sold alongside DSs, in the same dealerships?

The Leapmotor is officially arriving in Europe. Two models will be offered initially, with sales directly in Stellantis dealerships. Sometimes even alongside… DS.

The Leapmotor offensive is launched. The Chinese manufacturer, which has formed a partnership with Stellantis to distribute its models on a European scale, is starting to open its points of sale. But, unlike other Chinese brands, Leapmotor will be sold directly in the Stellantis dealerships already in place. In total, 200 points of sale are planned in the short term, before reaching an additional stage set at 500 sites. All this will be done under the leadership of the Leapmotor International joint venture, owned 51% by Stellantis and 49% by the Chinese manufacturer, which has already sent ships full of T03s and especially C10s, Leapmotor’s big new product.

If the first was indeed known – we had tried it in preview –, the second is new to us. An electric SUV approved for 420 km of autonomy at aggressive prices. Leapmotor could then offer a second version of its C10 SUV with a larger battery (69.9 kWh, compared to 52.9 kWh for the battery announced at 420 km). The autonomy could then climb to more than 500 km. And while we don’t yet know the French prices, the Leapmotor C10 is already sold for €36,400 in Spain, or €8,000 less than a Tesla Model Y.

Are the Chinese already out of breath?

The share of Chinese brands in Europe is not taking off, if we consider that MG is an English manufacturer. BYD, Zeekr, Nio, Xpeng, none of them are currently on the verge of converting the test. Which does not scare some, like BYD, from considering building a factory on site to avoid customs duties. These manufacturers have probably bet a little too much on the mid- and high-end in a rather conservative Europe, when the general public expects cheaper electric cars.

Leapmotor has the capabilities to offer this kind of car. But, here again, the competition is getting tougher and tougher. The T03 finds itself facing the Citroën e-C3 and Dacia Spring, while waiting for other A-segment models to see the light of day. For the C10, the case is a little different, since cheap electric SUVs are still rare. And, as we have seen recently, the difficulty of the European market in 2024 has pushed a brand like BYD to sell off (temporarily) its Atto 3. Will the C10 steal the show here? In the meantime, it is already surprising to see Leapmotor points of sale appear next to DS showrooms, as spotted here in Spain. Not sure that this will help the brand image of a DS whose future remains uncertain.