The Leapmotor B10 arrived at Exhaust Notes Australia with fuel prices volatile, and EV sales at a record high (16.4 per cent of new vehicles, according to VFACTS April 2026). So, it’s only fitting that we review an electric car, this one in its Design Long Range specification.
Pitched as a compact, rear wheel drive SUV measuring around 4,515mm in length, 1,885mm in width, and 1,665mm in height, it has fairly generic looks, is conservatively styled, and yet also inoffensive.
The front and rear lights are slim, giving the car a very modern look. The B10 doesn’t come with a conventional key or fob either, but rather a card similar in size to a credit card. You just tap the card on the driver’s side mirror to unlock and gain access.
That’s good in theory, but it’s not that simple because you have to be quite precise in tapping the exact spot where the sensor is on the mirror. You do get used to it after a while. This system also means there’s no ‘keyless entry’ in the conventional sense.
Once inside the Leapmotor B10 you’re greeted with a fairly conservative, but rather attractive and bright cabin. The front is dominated by a 14.6-inch portrait-style touchscreen with a smaller screen in front of the steering wheel that shows speed, limit and other information.
The front seats are covered in leather, are heated and cooled, are comfortable to sit in and have plenty of adjustments. There’s no lumbar adjustment, which we found to be a curious omission. The armrest is wide and long.
As a consequence, it impedes access to the cupholders which are located under the main screen. You have to lean forward and down to access them, which isn’t ideal when enjoying a coffee. Rear seat accommodation is comfortable, with plenty of legroom for taller passengers.
Amenities include rear air vents, USB ports (A and C) and a pull-down armrest with cupholders. The height of the window sill is such that rear passengers enjoy a good view outside, which can’t be said of all of its competitors.
What really opens up the cabin though is the fixed panoramic roof, which extends over the heads of the rear passengers. The tint is just right so that you’re not blinded (or cooked) on warmer days. It can be covered (fully or partially) with a blind.
Although there’s a bit of a slope to the rear hatch, it still provides easy access to quite a generous 490-litre cargo area, and the rear seats can be folded almost flat to create 1475-litres of storage. Curiously, there was no wiper on the tailgate glass.
Vehicles controls centre around the touchscreen, and there are too many functions that require swiping up, down, and all over the place to access. Even adjusting the exterior mirrors requires a swipe down, a press, and pretty precise movement of an on-screen slider.
Conventional mirror adjustment buttons on the front door would be so much simpler and more convenient. Likewise, the climate controls are buried somewhat deeply in the touchscreen. There’s little doubt some physical buttons wouldn’t go astray.
The level of customisation of various functions is impressive and almost over the top. For example, not only can you change the colour of the mood lighting but you can make it change colour to the beat of the song that you are listening to.
While the clarity and responsiveness of the touchscreen is excellent, the same can’t be said for the rear reversing and 360-degree surround view cameras. Both are average. The latter is interactive though, letting you change angles at the touch of a button.
You activate the car by placing the ‘card’ on a particular spot on the centre armrest, before moving the column shift to Drive, and accelerating away. The B10 uses a single rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.
It outputs 160kW and 240Nm on its way to 100km/h in around eight seconds. Acceleration from the 67.1kWh LFP battery felt swifter than the performance figures suggest. Maybe it was the quietness of the cabin and the really smooth ride that contributed to that feeling.
The estimated range of the Design Long Range is around just over 500km. Over the course of the week, the power usage averaged 17kWh/100km which is quite decent for a vehicle of this size. DC fast charging time is around twenty minutes from 30 to 80 per cent.
For those who have never driven an EV, the torque is instant, and there are no gears to change as you progress through the power band. The B10 has a single-speed reduction gear, which is conceptually closer to that of a dodgem car than a traditional ICE gearbox.
This is why the B10 is instantly responsive, very smooth and has a seamless characteristic to it as you accelerate. Backing off the accelerator, the electric motor stops driving the wheels forward and instead acts like a generator, sending power to the battery.
If you’ve heard the term regenerative braking, then that’s what this is. When you do need to brake, those are excellent, with a nice, progressive feel. Steering is precise, but doesn’t provide much in the way of feedback.
It’s overly light and effortless to the point where it’s sometimes difficult to get a ‘feel’ for the road. This was particularly so when driving on Sydney’s M5 motorway at the speed limit. The turning circle is relatively small, and manoeuvring the car when parking is effortless.
Safety tech delivers the usual array of ‘bings’ and ‘bongs’ from the driver-assistance systems, making it easy to feel like you’re constantly doing something wrong. Thankfully, the volume of the warnings is relatively low and therefore not too annoying.
Overall, the 2026 Leapmotor B10 Design Long Range is quite an impressive package. It’s a comfortable and practical EV, that delivers plenty of tech in a compact SUV. Priced from $40,888 plus on-roads, it’s available in six colours. Ours came in Dawn Purple.
It comes with a 6-year or 150,000km warranty, and an 8-year or 160,000km warranty for the high voltage battery. You also get 8-years of capped price servicing and roadside assist. You can find out more on the Leapmotor website, or by talking to your local dealership.
To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Leapmotor Australia for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
