On the road with the cheap and cheerful Leapmotor T03

With a boost from Stellantis, the Chinese Leapmotor T03 is available in Europe. Can this 100% electric city car compete with a petrol car? At any rate, the price is a bargain...

"You get nothing for 20 grand !" When it comes to cars in Europe, that's not wrong, especially if you have to opt for an electric one. There are 2-3 exceptions, including the Leapmotor T03. A direct competitor to the Dacia Spring and pushed by Stellantis, the little 3.62m-long peanut was in our hands for a few days. It was an opportunity to check if it's worth it. The design isn't revolutionary. It has typical traits of a small pocket-sized Asian car. Not very wide, not very long, and discreet. When opening the door, we discover a no-frills cockpit, with screens and oh! surprise, sports seats at the front. There's also a panoramic roof. A rather friendly first encounter. It seems far removed from Temu or Shein junk. What's left is to discover it on the road.

Wiiiiizzz

Starts with a button then shifting the transmission control right on the steering wheel to D. Off we go. And the T03 says it loudly. It emits a whistling noise at three intensity levels up to 30km/h. A particularly annoying wiiiwwwiiiiz. But it's there to protect pedestrians. Once it hits 31km/h, it disappears. Logical? Yes, at that speed, the noise of the tyres on the road should suffice to warn pedestrians of our presence. Well, in a city centre at 30km/h, it's better to boost the radio sound. But what's happening? Oh yes, what's happening? The DAB radio is an app that needs to be activated at every start. And fingers sometimes have to press insistently on the screen to start the music. No question of Android Auto or Apple Car Play either. To listen to music from your streaming service, you have to use Bluetooth and the USB cable or the 12V socket to avoid draining the smartphone. At least, there's a dedicated space to place the phone securely behind the cupholder (singular).

Efficient

We're now going at more than 30km/h to enjoy the T03 more serenely. The little one defends itself very well. Its 95 hp (70 kW) electric motor has no trouble pulling the lightweight 1.1-ton weight. A lightness that ensures strong acceleration for a vehicle of this size, even though, in the 0 to 100km/h stopwatch test, it takes almost 13 seconds. This is hardly noticeable at the wheel, especially in the city. Even on country roads, the pace is valiant. However, one must be very intrepid to dare to overtake a slightly slower vehicle. So we remained wisely behind it. On the motorway, the T03 doesn't exceed 130km/h. However, up to this speed, it maintains the pace. It isn't difficult to launch it up to 100km/h on the acceleration lane before slotting in between the lorries. Overall, the T03's chassis is accommodating. Classic, it avoids the jolts of the city car. And even by fitting 15-inch Chinese tyres, it ensures good comfort on the rarely smooth Belgian surfaces.

Yueju Opera

Chinese music is invited into the cabin at every turn. I am, of course, talking about the sound alerts for driving aids. It's less thunderous than other Chinese models, but it's really omnipresent. The worst part of all this, the blind spot warning sings while forgetting the essential: a light flash in or near the mirror. Instead, there's a driver monitoring camera on the left. The visual alert does appear, but on the digital panel behind the steering wheel. Where, in principle, the eyes don't look during a lateral movement or overtaking. Bizarre. If you're not a fan of electronic music, it's of course possible to disable these safeguards via the touch screen. By saving buttons on the steering wheel (in synthetic leather), the T03 also imposes a particular logic for the operation of the cruise control, since the adjustment to increase or decrease the speed during progression in cruise control uses the same button as the radio volume! An adaptive regulator with adjustable safety distance control, more conventionally with two buttons... For the air conditioning, with its random efficiency, you have to go through the large 10.1" touch screen.

Autonomy

I see where you're coming from: "a little sprout like that won't run for long between charges". - But how slanderous you are. - Already, it does better than the Dacia Spring. "That's not difficult." - Will you stop that. - So, the Leapmotor has a battery with a nominal capacity of 37.3 kWh. The official WLTP range is 265km. And the real range is 230km on a mixed route at spring or even summer temperatures. The craziest thing is that in the city, it could exceed 300km. On the motorway, a break will be obligatory every 80 minutes or so. In winter, it will be every 60 minutes. With a DC charging power of 45 kW, the LFP battery can be recharged in... 45 minutes for a good 150km in summer.

Well, it's not ideal for going on holiday. Especially since it only has a tiny boot of 210 litres. That's about the same volume as a supermarket trolley (210 l to 300 l). But, you can still do your shopping and get out of the city a bit. Especially since outings with 4 adults, with little luggage, are conceivable. The back seat is welcoming and the panoramic roof, with electric blind, gives a feeling of space.

Price

The Leapmotor T03 is unbeatable on one point: its price. And there, we find its calling: second car for the household. It's sold fully equipped, with a 6.6 kW AC charger, panoramic roof, sport front seats, driving aids, air conditioning, electric handbrake, reversing camera, Bluetooth key, WiFi, etc. for €18,900 in Belgium, €19,500 in France. For the metallic paint, the only real option, you will need to add €700. The T03 was built, or more precisely assembled from kits, in Stellantis' Polish plant in Tychy in the hope of circumventing customs duties and French taxes. Failed! France, an essential market, wasn't fooled by the manoeuvre. The ploy to avoid the ecological bonus failed. And yes, sending kits also emits CO2 in the eyes of the law... Hence, the T03 models that will arrive now will be imported directly from China.

(MH with Olivier Duquesne - Sources: Leapmotor & Stellantis - Pictures: © Olivier Duquesne)