, power-operated exterior door handles, and a faster 50-watt wireless phone charger.
In China, the 2026 Leapmotor C10 extended-range hybrid starts from 129,800 yuan ($AU29,000), while the C10 EV is available from 139,800 yuan ($AU30,000).
The 2025 C10 sold in Australia starts from $43,888 before on-road costs for the range-extender hybrid and $45,888 for the electric model, with national drive-away offers currently available for the hybrid.
VFACTS new-car sales data shows 202 Leapmotor C10s have been delivered in Australia between late 2024 when the brand launched and the end of March 2025.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
