Leapmotor B10, Israel’s affordable electric crossover: A successful compromise

Despite the decline in electric car sales in Israel this year, some models are bucking the trend. The DEEPAL 05, for example, which has become the new market leader, costs NIS 150,000. An electric vehicle the size of the BYD Atto 3, which until 2025 dominated local sales, starts at NIS 170,000. Israelis respond to lower prices, and this could be the chance for a comeback in the EV market.

The trend is also clear in Europe. The Tesla Model Y remains the best-selling electric car with 151,000 units, but it fell by about 30%. The Škoda Enyaq was the second best-selling with roughly 100,000 units, smaller but 25% cheaper. Like most European EVs, the Enyaq is not yet available in Israel because it cannot compete with the prices of Chinese electric cars. Its dimensions are similar to the DEEPAL, but if it landed in Škoda showrooms here today, it would not cost less than NIS 180,000, and it would stay there.

So, the competition for cheap Chinese EVs is… other cheap Chinese EVs: Like the Leapmotor B10. There is no need to bring up Tesla or Škoda, but Leapmotor is one of the many unknown Chinese brands that have arrived in Israel in recent years, yet it has a few good reasons to be expected to survive the likely disappearance of many others in the coming years. Leapmotor is also a young brand, another EV manufacturer aiming to emulate Tesla's success, founded in 2015. A private Chinese company, not state-owned, it quickly developed a series of cheap and efficient platforms.

Three years ago, 21% of the company’s shares were sold to Stellantis, the European-American parent company of Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Alfa, Chrysler, and Jeep, injecting $1.5 billion into the Chinese company to stabilize its finances and fund further model rollouts. Stellantis gained marketing and production rights outside China, transferring local import rights from Metro Motor to Samelet, which imports Fiat, Jeep, and Subaru. Leapmotor ended 2025 with a production of 600,000 cars, compared to 43,000 in 2021. This year the goal is one million cars, including the start of production in Europe, and Stellantis is already considering creating Opel and Citroën versions of the B10 to offer affordable EVs under their brands as well.

The new crossover could turn out to be one of the world’s significant EVs for the coming years. Here in Israel, it is already making an impact, with the B10 improving the value proposition compared to the DEEPAL, starting at only NIS 140,000. Not bad for a crossover larger than the Hyundai Kona (from NIS 176,000) or the Toyota Corolla Cross (from NIS 180,000).

Models of Leapmotor that have already arrived in Israel, the mini T03 and the larger C10 crossover, were not particularly striking, and the B10 confirms the manufacturer’s design line. Despite generous dimensions - 4.52 meters long, 1.87 meters wide, 1.65 meters high, with a 2.74-meter wheelbase - there are no rugged SUV elements on one hand, nor another Tesla Model Y imitation on the other. The design is rather banal and bland; it won’t irritate anyone, but it won’t turn heads either.

Like the rest of the industry, Leapmotor also copied Tesla’s pop-out door handles, which will be banned in China in the coming years, but here you have to press the recessed handle to open it. Less dependency on the car for handle release and more chance to open it in an emergency.

As with Tesla, the car can be unlocked via the mobile app or by placing an NFC card on the side mirror. The driver’s environment is reminiscent of many other Chinese cars: A large multimedia screen (14.6 inches), a smaller instrument cluster screen (8.8 inches) that moves with the steering wheel when adjusted, and clean lines with almost no physical controls. Airflow direction can be adjusted manually - thankfully - but mirror adjustment, climate control, and even the panoramic roof curtain are operated from the screen. This is distracting and requires taking your eyes off the road, though it will change in the coming years. At least Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included, unlike in other Leapmotor models, and the climate control bar doesn’t disappear when the phone is paired, unlike in Chery and JAC models.

Material quality is good, bright colors enhance the sense of space, and there is ambient lighting around the vent controls.

Front space is very good, though lateral support could be improved. Rear space is excellent, especially for knees, and the seat is not too low compared to other Chinese cars. A rear seat like this for NIS 140,000 can only be found in the used market. There are also AC vents and charging ports, and the huge panoramic roof extends over the rear passengers.

The car has two trunks. The rear trunk holds 430 liters with a two-tier structure but no spare wheel. It also has lighting, a hook, and plenty of usable space. The front trunk under the “hood” is 25 liters, ideal for storing the charging cable.

5 out of 5 stars in the European crash test (2025), 8 airbags. Active safety: Autonomous emergency braking forward and backward, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beam, open-door warnings for occupied lanes, and child reminder alerts. Some annoying alerts can be disabled through a menu, but must be re-enabled each drive.

Rear-wheel drive with 218 hp was once a recipe for sports cars. Today, 0-100 km/h in 8 seconds doesn’t impress anyone, but the B10 is fairly quick without stomach-turning acceleration. Safe for a new driver. Unfortunately, brake intensity adjustment and switching drive modes via a single pedal are only possible from the screen.

Leapmotor claims 434 km combined; we achieved 350 km with mostly moderate urban driving. Slow charging is possible at the usual 11 kW, fast at 168 kW from the 67 kWh battery. External device charging (V2L) is also available.

Suspension is quiet but struggles with city potholes, and the soft tuning causes body sway over uneven roads or speed bumps. Linglong Chinese tires contribute to unrefined road handling. At least urban maneuverability is excellent despite the size and long wheelbase; this crossover executes U-turns like a much smaller car.

The B10 summarizes the rapid progress of Chinese automakers threatening the European industry, along with traditional shortcomings yet to be solved. They can produce modern, advanced, and safe EVs at breakthrough prices, but disappoint in seemingly minor details like ergonomics and chassis tuning.

Value for money is excellent even in the higher trim, with electrically adjustable seats for more than one driver and an electric trunk making life easier. However, the success of the new crossover also depends on the state closing gaps in public charging availability and the importer’s ability to stabilize resale value. The potential is high, and a plug-in hybrid version is coming that may become even more popular.

4 years or 100,000 km for the vehicle, 8 years or 160,000 km for the battery