Leapmotor C10 vs Tesla Model Y

What's the difference?

Leapmotor insists that even with the C10’s sub-par ADAS, distracting screen functionality and fiddly entry/start set-up, future OTA updates and downloads will sort them out eventually.

They blight an otherwise incredibly affordable, likeable, easy, efficient, practical, spacious and extremely well-equipped family-friendly SUV.

The fact is, the C10 in 2025 feels like some glitchy beta version and we’re the unwitting testers completing the user-experience development. As with phones and computers, OTA fixes are no guarantee of satisfaction.

Get your head around that, and the fundamentals are all there (perhaps with the exception of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto). But you’ll need patience and faith.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Completely putting aside the Elon Musk factor, there’s no question the Model Y was in need of an update to keep it fresh and attractive to buyers. On a purely automotive level, the changes they’ve made have been almost universally positive.

Tesla has had to adopt the traditional car company plan, which is out of character, but the new look and tweaks to the ride and specifications make it feel fresh, new and better - which is exactly what the brand needs to continue to grow its market and win back those who have started to look elsewhere.

Whether that’s enough in the face of both the Musk element, slowing EV market and increased rivals - especially those from China - remains to be seen. But if Tesla sales remain in decline, at least it won’t be for a lack of trying to make the Model Y better.

You could be forgiven for thinking that a V8 or diesel engine might lurk behind the C10’s doe-eyed face, with that high and bulky bonnet.

Yet the Leapmotor is packaged as a ground-up EV-first SUV. You’d never know by just looking at it.

Clean and uncluttered, there’s an unassuming simplicity and warmth to the C10’s design. And it does grow on you – more so, perhaps, than the Porsche Cayenne that clearly inspired it. That’s a feat in itself.

Nice visual touches include the smooth detailing, smart alloys, recessed door handles and clean lighting treatments.

A similar less-is-more approach is carried through inside.

Tesla’s original game plan was to focus on software updates to keep its cars fresh and appealing, rather than the traditional facelifts and specification tweaks that other car companies use. But, in what should probably not be a surprise, it turns out the rest of the car industry hasn’t been doing mid-cycle facelifts and updates for every other car for no reason - it did them because they worked.

To that end, this ‘new’ Model Y isn’t all-new, but rather the existing platform with refreshed styling. It takes Tesla’s latest design cues taken from the Cybertruck and Cybercab concept, with a new-look front end that is dominated by this LED lighting that runs across the entire width and wraps around the corners into the headlights.

There’s a new, flatter bumper, which takes styling inspiration from the Cybertruck but the company claims it’s also more aerodynamic. While at the rear there’s been an equally extensive redesign, with new lighting and tailgate. Tesla claims the new rear light bar that runs the width of the car is one of the longest of its kind in the industry.

I’ll leave it to each individual reader to decide whether they like the look of the 2025 Model Y, but objectively speaking it certainly looks different enough from its predecessor that it could entice existing owners to upgrade or attract new buyers.

Inside the changes are less noticeable, with some subtle but significant tweaks. Visually the biggest change is a new wrap-around ambient light strip that runs from door to door across the front of the dashboard.

But the rest of the layout is largely what was there before, with one notable exception. Tesla has taken its ‘minimalist’ design to the next level and removed the gear selector stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column. Instead you need to use the central touchscreen to get the Model Y moving.

To be candid, I don’t like this, it makes for a less convenient, less tactile and less initiative way to change gears, while also making the central screen even busier. Aesthetically, with the left-hand indicator stalk still there, it makes an asymmetrical design element in an otherwise symmetrical cabin. Which is where it starts to feel less like a design choice and more like a cost saving decision.

In fact, despite the good quality materials used throughout the cabin and good build quality, personally I find this almost-buttonless, so-called minimalist cabin just looks and feels cheap with so little in the way of details and design flourishes. Especially against the wave of incoming similar-sized and sometimes cheaper Chinese electric SUV rivals, that either look very similar (Deepal S07) or have similar technology and add some more design flair (BYD Sealion 7).

One design element of note is the lack of any Tesla badging on the front. There’s no ‘Tesla’ or even a ‘T’ badge, which is in keeping with the Cybertruck design but is another meaningful change from the previous Model Y.

The C10’s simple elegance carries on inside, with an appealing minimalism that leaves you no doubt that this is a modern EV.

Big and spacious, with more than enough space for five people to travel comfortably, the first thing you notice is how sumptuously soft and cosseting the front bucket seats are. You sink in them like a plush sofa.

These are positive first impressions, aided by large side windows and the panoramic glass roof that bathe the cabin in lots of light, though thankfully a solid blind is also included.

We’re in the up-spec Design grade, with its synthetic leather upholstery (dubbed “Silicone Leather with OEKO-TEX” in Leapmotor-speak) covering most dash/door/console surfaces, resulting in a high-quality look and execution that does feel expensive. Even the plastics seem decent. We constantly had to remind ourselves we were in a sub-$50K mid-sized SUV.

Finding the right driving position is no problem, ahead of concise electronic instrumentation that’s easy to read. Ventilation is ample and storage is plentiful. A lot of thought has gone into the C10’s packaging and presentation.

Too bad, then, that it slips on the details, beginning with an almost total lack of switchgear.

We’re glad that the steering column adjustment relies on a good old lever, because having to dive into the centre screen and then use the steering-wheel buttons to reposition the mirrors is constantly annoying. We’re never with the cars long enough for the memory function to learn our preferences, but stuff like this should never have to be so needlessly complicated.

The touchscreen itself is slick and fast, responding speedily to commands. It’s far from the worst we’ve experienced for logic and intuitive operation, and the decent size (14.6 inches) helps. But why is so much vehicle functionality access behind a crowded electronic display? Inevitably, warnings chimed while eyes strayed from the road as our concentration was divided. We’ll be so glad when this dangerous buttonless fad passes.

Speaking of access, the back doors open big and wide onto an equally opulent rear bench, with the chauffeured passenger privy to vent outlets, sturdy cupholders, overhead grab handles, USB ports and a folding centre armrest. Again, nicely presented and well put together, the premium sense prevails.

So person-focused is the rear seat area, in fact, that the luggage area suffers a little, being smaller than the C10’s 4.74m length suggests. VDA capacity is 546 litres with all split/fold seatbacks up, extending to 1375L with them dropped. That’s barely more than what a Nissan Qashqai offers. At least the floor itself is low, flat and nicely presented.

Overall, then, the Leapmotor would have come close to scoring a 10/10 for practicality, rather than 8/10, if it were not for its annoying keyless entry/start regime, almost complete lack of buttons and no spare tyre.

From a space perspective, the Model Y offers good room front and rear for an SUV of this size. The addition of the rear heated seats and small touchscreen that can support two Bluetooth headphones is very nice. 

There’s plenty of small item storage thanks to a large centre console between the front seats, with space for two wireless smartphone charging pads, two cups or bottles and a pair of large lidded storage spaces (albeit with only a single USB-C input).

In terms of luggage space, the Model Y does a nice job, thanks to its 117L front boot (or frunk), while at the rear the boot has a claimed 854L of cargo space with underfloor storage. However, that big boot comes at the expense of any sort of spare tyre or even a puncture repair kit. Instead, Tesla offers roadside assistance and brings you a spare wheel and tyre or takes you to a tyre store. Which is fine if you have a flat in an urban area and a Tesla service vehicle can drop off a spare in short order, but if you’re in a regional spot you may be waiting a while for a job that some people can do in 15 minutes or less.

As for the in-car technology, there’s no question that Tesla has created a good infotainment system and it runs quickly on the big, hi-resolution screen. However, once again Tesla’s desire to be different and not conform to the industry norms rears its head.

There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility, because Tesla wants to only run its system and not deal with third parties. And, yes, you can still pair your phone and get very similar functionality, but it is not the same functionality and seems like a compromise for customers.

The Model Y still has plenty of the ‘Easter eggs’ that are a much-talked about part of Tesla lore. And honestly, they’re fine, a nice little bonus, but the truth is, like so many other car ‘surprise and delight’ features, they don’t add any meaningful long-term value to the ownership or user experience. I used to get excited by them when I first drove Teslas, but within a few days you tend to forget about them.

On a positive note, the Tesla App is a great feature, allowing you to keep in contact with your car, and access cameras and other features remotely, while also using your phone as a key. Which is good, because otherwise you have to use a key card, which allows keyless entry but the card has to be pulled out of your pocket and placed on the wireless phone charging pads in order for the car to start, which just seems unnecessarily complex.

Of course, one of the most important elements for any car’s sales success is its price and the value it offers customers. That’s why this is one of the (non-political) automotive reasons behind Tesla’s sales decline. Put simply, the American brand has more rivals now, particularly those from China that are undercutting it.

The list of cheaper electric SUVs now includes the BYD Atto 3 and Sealion 7, Deepal S07, Kia EV3 and EV5, Geely EX5, Leapmotor C10, XPeng X6 and Zeekr X. With customers having more choice and overall demand for EVs starting to plateau, Tesla will need to fight harder for each and every sale.

Tesla repeatedly cut the cost of the old Model Y, reaching as low as $55,900, but this new version starts at $58,900 for the RWD variant and $68,900 for the Long Range AWD we drove.

Some of the key specification highlights for this updated Model Y include new heated and ventilated front seats, improved heated rear seats, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen in the rear, ambient lighting, acoustic glass, pixel-by-pixel headlights and a new hands-free tailgate that can open on approach.

The elephant in the room is re-sale value, with Tesla's repeated price cuts impacting the used car market and therefore the value it offers you. Tesla Australia has indicated that the multiple price cuts that impacted the previous model in its later years are a thing of the past, but a discount or sale is always a helpful way to drive sales in troubled times.

As with the EV, the REEV’s powertrain centres around a rear-mounted Permanent Magnet Synchronous electric motor, driving the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

In this plug-in application, power drops slightly to 158kW while torque remains the same at 320Nm. The 0-100km/h sprint time takes 8.5 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 170km/h.

But that’s only half the story.

Out goes the EV’s 69.9kWh Lithium Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery pack, for a 28.4kWh LFP item, offering around 145km of WLTP range. It can be charged via a 6.6kW AC charger, 65kW DC fast-charger… or by an on-board internal combustion engine conveniently located under the bonnet.   

Supplied by Dongfeng, this is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder Euro-6-rated petrol unit of undisclosed power and torque. All it does is recharge the battery and has no physical connection to any transmission or driving wheels. It is a power generator, meaning the EV motor is constantly working.

Four driving modes are available – EV+, where the engine won’t kick in until charge drops below nine per cent; EV-normal, where the engine starts once the battery dips under 25 per cent; Fuel mode, which operates engine-charging from 20 to 80 per cent battery capacity; and Power+, where the engine is constantly charging. The latter is good for a battery top-up in preparation for EV-only driving in, say, congested city areas.

Note that the REEV weighs some 35kg less than the EV version.

The suspension – MacPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link arrangement out back – remains the same, and has been tuned by the Maserati sports carmaker (another Stellantis brand) of Italy.

For all the difficulties Tesla has been suffering lately, and amid all the new challengers, one area where the brand remains in a strong position is its powertrains and battery technology. It is still among the best in the business, and should be the reason you buy a Model Y more than its ‘Easter eggs’ or buttonless interior.

Tesla is notoriously cagey when it comes to its power and torque figures, but all indications are the motors haven’t been changed. That means the RWD makes 220kW/420Nm, while the Long Range we’re in has a theoretical 331kW/559Nm.

What Tesla has confirmed is the new Model Y is faster, thanks to a software update, with the RWD a full one second faster from 0-100km/h - now taking 5.9 seconds - and the Long Range is two-tenths quicker at 4.8 seconds.

Leapmotor says the C10 REEV offers an EV-only range of 145km (WLTP) from its 28.4kWh LFP battery, with its average electricity consumption stated at 15.2kWh/100km.

Switching to hybrid mode, 970km is possible thanks to a 50L fuel tank, with the 1.5L petrol engine averaging only 0.9L/100km, for a carbon dioxide emissions rating of just 21 grams/km.

As with most PHEVs, such numbers are pure fantasy when it comes to the real-world experience.

Driving it hard and fast over nearly 400km at speeds of up to 130km/h, we averaged an indicated 6.5L/100km, or between 19-21kWh/100km, which is a far cry from the official claims, but still good for a two-tonne mid-sized PHEV SUV with two adults on board and the AC blasting.

The C10 REEV sits on a 400-volt architecture and offers a maximum of 65kW DC charging capability, meaning it can be fast charged from 30-80 per cent in under 20 minutes, or overnight (at around 10-12 hours) to full capacity when plugged in at home due to its 6.6kW AC charger.

While it may not be more powerful, Tesla has extended the range on both the RWD and Long Range.

The RWD has been stretched to 466km, an improvement of 11km, and the Long Range lives up to its name with a 551km range - an 18km increase over the old model.

In the real-world though, we noticed quite a dramatic decrease in battery percentage on relatively limited urban driving, so much so we’d need a longer evaluation period to confirm whether you could consistently get more than 500km from a single charge. Even working from home, and driving a second car during the week we had the Model Y, I was on course to have to recharge within a seven-day period.

When you do need to recharge, Tesla operates its own Supercharging network, so in addition to being able to use the growing number of public chargers, you can probably find one of Tesla’s 110 Superchargers near you.

Charging is nice and easy too. You can upload your credit card to the car so you only need to plug in and it will automatically start replenishing the batteries.

Probably the most remarkable thing about C10 REEV is just how similar it feels to the electric version to drive.

Identical even, at least until the petrol engine fires up – and even then, that’s just a fairly-muted hum, rather than a louder, constant-revving experience as per the Outlander PHEV or Nissan’s e-Power alternatives.

Always relying on the electric motor to drive the rear wheels, it’s pure EV from start up as long as there’s enough charge in the battery, with the now-familiar near-silent surge of acceleration, combined with instant throttle response and a smooth, relaxed attitude. Pleasant stuff.

Keeping in mind that the WLTP EV-only range is around 145km, in EV+ mode, it’s entirely possible to never even engage the 1.5-litre petrol engine for most shorter trips. It’s only when charge drops below 10 per cent that you’ll hear it seamlessly kick in. The same applies in EV-normal mode except that the threshold is lower, and keeps dropping in the Fuel and Power+ modes to the point where it might be almost always on depending on driving style. Yet even then, it’s never intrusive.

Other C10 REEV plus points include light and easy steering, surprisingly precise handling and nicely-modulated brakes (not always a given in electrified vehicles), while the soft suspension and plush seating really offer an isolated and comfortable travelling experience.

And there wasn’t even that much road noise coming through over the (admittedly super slick) Spanish roads we drove this on.

In these ways, the Leapmotor feels far more sophisticated than its low pricing and relative inexperience suggest. At least over a relatively short drive.

Spend more time in the C10 and some cracks do start to show. And they jar.

For starters, we did notice a disconcerting lack of power when battery capacity is really down and the engine is working overtime trying to bring the charge back up. At freeway speeds, acceleration was throttled back to the point of it being gutless and slow. This was discovered when we deliberately depleted the battery to see how the car behaved, so our advice is to not let charge drop below about 25 per cent to avoid this.

Find a fast and tight set of corners, and the steering can seem lumpy and inconsistent, losing its linear feel, meaning that the driver must keep chipping away to make it flow more smoothly through a turn. Now, this isn’t pretending to be a driver’s SUV, so we’ll let that one pass as well. Unless you’re an enthusiast, in which case, look elsewhere.

But we cannot ignore the annoying, frustrating and even at-times hazardous advanced driver-assist safety (ADAS) systems, that end up blighting the C10 driving experience.

For starters, when driving at speed on (adaptive) cruise control, the Leapmotor would sometimes randomly brake abruptly, as if to prevent a collision with the slower traffic we were safely overtaking. We experienced this in Australia in the EV version earlier in the year, and it did exactly the same thing on European roads. This is unacceptable.  

Less worrying but no less problematic is how the lane-keep tech sometimes fights you if you’re attempting to change lanes by putting up torque resistance. If you’re needing to avoid something, this could be dangerous. If you’re an easily-spooked driver, it may also be downright frightening.

And the less said about the trigger-happy driver-fatigue warning chime the better. It won’t even allow enough time for a momentary glance at the touchscreen – which is necessary if you need to change the climate setting, for instance.

You can switch these off, but a correctly-tuned ADAS system is there to possibly save your life, so what’s the point of not having them? Plus, they reset every time you restart the car, meaning more distracting menu-diving whilst you’re on the move.

That all said, at least the promising news is that Leapmotor is periodically rolling out over-the-air updates, with a big one set to address many of the ADAS issues from September, 2025. And they’ll of course be retro-applicable. But that’s still a long time to put up with sub-standard driving and dynamic behaviours.

As it stands, then, the C10’s dynamic tune still feels very much a work-in-progress. A pity as it offers so much good stuff too and at a great price to boot.

One of the most significant mechanical changes for this new Model Y is retuned suspension. The previous Model Y was criticised for its uncomfortable ride, especially in the rears, and Tesla has acted to change that. 

The ride is more comfortable but still on the firm side as it needs to control the weight of all the batteries. Overall the changes have brought a positive impact and helped improve one of the weak points of the Model Y.

Tesla has also added lower rolling resistance tyres and acoustic glass, both of which help refinement and make for a quieter cabin. That was an early problem with the Model S, the amount of road noise and mechanical groans and squeaks that were audible without an engine to mask them. Tesla has worked hard over the years to make a much more refined and quieter electric vehicle.

From a driving perspective, the Model Y is nice without offering anything class-leading or particularly stand-out. Tesla claims the new tyres help improve handling, but there's no real evidence of that from behind the wheel.

In fact, the Model Y doesn't really have any element of the driving experience that stands out amongst its newer rivals. The motors offer good, effortless performance, but the driving character - the steering, the chassis handling - just lacks any above-average quality.

One area where Tesla has caught up to some of its EV rivals is adding a different level of regenrative braking, with a relaxed setting that allows for a more conventional two-pedal driving experience than the standard regen, which is quite strong.

Still, it's hard to give Tesla any more points for its Driving score because it simply feels very much average for the current class of EV SUVs.

Safety is another area where Tesla has some standout features. As this is an updated, rather than an all-new model, it has the same crash structure as the 2022 Model Y ANCAP tested and awarded five stars.

It gets all the basics you expect, such as seven airbags for full occupant protection, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning and so on. But there’s some extra elements worth mentioning.

And we need to start with Tesla’s much talked about ‘Autopilot’ - which isn’t the Full Self Driving System that’s offered in America. Instead, it’s a very fancy sounding name for the same sort of adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist most brands offer. We had some significant issues with this system during our week of testing, with the car repeatedly slowing dramatically when the Autopilot was engaged, despite no obvious reason to do so.

Another issue with the Autopilot is the specific ‘Autosteer’ function, which is clearly listed as in ‘Beta’ form, which means it’s not in its final, production-ready form. I don’t believe customers should be beta testing anything for carmakers, either it’s ready for us to use or it isn’t. Tesla is the only car I’ve ever driven that openly admits it is offering a not-fully-tested system and it simply doesn’t make sense to me that they get away with it.

But, as is a theme here, for every questionable Tesla element there is a counter element that’s positive. In terms of safety it’s the Sentry Mode, which is a great system that allows you to record movement near the car in case of threat of theft or damage by automatically turning on the external cameras if someone approaches the car. You can check in real-time from the Tesla app too, so it adds a layer of functionality and peace-of-mind that few others can match.

Similarly, another handy safety feature is the in-built dashcam, that uses the forward facing safety camera to record video. It can be programmed to activate on a specific command, such as beeping the horn, so you can capture any incident and get evidence to help with an insurance or dangerous driving incident.

Better than average timewise if not mileage-wise, but some way short of the best (and inferior to the MY24 model’s seven-year/160,000km schedule), the MY25 C10’s warranty is six-years/150,000km, with service frequency set at every 12 months or 10,000km (REEV) and 20,000km (EV).

The battery warranty is at eight years/1600,000km, while Leapmotor also offers eight years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing.

According to Leapmotor’s website, and with no distinction between powertrains, published prices are $260 for the first service, $460 for the second, $495 for the third and fourth and $290 for the fifth, totalling $2000 over five years.

Tesla has a relatively short warranty for the Model Y, at least by modern standard, at just four years and 80,000km. However the battery and drive units are covered for eight years, so you do get more peace of mind that any battery issues will be resolved.

However, there are different mileages for the RWD and Long Range models, and Tesla says the batteries only need to retain 70 per cent of their performance to be within their limits.

Servicing is another non-traditional area for Tesla. The company doesn't offer fixed-service intervals, but rather the car will alert you when it needs a service. BMW and Mini also do this.

Naturally, there are less lubricants and other consumables to maintain as you’d find on a petrol-powered SUV, but there are still parts like brake fluids and air filters that need to be looked at by a technician.