Written by Luke Wilkinson Updated: 7 April 2025

Overview

Don’t worry – you’re not having an aggressive déjà vu episode. We recently drove the electric version of the Leapmotor C10 SUV, but the company has now launched a range-extended version of the car to broaden its appeal to those buyers who aren’t yet ready to make the switch to an electric vehicle.

It’s called the Leapmotor C10 REEV, which stands for ‘Range Extended Electric Vehicle.’ It has a 28.4kWh battery pack (compared to the 69.9kWh you get in the EV) and, under the bonnet, there’s a 1.5-litre petrol engine whose sole job is to generate electricity.

Because the C10 REEV’s battery is so much smaller than its electric sister car, it only has a maximum electric range of 90 miles. But, once you add on the extra range you get from the petrol generator, Leapmotor says you can get more than 600 miles out of the car before you need to refuel or recharge.

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It’s aggressively priced, too. Prices for the C10 REEV start from £36,500, meaning it comfortably undercuts the £40,000-plus Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq PHEVs. It also costs exactly the same as the electric C10, meaning Leapmotor is now giving Vauxhall a run for its money in the petrol/EV price parity stakes.

But is the C10 REEV worth opting for over the simpler electric model? Or is it just another eco-gimmick designed to keep electric car naysayers entertained until the 2030 petrol and diesel ban comes into force?

What it like inside?

Massive. I was surprised by the amount of space the C10 EV’s interior had – and just enough time had passed between then and my drive of the REEV for it to surprise me all over again. It’s cosmically vast.

Even with the front seats set to accommodate a six-foot driver, there’s still acres of kneeroom in the rear. Plus, because the car is so wide, you can fit three adults on the rear bench with ease – and there’s no chance of the front passengers rubbing elbows.

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The REEV sacrifices 35 litres of boot space to the EV, which leaves you with 400 litres. However, Leapmotor has compensated for that with a new 30-litre under bonnet storage area. As it’s sat on top of the engine, though, I wouldn’t use it to store anything perishable.

From April 2025, the EV gets the same under bonnet storage. That means it’s the more practical car. Plus, because of the preferences of the Chinese market, the C10 is packaged oddly. Chinese buyers really value space in the back, so Leapmotor has sacrificed a bit of boot space to add some extra rear legroom.

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The Skoda Enyaq iV is much more practical, as it has just as many seats, it has more than enough rear legroom and it offers an extra 185 litres of boot space. Plus, because it’s almost 90mm shorter and 20mm narrower than the C10, it’s easier to slot into a car park.

Leapmotor C10 REEV engines

You only get one option on the REEV – and it’s quite a complicated one. The car is pushed around with a single electric motor that produces 215hp and 320Nm of torque.

The motor is fed by a 28.4kWh battery pack mounted under the floor of the cabin. That battery can be topped up using either an EV charging station or the car’s on-board 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol generator.

Unlike a plug-in hybrid SUV, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe or Toyota RAV4, the C10 REEV’s engine has no mechanical connection to the wheels. That’s good for efficiency, because the engine can spend more time running in its optimal rev range, but bad for performance because it can’t assist the electric motor when accelerating hard.

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Acceleration is disappointing. It takes the REEV 8.5 seconds to get from 0–62mph, which is a full second behind the C10 EV and 0.6 seconds slower than the Renault Scenic E-Tech. What’s especially surprising about that latter figure is that the Renault is only 40kg lighter than the C10 and both cars produce the same amount of power.

We suspect the reason why the C10 REEV feels so slow is tuning. Leapmotor seems to have programmed the car to pay out its performance gradually, as that makes the driving experience more comfortable – and the brand’s executives were very keen to stress that’s the niche the brand is trying to corner.

Range and charging

During my time with the car, I averaged 44mpg and 3.8 miles/kWh. That’s good – but I could have made it more efficient by not running the engine as much. The REEV’s engine has four running modes. It can be programmed to automatically engage when the battery reaches 9%, 25% or 80% – or you can force it run constantly.

Because the launch route dictated that I cannonball around 300 miles, I kept it in the constant on setting to make sure I had enough charge to keep up with the pack. If I relied more on the battery and only charged it when it was nearly flat, I reckon it would have been more efficient.

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In any case, the REEV seems to use its fuel more frugally than your average PHEV SUV. I’ll withhold my final judgement until I’ve driven the car in the UK, but the early impressions are good.

What’s it like to drive?

It’s a lot like the C10 EV. But both cars weigh about the same, they have the same amount of power, and they have the same chassis setup – so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The REEV isn’t what you’d call engaging. But, instead of trying to appeal to keen drivers, Leapmotor has tried to make the C10 easy to live with. The steering is light (if rather vague) and the cabin is well isolated, which means it’s easy to cover long distances in.

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You don’t need to make constant adjustments to the steering at speed, and your eardrums don’t get battered by tyre roar and wind noise. The engine is surprisingly quiet too – I had it running all day and the sound it produced barely rose above that of a whisper. Just bear in mind that my drive was on immaculately surfaced Spanish roads. Tyre noise will likely be more of an issue on the UK’s ploughed road network.

I’m still not stuck on the C10’s ride quality, though. Like the EV, the REEV is softly sprung but firmly damped, which means it’s floaty until you hit a bump at which point the chassis sends a shudder through the cabin because the dampers can’t compress quickly enough to absorb the impact.

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Leapmotor was also quite keen to point out that it had tweaked a load of settings on the C10’s platform since I last drove the EV in February – but they haven’t fixed all its problems. The brakes are still far too grabby for my liking. The slightest of tickles will mash the pads into the discs and send you hurtling towards the windscreen.

If you want an electric car that you can enjoy driving, you’ll be far better served by the Renault Scenic. But if you just want a tool to transport you around your errands, the C10 REEV probably makes better financial sense – especially when you consider it’s £1,000 cheaper than the base-model Scenic Techno but as well-equipped as the top-spec Iconic.

What models and trims are available?

The just one specification to choose from. In fact, the only thing Leapmotor allows you to customise on the C10 is the colour – everything else is standard.

That sounds naff until you start combing through the car’s spec sheet. The standard kit list is very impressive, including items such as 20-inch alloy wheels, a 14.6-inch infotainment system, a 360-degree parking camera and a massive full-length panoramic sunroof.

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At £36,500, that’s cracking value for money. It isn’t as fun to drive as the Renault Scenic, nor is it as well-packaged as a Skoda Enyaq, but it’s comfortable enough for what it is and, by virtue of its generous equipment list, those shortfalls can be forgiven.

Plus, the REEV’s greater flexibility makes it more suited to long distance drivers. But, if you drive long distances regularly, I’d probably sooner steer you towards a diesel SUV, such as the Skoda Karoq or Volkswagen Tiguan.

Read on to find out how I rate the C10 REEV, and if you’re curious to learn more about how I reached my verdict, check out our how we test cars explainer page.