Stellantis’ Leapmotor has added a hybrid variant of the export-market Leapmotor C10, which was previously only available as a battery EV (BEV). The new hybrid variant is a REEV (Range Extender Electric Vehicle), also known in China as EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle), and it comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine.

The Leapmotor C10 REEV will make its European debut at the Brussels Motor Show in January.

The REEV variant is essentially a plug-in hybrid that operates primarily as an electric vehicle, with the 1.5-litre petrol engine activating only to recharge the battery when needed. The engine doesn’t drive the wheels. You can think of it as a further development of Nissan’s e-Power series-hybrid technology, but with a much larger 28.4-kWh capacity battery and the option of accepting external charging.

The Leapmotor C10 REEV comes with selectable drive modes that allow drivers to select between prioritizing electric driving or optimizing performance. The vehicle supports AC and DC fast charging (capacity to be announced later), recovering half its electric range in just 18 minutes with DC charging.

The Leapmotor C10 REEV has a claimed driving range of 950 km (WLTP test cycle), with 145 km of it achievable using electric power alone.

Since the combustion engine only needs to operate at one or two pre-set engine speeds for optimum energy efficiency, the Leapmotor C10 REEV’s CO2 emissions are just 10 g/km, with a claimed fuel consumption of 0.4 litres/100 km.

In Malaysia, the Leapmotor C10 is only available as a BEV. It’s priced from RM 159,648. The model has a 69.9-kWh battery, offering up to 424 km of driving range (WLTP test cycle).

The Leapmotor C10 is built in China but benefits from Stellantis group’s know-how. Its ride and handling have been tuned by Maserati.