You might never have heard of this brand before. Leapmotor is hitting the UK market on the 1st of March 2025 as a fully-electric brand, initially bringing two models: The T03 city car, and the C10 SUV (which you can also read our review of, here).
Leapmotor originated as a Chinese startup brand back in 2015, before Stellantis acquired 21% of it back in 2023. Then, moving into 2024, Leapmotor International was launched, in a move to sell Leapmotor EVs outside of China. Under this separate international arm, Stellantis owns a majority 51% share – which Stellantis believes will play to Leapmotor’s advantage in Europe, compared to other Chinese entrant brands, by allowing Leapmotor EVs to be sold within an existing strong distribution network. With this strong partner, Leapmotor is also touting a 95% spare parts availability – an aspect where some new entrants have historically struggled.
With the Leapmotor T03, Stellantis is offering a city EV that achieves price parity with its ICE-powered alternatives, whilst also setting its sights on the electric Dacia Spring. But, with the T03 going on sale at £15,995, compared to the Spring’s £14,995 list price, how does its value compare?
First impressions
The T03’s boxy design is certainly a matter of function over form, but that once again plays into its high value proposition. It’s still got some styling flair, notably the LED daytime running lights and alloy wheels. It’s unlikely to be remembered as a style icon in the same way that electric city cars like the Fiat 500e are, but we must remember that this is a car designed to compete with the Dacia Spring – which, itself, is not the most stylish car in the world.
Drive and battery
The T03 is offered in one guise of electric motor and battery combination, namely a 93 horsepower front-driven electric motor and a 37.3kWh battery pack. Combined range for the T03 is rated at 165 miles, compared to the base Spring’s 140 miles – another figure where Leapmotor is justifying the additional premium over its competitor.
The electric motor helps deliver 0-62mph in 12.7 seconds, on to a top speed of 81mph. In £14,995 form, the Spring will do that same run in 19.1 seconds – meaning the T03 once again trumps the Spring on the figures front, and makes it a significantly more capable car once out of the city. 81mph is more than adequate for a car primarily designed for urban use. Despite this seemingly low top speed, it reaches 70mph quickly and smoothly, and offers significantly more instant acceleration ability for overtaking or merging than similarly-priced ICE rivals.
Its boxy shape once again plays an advantage in manoeuvrability, particularly in urban areas, helped along by light steering. On faster roads though, the T03 still feels sure footed and stable – its low centre of gravity compared to city ICE cars contributing to this feel.
Technology
In what is a similar specification strategy for the Leapmotor C10, the T03 is only offered in one specification – which Leapmotor call the top specification. Standard equipment includes a panoramic glass roof, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, and a dual screen setup consisting of a digital drivers cluster and centre touchscreen, just to name a few. This no compromise sales approach could prove popular. The Spring can only offer standard T03 features such as a built-in touchscreen, automatic air conditioning, and reversing camera in ‘Extreme’ trim, which starts at a more costly £16,995. Suddenly, the T03 is starting to highlight the extra value it brings to the table, despite its slightly higher base price.
One notable omission from this top specification, however, is the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – which remains unavailable on the T03. With my personal preference to use Waze through CarPlay, no matter how good a native in-car navigation may be, this was a downside which would leave me resorting to a phone mount. However, with the infotainment screen capable of receiving over-the-air updates, we can hope for an update adding compatibility for this feature in the future.
That being said, the in-car navigation, which will be your only built-in option, does a decent job of combining both navigation and charging infrastructure. The nearest charging stations can be found with one touch on the screen, while putting in a route that goes further than the remaining range gives a warning, along with suggestions on where to stop along the route to recharge.
Practicality
Owing to its boxy shape, the T03 impresses when it comes to interior space. Even at 5 foot 10, and sitting behind my set driver’s position, there was still an adequate amount of legroom for such a compact car. Headroom is also significant, making it easy to get into, and makes the car feel more much roomier from than its outside proportions suggest. As you’d expect from any car in this segment, boot space is not a major selling point, but folding the rear seats down still gives more space if needed. Much like the Dacia Spring Cargo, the T03 feels like it could be ripe for a future commercial edition, to carry out light urban deliveries.
Conclusion
Existing as an one of two models that mark Leapmotor’s initial entrance into the UK market, the T03’s high levels of standard equipment, combined with decent range and performance make it one of the best cheap electric cars you can buy – and it looks to offer remarkable value for money compared to the Dacia Spring. If you want an electric city car with more design flair and that little bit more performance when it comes to range and speed, you’ll be looking at spending about £7-8,000 more on something like the Renault 5. At the current price point though, the T03 looks unbeatable – but with other manufacturers like Volkswagen entering the sub-£20k EV space soon, for how long?
