New Leapmotor T03 – A Small EV with Premium Features.
New Leapmotor T03 – A Small EV with Premium Features.
Leapmotor is one of the many Chinese start-up electric car brands which, despite only launching in 2019 in China, has a huge home market. Now available in Europe, and jointly owned by the multinational giant Stellantis group, Leapmotor clearly has an advantage over some of its Chinese rivals. Leapmotor cars are designed, built and engineered in China, with a factory in Poland due to open soon.
Four-Seat Cabin.
The T03 is Leapmotor’s new city car with a four-seat interior, and it is being sold alongside its bigger siblings, the B10 SUV and C10 SUV. The T03 is a small five-door hatchback which is grouped in the smallest category of cars alongside the likes of the Fiat 500e, Dacia Spring, BYD Dolphin Surf and Hyundai Inster. The T03 has a 37.3kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which provides a range of up to 265km (WLTP). When the range is low, it can be charged via its easy-access front charging point at a speed of up to 45kW, with a 30-80% charge possible in 36 minutes.
High-Strength Body.
The T03 has a fun design with headlights that look like friendly eyes and a small, smiley grille that is designed to appeal to a variety of buyers. The body is tall and narrow, which allows an impressive amount of space for taller passengers, but there isn’t enough space to accommodate three across the rear seats. Leapmotor officials are proud to highlight that 68% of the T03’s body is made of high-strength steel, and it features “energy-absorbing boxes”, along with six airbags as standard. Given the T03’s small footprint, the boot capacity is only 210 litres with the rear seats in place, but you can fold down the one-piece bench should you need more space. If you do need a bit more storage, there is a useful 35-litre compartment under the bonnet.
Generous Specification.
Leapmotor has made things very simple by offering just one generously-equipped T03 model. Key standard features include a leatherette multi-function steering wheel, black fabric seat upholstery, driver seat with 6-way manual adjustment, automatic air-conditioning, an 8-inch instrument cluster, a 10-inch central screen with navigation, in-vehicle WiFi and 4G, Bluetooth, voice control, 2 USB ports with charging function, 15-inch alloy wheels, panoramic roof with powered sun shade, auto high beam control, electric windows x 4, daytime running lights, heated door mirrors, rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, Adaptive Cruise Control, Advanced Driver Distraction Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Detection, Door Opening Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Speed Assist, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keep Assist.
Test Car Details.
My test car was finished in Caribbean Blue metallic paint and it is a colour that perfectly suits the T03’s style and upright stance. A single motor drives the front wheels in the T03, delivering a decent output of 94hp and 158Nm, which is impressive for such a small car. The 0-100km/h acceleration time of 12.7 seconds sounds slow in theory, but performance is perfectly sufficient in the real world. Weighting just 1,175kg, it’s one of the lightest EVs on sale, resulting in an agile driving experience., while the MacPherson strut front suspension and 15-inch alloy wheels provide a decent ride quality for a car of this size. The safety system designed to alert pedestrians to the car’s presence manifests itself by way of a pronounced whine from the electric motor, but once speed is picked up it switches itself off, Small cars can often feel a little bouncy over ramps, but the T03 feels very stable, and is fantastic to manoeuvre in tight spaces, thanks to its rear parking sensors and rear-view camera. Acceleration is lively when driving around town, but does tail off a little when going at higher speeds. You get three drive modes: Eco, Standard and Sport – so drivers can select a drive mode to suit their own preferences and road conditions. Every time you start the car it defaults to Eco, which dulls the throttle response, so changing this to Sport offers a better drive, but this has to be done through the menu on the centre touchscreen. The gear selector on the right-hand side of the steering column doesn’t offer any option for adjusting the level of regenerative braking, and there are no other controls to do this, but the different drive modes do offer varying levels, with Eco mode having most regeneration, stopping short of one-pedal driving. Despite its compact dimensions, the T03 offers generous head and leg room in the front and rear, and front seat occupants are provided with sports-style, one-piece front seats that are comfortable and supportive. The vertical dash design is modern and gives the impression that you are in a much larger and more sophisticated car. In front of the driver there is an eight-inch digital screen in place of traditional analogue gauges, with the ten-inch touchscreen located in the centre of the dashboard. As with many screen-laden new cars, some of the fonts can be relatively difficult to read easily on the move, so it is probably best to adjust the settings you require before your journey starts. There are almost no physical buttons, so everything has to be done via the touchscreen, and this includes adjusting the heating or air-conditioning. With the Leapmotor App, you stay connected to your vehicle anytime, and anywhere. Drivers maintain full control over essential functions and useful insights – all via their smartphone.
Verdict, Price & Warranty.
Priced from just €18,950 (ex-delivery charges), the Leapmotor T03 is one of the most affordable electric cars on the market. It provides a perfect blend of modern technology and timeless elegance, offering a friendly, yet refined presence. The T03’s build quality is good, and its extensive array of standard features make it the ideal choice for urban driving. A 6-year/unlimited mileage warranty is included for enhanced peace of mind ownership.
Visit www.leapmotor.net/ie for further information.
