The Chinese car invasion of the Irish car market has well and truly started, some decades after we were sceptical about Japanese cars and more latterly Korean brands. These brands quickly became mainstream and overtook established brands in sales. And there are interesting parallels with the arrival of Chinese brands.
There is now a significant influx of Chinese brands on the Irish car market, and they have been clearly identified with the transition to electric car driving.
Brands such as BYD and MG have been growing in importance in the more mass market in just about two years. The models in the more luxury Polestar brand, all of which are manufactured in China, are making inroads at the top end of the market.
Now we have Leapmotor, another relatively new brand in which European car company Stellantis has a financial stake. Leapmotor is now imported by Gowan Auto which is the exclusive importer and distributor for 10 of Stellantis Group’s 15 brands in the Republic of Ireland.
The interior styling of the Leapmotor C10 is modern and bright. Many of the car’s controls are operated from the central screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have yet to be installed.
Gowan Auto’s brands include Peugeot (since 1969), Opel (since 2019), DS Automobiles (since 2020), Citroën (since April 2021), and Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Fiat Professional and Jeep (since December 2021).
The pace of change within these Chinese brands has been fast. Some offer hybrid versions to meet demand as car buyers slowly transition away from diesel engines. It is inevitable that they will displace some of the traditional brands for reasons of performance and price.
The most significant new car in the Leapmotor range is the new C10, a mid-range SUV that was launched this month. This is a sizeable car with space and comfort coupled with an attractive entry price.
The C10 is available as a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) or what Leapmotor call a Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) that comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine to support the electric battery system. In this latter model the engine works solely as a generator and has not mechanical contact with the wheels.
The Leapmotor C10 is a solid and spacious car with good rear legroom and a 400 litre capacity boot.
I drove both cars during last week’s launch and there are clearly range and performance differences. The REEV version gives more than double the range at 975km with a fully charged battery and full 50-litre petrol tank. That’s getting close to the range performance of the best diesel cars. The range from the base BEV is rated at 420km which is reasonable for a relatively big car that weighs in at around two tonnes and has good acceleration pace.
The car performs well on the road, there’s a solid feel to it and it takes the corners with confidence. The boot space at 400 litres before the seats are folded, is more than adequate and not impacted by the battery underfloor storage.
The car comes loaded with the latest driving technology and that’s more of a challenge. There are no tactile buttons so almost all of the controls in terms of heating, adjusting mirrors, radio settings and such like are operated from the large central flat screen.
This is an issue with many newer brands – particularly those with a strong Chinese heritage – and the real danger is drive distraction.
The Leapmotor C10 comes with the option of a Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) version that has a smooth 1.5 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet to give a 975km driving range.
I found it more than a little challenging to get to grips with the controls. It will be ‘back to school’ for some drivers in order to get settings in place. These test cars were the early versions so some updates, possibly over the air, will be on the way.
Leapmotor needs to make switching off the annoying advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) much easier and add software updates for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while I feel that the traffic sign recognition and speed reading systems need refining. These are all software issues that are more simple to solve than the more complex mechanical issues of new brand car introductions in the past.
Leapmotor is comparing the C10 with the likes of the Skoda Enyaq, BYD Sealion 7 and the Tesla Model Y. It has a lower range than these though, is a newly established brand and is priced around €5,000 cheaper than its nearest price rival, the Tesla Model Y.
Entry prices are the competitive feature, with the C10 BEV starting at €38,995 or £36,500 Northern Ireland rising to €45,420 for the longer-range REEV version.
The Leapmotor C10 test car came on Dunlop 245/45R20 tyres on attractive alloy wheels.
We do not have a towing rating for these cars as yet, expect that to be in the region of 1,000kg.
Leapmotor in Ireland is expanding its dealer network with four dealers appointed including Joe Norris Motors, Navan, Co Meath; Dan Seaman Motors, Forge Hill, Co Cork; Greenhall Motors, Buttevant, Co Cork; and Kenny Galway, Tuam Road, Galway, with further dealer appointments expected in the coming weeks.
All Leapmotor cars come with a six-year/unlimited mileage warranty and eight-year 160,000km battery warranty. The success of the Leapmotor brand will hinge so much on the support of Gowan Auto and its dealers. In the meantime, there are some software issues to solve back in China to make these solid cars more driveable and desirable.
The Chinese car invasion of the Irish car market has well and truly started, some decades after we were sceptical about Japanese cars and more latterly Korean brands. These brands quickly became mainstream and overtook established brands in sales. And there are interesting parallels with the arrival of Chinese brands.
There is now a significant influx of Chinese brands on the Irish car market, and they have been clearly identified with the transition to electric car driving.
Brands such as BYD and MG have been growing in importance in the more mass market in just about two years. The models in the more luxury Polestar brand, all of which are manufactured in China, are making inroads at the top end of the market.
Now we have Leapmotor, another relatively new brand in which European car company Stellantis has a financial stake. Leapmotor is now imported by Gowan Auto which is the exclusive importer and distributor for 10 of Stellantis Group’s 15 brands in the Republic of Ireland.
The interior styling of the Leapmotor C10 is modern and bright. Many of the car’s controls are operated from the central screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have yet to be installed.
Gowan Auto’s brands include Peugeot (since 1969), Opel (since 2019), DS Automobiles (since 2020), Citroën (since April 2021), and Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Fiat Professional and Jeep (since December 2021).
The pace of change within these Chinese brands has been fast. Some offer hybrid versions to meet demand as car buyers slowly transition away from diesel engines. It is inevitable that they will displace some of the traditional brands for reasons of performance and price.
The most significant new car in the Leapmotor range is the new C10, a mid-range SUV that was launched this month. This is a sizeable car with space and comfort coupled with an attractive entry price.
The C10 is available as a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) or what Leapmotor call a Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) that comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine to support the electric battery system. In this latter model the engine works solely as a generator and has not mechanical contact with the wheels.
The Leapmotor C10 is a solid and spacious car with good rear legroom and a 400 litre capacity boot.
I drove both cars during last week’s launch and there are clearly range and performance differences. The REEV version gives more than double the range at 975km with a fully charged battery and full 50-litre petrol tank. That’s getting close to the range performance of the best diesel cars. The range from the base BEV is rated at 420km which is reasonable for a relatively big car that weighs in at around two tonnes and has good acceleration pace.
The car performs well on the road, there’s a solid feel to it and it takes the corners with confidence. The boot space at 400 litres before the seats are folded, is more than adequate and not impacted by the battery underfloor storage.
The car comes loaded with the latest driving technology and that’s more of a challenge. There are no tactile buttons so almost all of the controls in terms of heating, adjusting mirrors, radio settings and such like are operated from the large central flat screen.
This is an issue with many newer brands – particularly those with a strong Chinese heritage – and the real danger is drive distraction.
The Leapmotor C10 comes with the option of a Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) version that has a smooth 1.5 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet to give a 975km driving range.
I found it more than a little challenging to get to grips with the controls. It will be ‘back to school’ for some drivers in order to get settings in place. These test cars were the early versions so some updates, possibly over the air, will be on the way.
Leapmotor needs to make switching off the annoying advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) much easier and add software updates for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while I feel that the traffic sign recognition and speed reading systems need refining. These are all software issues that are more simple to solve than the more complex mechanical issues of new brand car introductions in the past.
Leapmotor is comparing the C10 with the likes of the Skoda Enyaq, BYD Sealion 7 and the Tesla Model Y. It has a lower range than these though, is a newly established brand and is priced around €5,000 cheaper than its nearest price rival, the Tesla Model Y.
Entry prices are the competitive feature, with the C10 BEV starting at €38,995 or £36,500 Northern Ireland rising to €45,420 for the longer-range REEV version.
The Leapmotor C10 test car came on Dunlop 245/45R20 tyres on attractive alloy wheels.
We do not have a towing rating for these cars as yet, expect that to be in the region of 1,000kg.
Leapmotor in Ireland is expanding its dealer network with four dealers appointed including Joe Norris Motors, Navan, Co Meath; Dan Seaman Motors, Forge Hill, Co Cork; Greenhall Motors, Buttevant, Co Cork; and Kenny Galway, Tuam Road, Galway, with further dealer appointments expected in the coming weeks.
All Leapmotor cars come with a six-year/unlimited mileage warranty and eight-year 160,000km battery warranty. The success of the Leapmotor brand will hinge so much on the support of Gowan Auto and its dealers. In the meantime, there are some software issues to solve back in China to make these solid cars more driveable and desirable.
SHARING OPTIONS