10/05/2026

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY MAY 10, 2026

IS IT A GOOD BUY? It makes an extremely compel ling case for itself. It is spacious, wonderfully packaged, laden with the right features and drives decently whilst feeling like a con ventional petrol car, effectively bridging the gap for those unsure between the two. As great as it tastes on the first bite, you cannot help but wonder if niggling attrib utes such as the annoying NFC card system and complete lack of physical controls seem like the secret sauce is lacking. A great metaphor would be the quintessential Malaysian foodie topic of who makes the best chicken rice or nasi lemak . There will always be the usual suspects with a familiar three of four spots always among those listed. There is no right or wrong, everyone will have a favourite and between the list, every spot will definitely taste good. It is simply a matter of personal preference. And just like those three or four usual suspects, the B10 deserves a seat at the table as well within its segment. It might not excite all your tastebuds but it will do down well. SPECIFICATIONS Leapmotor B10 Design Motor: Single, rear-mounted electric Power: 218PS Torque: 240Nm Transmission: Single-speed Battery: CATL/67.1kWh LFP Charging rate: 11kW AC/168kW DC Range: 434km WLTP

remind you it is an EV when pushed a little. It did not take much time to demonstrate that some proper thought and effort went into sort ing out the ride and handling, with staggered tyres an obvious givea way. Power comes from a rear mounted 218PS motor with 240Nm of torque. In terms of per formance, that is considerably below par for an EV but also part of its appeal. You see, the B10 opts out of the ludicrous acceleration often asso ciated with EVs. Instead, it drives and acceler ates more like an internal combus tion vehicle. Coupled with the great ride, it essentially becomes an EV that feels like a petrol-powered car and believe us, that works in its favour. The larger CATL battery is WLTP-rated for 434km, making it perfect for daily commutes and even capable of outstation drives and even supports V2L. During the drive to Penang, we did a mid-point recharge but it was more to assuage the range anxiety. The B10 is perfectly capable of completing the journey on a single charge if driven with a little com mon sense. Now for the bits we did not like. There are 17 Adas functions and while they all generally worked well, the Lane Keep Assist was a little intrusive. Perhaps it is a calibration issue that could be addressed with the next OTA updates.

There are shortcut buttons and scrollers on the steering wheel but it does little to hide one of the B10’s biggest flaws, the lack of basic buttons. An 8.0-inch digital instrument display sits behind the steering and is clear as well as easy to read. Storage is space is generous, with the central armrest swallow ing most things you could throw at it with two chunky flip-down cup holders creating massive space when not in use. Those at the rear have ample legroom, USB charging ports and a decent storage space. Boot space is 430L and the rear seats fold near-flat for proper convenience. There is a small frunk as well. Fortunately, there is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with the recent over-the-air update, a glar ing omission when launched and a huge fumble from Leapmotor. DOES IT DRIVE WELL? Yes, it does. Being primarily an urban commuter, the B10 is per fectly calibrated for puttering around the concrete jungle. The steering is light but not mute, throttle calibration is spot on and the ride is compliant with a near-perfect balance between comfort and road handling. Again, like its larger sibling, the B10 is on the receiving end of sus pension tuning by Stellantis engi neers that include those from Maserati. And it shows in the con fident, mature ride that can tackle a corner if necessary. Body roll is surprisingly kept minimal but the weight still does

The seats are comfortable and on the premium B10 Design, are ventilated as well.

The wireless smartphone charger is also the sensor to ‘start’ the B10, which can be a little frustrating although the tray is generously sized.

You get 430 litres of rear cargo room that grows to roughly 1,700 litres with the almost flat-folding rear seats dropped.

The dual-tone look and busy design makes it all appear a little over the top but fortunately, it rides great.