2026 Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV review: Quick drive

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    Having already rolled out the B10 small electric SUV, Leapmotor is now offering a solution for those who aren’t quite ready to go fully electric: the B10 Hybrid EV.

    Despite what the name might suggest, it is in fact an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV, as per the larger C10 Hybrid EV mid-size SUV), relying on a petrol engine that acts only as a generator to charge the car’s high-voltage battery. The result is a driving range of up to 900km before needing to either plug in or fill up at the pump.

    And even though it has a lot of additional powertrain hardware, there’s still the same great amount of space inside the cabin. To see how the extended-range B10 copes with everyday life ahead of its potential release in Australia, we got behind the wheel at the car’s European launch in Rome.

    How much does the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV cost?

    Local pricing for the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV has yet to be confirmed, but we expect it to follow a similar pattern to the C10, which also comes in both EV and Hybrid EV guises.

    In that instance, the C10 Hybrid EV costs around $2100 less than the C10 EV with a drive-away price of $47,551.

    The B10 EV currently has a drive-away price of $42,391 (based on a North Sydney postcode), so maybe the Hybrid EV will come in at under the $40k barrier.

    To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

    What is the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV like on the inside?

    You’ll struggle to spot any difference between this extended-range Leapmotor B10 and the electric variant.

    The cabin does have a very Chinese layout to its design, with little in the way of physical buttons and almost everything controlled and operated via the 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen.

    The two-spoke steering wheel features Tesla-like rotary controllers and has a slightly flat bottom. Ahead of this is a wide 8.8-inch digital instrument panel, which looks good but has quite a small font, making it tricky for some to view all of the data it shows.

    And the B10 has a column-mounted stalk to shift between drive and reverse.

    The infotainment system is far from the most intuitive we’ve used, though it reacts very quickly to inputs thanks to a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip. The menu system is similar to a smartphone’s in some ways, though many of the functions and setting changes require multiple taps on the screen to complete, which is bound to be a distraction. There is voice control, but we found its accuracy to be limited.

    Between the front seats is a generous armrest with a storage compartment underneath. At floor level is an open storage area with two cupholders that fold down and feel more robust than they appear. There’s also wireless phone charging built into the centre console.

    The rest of the dashboard layout is simple and slightly unusual, with six rounded holes in the fascia in front of the passengers.

    The front seats are a little short on side and under-leg support but are comfortable enough for short and medium-length journeys.

    It’s better for those in the rear, where the B10 provides a very generous amount of space for passengers. A flat floor all the way across the back, paired with ample legroom and headroom, makes it a spacious environment for even the tallest of passengers.

    You don’t get a huge amount of storage in the rear, though. The door bins are a little on the small side, but there are pockets for slimmer items on the backs of the front seats, and the central backrest folds down to provide two cupholders.

    Leapmotor lists the boot capacity at 330 litres, and the rear seats can easily fold down to increase the cargo volume to a practical 1600 litres.

    Dimensions Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV
    Length

    4515mm

    Width

    1855mm

    Height

    1655mm

    Wheelbase

    2735mm

    Cargo capacity

    330L (rear seats up)

    1600L (rear seats folded)

    To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

    What’s under the bonnet?

    Leapmotor uses the same electric motor for the Hybrid EV as it does for the pure EV; what changes is the fitment of a smaller-capacity battery and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that acts as a generator for the battery.

    Specifications Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV
    Engine

    1.5L 4cyl petrol

    Engine outputs

    50kW

    Electric motor outputs

    160kW

    240Nm

    System outputs

    160kW

    240Nm

    Battery

    18.8kWh LFP

    Transmission

    Single-speed

    Drive type

    Rear-wheel drive

    Weight

    1845kg

    0-100km/h (claimed)

    7.5 seconds

    Fuel economy (claimed)

    2.5L/100km

    Energy consumption (claimed)

    17.0kWh/100km

    Electric driving range

    86km

    Fuel tank capacity

    50L

    With peak outputs of 160kW and 240Nm, the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV matches its electric counterpart in terms of performance.

    Energy to the electric motor comes from an 18.8kWh battery that, in isolation, can provide enough capacity for 86km of driving. After that the petrol engine activates and generates electricity to recharge the battery, allowing it to continue powering the electric motor that drives the rear wheels.

    To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

    How does the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV drive?

    At first, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV and the purely electric version.

    After all, both cars use the same electric motor, and the Hybrid EV enables electric-only driving over two modes, EV and EV+. The latter drains more energy from the battery before activating the petrol engine/generator.

    In either of the pure-electric modes, the B10 drives smoothly and demonstrates how it is mainly set up for comfort and everyday use rather than any kind of enthusiastic driving. Unlike some electric SUVs that insist on having near-rigid suspension in the quest for feeling dynamic and sporty, the Leapmotor leans in bends and generally does a decent job of soaking up the type of surface bumps you find in everyday urban driving.

    Its steering is light, but there is an option to adjust the weighting of it via the settings menu.

    The B10 feels most at home in urban settings, and that’s where it does its best work. The suspension is suited to traversing speed bumps and the typical road obstacles you’ll experience in such environs. The fact that Leapmotor hasn’t fitted enormous wheels is a further plus to the comfort levels.

    Performance isn’t exactly brisk, but it’s fine for everyday driving. The power delivery is expectedly smooth and linear, and as you get out onto the highway it builds speed quickly enough.

    At cruising speed, the B10’s interior remains impressively quiet, not only as a result of the electric powertrain, but because it’s also well isolated from road and wind noise.

    In EV mode, once the battery’s charge drops to 25 per cent, the four-cylinder engine activates to start generating energy for the battery. This is what sets it apart from a conventional plug-in hybrid, as that engine isn’t connected to a gearbox, nor is it driving the wheels.

    As a result, it tends to rev at little more than idle speeds, meaning there’s rarely any more than a distant hum, rather than sounding strained as some PHEV engines can do when powering the vehicle. In this mode, the car acts much like a hybrid, with the generator only running as needed.

    Drivers can also choose to drive in a ‘Fuel’ mode, in which the powertrain always employs the petrol engine. This is suitable for longer motorway journeys, where it’s less efficient to use the electric portion of the powertrain, or if you need to ensure that you always have a full battery for a certain portion of your journey, as this mode keeps it topped up.

    The Power+ mode is effectively the B10’s sport setting, where it provides a full energy release from the battery and electric motor. We reckon most people will likely just leave it in the default setting most of the time and simply let the car decide the best powertrain mode for any given situation.

    To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

    What do you get?

    2026 Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV equipment highlights:

    • 18-inch alloy wheels
    • 8.8-inch digital instrument display
    • 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon chip
    • Satellite navigation
    • 360-degree camera system
    • Rear parking sensors
    • LED headlights
    • Fixed panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade
    • Wireless phone charger
    • USB-C charge ports
    • NFC digital key
    • Bluetooth
    • Automatic air-conditioning
    • Flush-fitting door handles
    • Tyre inflation kit
    • Over-the-air (OTA) software updates
    • LEAP Pilot (Level 2 ADAS)

    To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

    Is the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV safe?

    The Leapmotor B10 was tested by ANCAP in 2025, when it achieved a maximum five-star rating. Specifically, it scored a 93 per cent rating for adult occupant protection and 95 per cent for child occupant protection.

    Category Leapmotor B10
    Adult occupant protection

    93 per cent

    Child occupant protection

    95 per cent

    Vulnerable road user protection

    84 per cent

    Safety assist

    86 per cent

    Standard safety equipment includes:

    • Driver and front passenger airbags
    • Driver and front passenger side curtain airbags
    • Centre airbag
    • Automatic door unlocking after collision
    • 2 ISOFIX points in rear
    • Rear door child locks
    • Tyre pressure monitoring system
    • Front collision warning
    • Driver drowsiness and attention warning
    • Advanced distracted driver warning
    • Blind-spot detection
    • Lane departure warning
    • Automatic emergency braking
    • Lane-centring control

    To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

    How much does the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV cost to run?

    The Leapmotor B10 is covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty from the date of registration and there is a separate eight-year, 160,000km warranty for the high-voltage battery.

    To see how the Leapmotor B10 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

    CarExpert’s Take on the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV

    If the pricing for the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV is as competitive as that of the fully electric versions, this will be an attractive option for buyers.

    That’s especially true for those who aren’t entirely convinced about going fully electric or simply have commutes that induce range or charging anxiety.

    While the B10’s design doesn’t stand out a great deal, its interior space and solid levels of standard equipment make up for it.

    Interested in buying a Leapmotor B10? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

    Click the images for the full gallery

    MORE: Explore the Leapmotor B10 showroom

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