Stellantis backed Leapmotor will officially list its latest car the C16 on June 28 and according a previous comments by an official the price won’t be more than 200,000 yuan (27,600 USD). After opening pre-sales during the Beijing Auto Show the C16 attracted 11,950 orders within 24 hours. Leapmotor is once again pushing its boundaries with this car which seems not only to be a step more upmarket but is also the first car equipped with 800V architecture.
The C16 is mid-size electric SUV with a 2+2+2 seating arrangement. Design wise it is a fairly inconspicuous SUV with one of the most eye-catching features being the roof mounted Lidar unit. In many ways it looks like an enlarged C10 (see specs), which was the brand’s first world car, and up until the C-pillar there is little to distinguish them. This may well be a deliberate attempt to copy the Li Auto strategy where the L series are largely only differentiated on size and price with a very distinct look carried across the range. Certainly positioning wise in China the C10 is sold as a cheaper L7 and the C16 aims to be a half price L8 and compete with cars such as the Aito M7.
By the time the C16 reaches the D-pillar there is considerable difference with the C10 and the third window is much bigger due to the car being longer and having a third row of seats. The C16 measures in at 4915, 1905 and 1770 mm (l/w/h) and rides on a 2825 mm wheelbase. It is based on the Leap 3.0 architecture and is the largest Leapmotor model to date. Buyers get a choice between 20 and 21-inch wheels and can also choose from six exterior colors: Star Silver, Star Purple, Sky Gray, Pearl White, Metallic Black, and Glazed Emerald.
Inside the C16 marks a definite step up in terms of quality and overall look for Leapmotor. For the first row there is a fairly standard separate 10.25-inch instrument screen and floating 14.6-inch infotainment unit setup. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip powers the infotainment system and it runs the Leap OS. The car comes with a 21 speaker sound system and a wireless phone charger.
Earlier reports indicated that the C16 would come in both six and seven seat versions but so far there has only been an application for a sales license for a six seater. Rear occupants are treated to a 15.6-inch roof mounted fold-down entertainment screen. Additionally the backs of the front seats house fold-down trays for the second row passengers. Seats in the second row are electrically adjustable and along with the third row have a one-button adjustment mode. In addition to three-zone independent air conditioning there are electric sunshades.
The C16 will be available as both an all-electric EV and a range extended EV. Power for the former comes from a TZ220XY008 providing up to 215 kW of power. Coupled with a 67 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack from Zenergy it has a range of 520 km CLTC. On the other hand the EREV version has a 1.5 liter H15R self-aspirated engine with maximum output of 70 kW as a range extender with actual power coming from a 170 kW electric motor. The EREV uses a 28.4 kWh LFP battery pack from CALB which is good for 134 km all-electric CLTC range.
Stellantis took a 20% stake in Leapmotor last year. Since then the two parties have formed Leapmotor International, with Stellantis holding the controlling 51% share, which will be used to expand the global reach of the brand, particularly in Europe. In September the Leapmotor T03 and C10 cars will launch in nine European countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Romania, Spain, Portugal, and France. Designed as a world model the C16 will likely follow onto the international market with sales possibly commencing overseas by early next year.
Source: Autohome
“…. battery pack from CALB which is good for 134 km all-electric CLTC range.”
or,
…..good for a CLTC electric range of 134 km.