Leapmotor C10 Gets a Refresh — Here's What WA Buyers Need to Know

If you've been eyeing the Leapmotor C10 as a practical, affordable family SUV — whether you're doing the daily grind on the Kwinana Freeway or planning longer runs up to Geraldton or beyond — the updated 2027 model is shaping up to be a more compelling package than before.

Leapmotor has revealed the refreshed C10 in China, and given the brand's growing footprint in Australia, it's a safe bet this version will make its way here before too long.

What's Actually Changed

The most visible update is a boxier overall shape with an extra 10mm in length — subtle, but it gives the C10 a more planted, purposeful stance on the road. Inside is where the bigger story is.

The dashboard now features a panoramic head-up display that spans the full width, which is a genuinely useful feature if you're navigating unfamiliar suburbs or watching your speed through those 40 zones that seem to be everywhere in Perth now. The central touchscreen has grown to 17.3 inches — large enough to make most rivals look stingy — though to fit it in, the driver's digital display has been trimmed back to 8.8 inches.

Leapmotor has also added more speakers to the audio system and upgraded the front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage functions. For a car sitting under the $50,000 mark, that's a solid list of inclusions.

Powertrain Stays the Same — and That's Fine

There are no changes to the drivetrains, which won't disappoint anyone who's already looked at this car seriously. The range-extender hybrid uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine to top up the battery while an electric motor handles the actual driving — producing 158kW and 320Nm. The fully electric version comes in at 160kW and 221Nm.

For WA drivers, the range-extender setup is particularly practical. Fuel prices here have a habit of spiking hard, but having the petrol engine as a backup rather than a primary driver means you're mostly running on cheaper electricity around town, with the range anxiety taken off the table for longer regional drives where charging infrastructure is still patchy.

Current pricing has the range-extender starting from $43,888 and the EV from $45,888 — both before on-road costs. Whether the update brings a price rise with it hasn't been confirmed yet. For context, Leapmotor priced the B10 range-extender at the same point as its EV sibling when that joined the Australian lineup, so there's a chance the same approach applies here.

How It Stacks Up Against the Competition

The C10's main rivals in this space are the BYD Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid and the Sealion 7 EV — both of which are already well-established in WA dealerships. The Sealion 6 in particular is a strong seller, so Leapmotor needs this update to count.

On paper, the refreshed C10 closes some of the gap on interior quality and tech, which was arguably the area where BYD had an edge. If Leapmotor can hold the price line and get the updated model into Australian showrooms in reasonable time, it becomes a genuinely competitive option for families who want to keep running costs down without sacrificing comfort.

One thing that won't be coming with the base update: the all-wheel drive system. That was exclusive to the high-performance special edition C10 that arrived earlier this year with 440kW and 760Nm — a serious machine, but a different audience entirely.

The new C10 launches in China this month, with Australian details expected later in 2026. We'll have local pricing and specs as soon as they're confirmed.