Leapmotor: 90% of buyers wouldn’t buy another Stellantis brand

News

Chinese newcomer Leapmotor is quickly establishing itself as a the benchmark in the Stellantis stable.

GE

George East

14 September 2026 · 4 min read

According to Leapmotor, nine out of 10 of its customers outside of China wouldn’t have bought a Stellantis-brand vehicle.

Speaking to media at the launch of its new B03X crossover, Francesco Giacalone, Leapmotor’s global head of brand strategy, product, and marketing, said that the Chinese newcomer now has enough data to see where its customers are coming from.

“We have 150,000 sales on the counter, so we can start to run our numbers, do our homework,” he said. “We can rightfully say that nine customers out of 10 would not have purchased any [Stellantis] brand if we were not there.”

Giacalone explained that Leapmotor’s ascendancy doesn’t risk cannibalising sales from other brands that are under the Stellantis umbrella. These include Jeep, Peugeot, Fiat, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Opel, Vauxhall, Dodge, and Ram.

He explained that Leapmotor’s customers are, on average, eight to nine years younger than other Stellantis-owned manufacturers. Moreover, its demographic is less concerned with badge legacy and instead is more interested in whether the brand represents good value.

The Leapmotor B03X (Image: Stellantis)

“We are not a budget brand – we are a value for money brand,” he said. “We are an affordable, innovation brand.”

Leapmotor focuses on offering tech-heavy, equipment-laden EVs at a price lower than rivals.

In the UK, its Škoda Enyaq-rivalling C10 SUV is priced from £36,500 without factoring in its ‘Leap Grant’ discount of up to £3,750. The Enyaq starts from £39,520 for the entry-level SE L 60 model. The C10 is available in just one trim level, and the only optional extras are non-standard paint finishes. Standard equipment includes lane-assist, heated and cooled front seats, a 360-degree camera, and a heat pump to extend range during the colder months.

The brand’s value focus appears to have paid off. In 2025, it sold more than 47,500 vehicles outside of China. During the first eight months of this year, it has sold 105,000 vehicles alone.

Leapmotor is also becoming a benchmark for development within the Stellantis group, as the parent company is studying how the Chinese manufacturer can develop a vehicle in anything from 14 to 16 months.

The Leapmotor B05 is the brand’s answer to the likes of the Kia EV4 and VW ID 3 (Image: Stellantis)According to Danilo Annese, Leapmotor’s commercial head for wider Europe, Stellantis wants to understand how Leapmotor makes decisions and brings products to market quicker than other brands.

As part of the study, Stellantis is examining how it can integrate Leapmotor tech into Stellantis’ wider EV range. To reduce weight, wiring, manufacturing time, and general waste, Leapmotor uses a centralised electronics system, Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) tech with highly integrated power-control systems, common hidden components, plus fewer separate parts and fasteners.

This means it can focus on technology, interior quality, and bringing vehicles to market faster than older, legacy brands. The first Stellantis model to benefit from Leapmotor’s centralised approach is a proposed Vauxhall/Opel C-segment SUV.

The former would oversee the car’s design, chassis development, interior, seating and lighting, while the latter would be responsible for battery tech and electrical development. The project aims for a development time of under two years and to come to market in 2028.

Stellantis owns around 21% of Leapmotor, and controls 51% of Leapmotor International, the joint venture responsible for selling and manufacturing vehicles outside of China. The arrangement gives Leapmotor access to Stellantis’ distribution, logistics, and engineering infrastructure, while Stellantis benefits from off-the-shelf Chinese EV tech it didn’t have to develop in-house.

Alongside the C10, Leapmotor’s UK line-up comprises the B10 SUV, the B05 hatchback, and the T03 – the second-cheapest car on sale in the UK behind the Dacia Spring. The B03X will make its debut here imminently, while the B03 supermini is set to arrive in 2027.