"Delivered 81,569 units in May, a year-on-year surge of 81% and a month-on-month increase of 14.26% compared to April."

In early June, Leapmotor released this monthly report. If this growth momentum continues, its annual sales will approach or exceed one million units. An annual sales volume of one million units can largely secure a spot in the domestic passenger car sales TOP 10 in advance. As a reference, CPCA's 2025 wholesale sales data shows that Tesla, the 10th place domestic automaker, had a full-year wholesale sales volume of 852,000 units, averaging about 71,000 units per month. And Leapmotor's single-month delivery volume in May has already exceeded last year's Tesla monthly average level.

Horizontally comparing with other new forces, the delivery volume of the top four brands, Li Auto, XPeng, NIO, and Zeekr, in May was all in the range of 30,000 units.

From the S01, the first model in 2019 with an annual sales volume of less than 3,000 units, to 2025 with annual deliveries approaching 600,000 units, to this May standing at 80,000 units, Leapmotor has become one of the fastest-growing new energy brands in China.

"Who exactly is buying Leapmotor?" After the monthly sales figure of 80,000 was released, an industry insider made such a comment to Gasgoo Automotive. Through the domestic insurance quantity data provided by Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute and overseas sales situation, we can see a truer side behind Leapmotor's growth.

Not Only Benefiting from New Energy Dividends

After the penetration rate of new energy passenger cars broke through 50%, the market logic has changed.

In the early stage of the industry, the new energy market was mainly driven by users trying new things. These consumers are willing to accept new technologies, sensitive to intelligent configurations, and willing to bear certain trial and error costs. But today, the power driving the market to continue expanding increasingly comes from the replacement demand of traditional fuel car users.

For a large number of ordinary families, car purchase decisions are not chasing cutting-edge technology, but a concrete economic calculation. Data from monitoring of refined oil products by the NDRC and other departments shows that the retail price of 92-octane gasoline in most mainstream provinces has long fluctuated around 8 yuan/liter, and the annual fuel expenditure for an ordinary fuel sedan generally exceeds 10,000 yuan.

In comparison, the daily usage cost advantage of new energy models becomes obvious. Families with budgets concentrated in the 100,000 to 200,000 yuan range found that: with the same car purchase budget, new energy not only reduces subsequent usage costs but also provides larger space, richer configurations, and better intelligent experiences. This pushed a large number of fuel car users to start entering the new energy market.

Leapmotor is exactly in the price interval with the most concentrated demand. Compared to some brands relying on the high-end market or niche tracks, its main models basically cover the 100,000 to 200,000 yuan market, which is the largest block of domestic passenger car market capacity, and also enjoyed the dividend of new energy in this market.

Image Source: Leapmotor

Terminal feedback confirms this. According to Guojin Securities survey, many users who visited the store previously drove Sylphy, Lavida, Corolla, Haval H6 and other traditional family models. This group of replacement customers paid highly consistent attention when choosing cars at the store: Is the space big enough? Does the range meet daily use? Is the configuration rich? Is the price cost-effective.

Not only that, Leapmotor also benefited from the incremental dividend of new energy sinking down. In the past few years, charging facilities in cities at the third and fourth levels and county areas have gradually improved, which alleviated the power supply issue that previously constrained car purchases in lower-tier markets, releasing a large number of new energy car purchase demands.

Taking A10 as an example, this entry-level model launched in March this year, May sales reached 23,000 units. Aijian Securities survey shows that the terminal orders for this car were concentrated in third-tier and below prefecture-level cities and county-level sinking markets.

From this, it can be seen that Leapmotor is not simply benefiting from the improvement of new energy penetration rate, but took a relatively favorable position in the process of two trends releasing simultaneously: fuel car replacement and first-time purchase in sinking markets.

Domestically, Who Buys Leapmotor?

Compared to wholesale sales, insurance data (due to different statistical calibers, there are differences with official data) can more intuitively reflect domestic real terminal demand. From the domestic insurance data of the first four months of 2026, the profile of Leapmotor users is very clear.

From the perspective of vehicle model structure, most users are buying cars for families. Among them, C10 cumulative insurance quantity approached 30,000 units, accounting for about one-quarter of Leapmotor's first 4 months domestic total insurance quantity (125,000 units); B01 and C11 insurance quantity were both around 18,000 units; B10 insurance 16,000 units; C16 proportion exceeded 10%.

At the same time, A10 and lafa 5, two new cars, also showed strong growth momentum. A10 was launched less than 2 months ago, and insurance quantity in April was already close to 10,000 units; lafa 5 sales in the first 4 months also reached 13,000 units; D19 which was launched not long ago also had insurance quantity over 1,000 in April.

Based on sales, it can be seen that Leapmotor has multiple models jointly undertaking sales tasks, and multiple new cars have the trend of becoming blockbusters. Although Leapmotor's product line covers multiple price bands, it targets mainly the same group of people: pragmatic family users.

Based on the analysis of sales volume proportion of Leapmotor models, most family car purchase budgets should be concentrated around 150,000 yuan, hoping to get larger space, smart cockpit, longer range and lower usage cost under the same budget.

Looking at the user profiles of A10 and D19 models together might help understand Leapmotor's precise coverage capability at different price levels better.

A10 enters the young family first purchase or additional purchase demand at the 100,000 yuan level price. Leapmotor Automotive's profile of the first batch of large deposit users of this car shows: more inclined towards 'Dad and Mom' group, core decision factors include space, combined assisted driving, smart cockpit. Among them, more than 60% are families with children, female users account for 42%; 43.2% of users love tourism, inclined to 505km long range version. The first batch of large deposit cities TOP5 include Hangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chengdu and Beijing, etc.

The first batch of D19 owners profile presents another group of people: 69.6% are 30-44 year old people, undergraduate and above proportion 62.6%, management proportion 74.4%; 95% are replacement purchase users, among replacement purchase users 30% come from BBA owners, among replacement users 19.7% are old Leapmotor owners; 35.5% come from Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu three provinces, among which 62% are local native residents.

Zhu Jiangming stated: 'D19 May new orders continue to break 10,000.' This flagship SUV launched in April just entered the stable ramp-up period in the second month after launch.

The portrait difference between A10 and D19 corresponds to the two ends of Leapmotor's product matrix: A series meets the first car purchase or additional purchase demand of mainstream families with high cost-performance, D series takes over the upgrade replacement demand of middle-class families with higher pricing and luxury configurations. Two lines and B series, C series form an upgrade chain, jointly constituting the user base of Leapmotor's 80,000 units monthly sales.

City distribution can also explain the problem. In Leapmotor's first four months 2026 domestic insurance TOP15 list, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Shanghai, Chengdu and other cities rank at the front. Except for a few super first-tier cities like Shanghai, other cities are mostly first-tier or quasi-first-tier, possessing huge middle-class and salaried family groups, tending to make decisions based on actual needs, focusing more on the product itself than brand halo.

As Leapmotor's headquarters, multiple prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang performed outstandingly, Taizhou 2,637 units, Ningbo 2,525 units, Wenzhou 2,300 units, all entered the 1-4 months insurance TOP15 list. It can be seen that its long-term accumulated user reputation and channel foundation in the Zhejiang market helped the brand achieve stable growth.

More worthy of attention is the sales structure. April insurance data shows, Leapmotor rental, operation and other attribute proportions were extremely low, the vast majority were private cars for personal use and non-operation procurement by enterprises and institutions. In the background where many new energy brands rely on ride-hailing cars and travel platform procurement to boost sales, Leapmotor's terminal sales are basically dominated by personal users.

Abroad, Who Buys Leapmotor?

When the domestic market gradually enters the stock competition stage, the overseas market is becoming an increasingly important growth source for some Chinese automakers. It is the same for Leapmotor.

Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute data shows, from January to April 2026, Leapmotor accumulated exports of 64,000 units. Its single-month export in April reached 22,000 units, accounting for 30% of the brand's total monthly sales.

Consumption demand differences in different markets are huge, Leapmotor's practice is to launch suitable models for each market.

Europe is Leapmotor's largest overseas market, January-April accumulated sales reached 38,000 units. Especially in Italy and Belgium, two places, same period sales exceeded 10,000 units, ranking the top two in its export destinations. In addition, good results were achieved in UK and France, January-April sales exceeded 1,000 units.

T03 became the main force of Leapmotor exporting to Europe. Because local energy prices have been high for a long time, and there are problems such as narrow roads in old towns and cramped parking spaces, small pure electric models naturally have advantages.

From January to April, T03 single model export to Europe reached 18,000 units, accounting for nearly 50% of its total European sales, the main export country is Italy. Compared to European micro EVs, T03 price is cheaper by about 20%, configuration also adds L2 level intelligent driving and large screen. Cost-performance is its core selling point.

Southeast Asia market is different. Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries per capita income level is relatively limited, car purchase budget is generally not high. From January to April, Leapmotor exported about 8,000 units in total in Southeast Asia, among which T03 registered 5,479 units. This model combines price, range and practicality, easier to gain local consumer recognition.

Leapmotor in South America market takes Brazil as the core. Brazil territory is vast, long-distance travel frequent, charging infrastructure construction is still being improved, range-extended products match local needs better. From January to April, Leapmotor exported 6,614 units in Brazil, among which C10 range-extended version accounted for 6,557 units exclusively.

Product adaptation solves the 'what to sell' problem, but 'how to sell' is equally key. With the不断扩大 scale of overseas sales, this requires supporting channel networks to match. And, to serve customers well, channels should go first.

To lay out channels faster, open fame in strange countries, Leapmotor chose to cooperate with global automakers. In 2023, Leapmotor and Stellantis reached cooperation, the latter invested 1.5 billion euros to take equity, both parties jointly established Leapmotor International. Stellantis relies on its own mature European distribution system and South America channel resources, the joint company is fully responsible for Leapmotor model sales, maintenance and local promotion.

In 2025, Leapmotor International in South America first landed Brazil 36 stores, Chile 5 stores total 41 outlets, later gradually expanded to Argentina, Colombia and other countries.

At the same time, to further strengthen European market competitiveness, avoid tariff risks, Leapmotor in Spain, Malaysia and other places simultaneously promoted local assembly factories. Its sales volume rise in Italy, Belgium and other European markets can reflect channel value.

For most Chinese brands, the biggest challenge of overseas market is often not products, but channels and after-sales system. From store building, training to service capability construction, usually takes several years. Leapmotor with mature channels, greatly shortened market introduction cycle.

This is because, product value is the foundation of going overseas, channel capability determines the speed of going overseas. Leapmotor overseas volume release is the result of product adaptation and channel double action.

Why is it Leapmotor?

Return to the original question. Why among new forces, only Leapmotor achieved the monthly sales of 80,000 results.

In the past few years, new forces industry continuously discussed high-level intelligent driving, AI large models, ecosystem systems. These directions are of course important, but from market scale perspective, what truly determines the sales ceiling is always the huge number of ordinary families.

For most Chinese consumers, a car is first a durable consumer good, needs to possess space big enough, configuration high enough, usage cost low enough, price affordable factors. This demand seems ordinary, but corresponds to the largest user group in the market. Leapmotor sales growth, essentially built on continuous coverage of this group.

Image Source: Leapmotor Automotive

From product structure perspective, brand has formed A, B, C, D multiple product sequences. 2026 new products concentrated landing: end of March A10 launched, April D19 flagship SUV on sale, later D99 MPV, overseas exclusive models will also be put on the market successively. Product prices extend from 70,000 to 300,000, covering multiple intervals from entry-level代步 to family SUV.

From cost control perspective, full-domain independent R&D is Leapmotor's core capability. Securities research data shows, Leapmotor core parts independent research rate exceeds 65%, LEAP whole vehicle platform parts universality rate up to 88%. From three-electric, electric control to vehicle-mounted chips, whole vehicle architecture, independent R&D production, got rid of foreign parts manufacturer procurement premium.

From market layout perspective, its January-April domestic insurance plus overseas export total sales volume close to 190,000 units (data statistics caliber different, will exist difference). Especially overseas sales proportion from 2025 less than 10% increased to 30%, domestic and overseas double line growth further disperses single market fluctuation brought risk.

This product, cost, market three-in-one layout, actually points to the same judgment: Leapmotor did not go chasing windmills that have not been verified, but honestly rooted in a demand pool that has been verified, and still continues to expand.

Image Source: Leapmotor Automotive

Cost advantages brought by full-domain independent R&D capability, superimposed on the formation of sales volume scale effect, are reflected in Leapmotor's financial data.

2025, Leapmotor full year achieved net profit attributable to parent company 540 million yuan, is one of the few new forces achieving full year profit. 2026 first quarter, although affected by new product R&D, overseas factory investment drag, its net profit attributable to parent company was -390 million yuan, but gross profit margin still maintained at 9.4%, still better than many peers who rely on loss-making price reduction to exchange for sales.

From 2019 niche start, to today monthly sales 80,000 units, Leapmotor's growth path is not complex: no betting on high-end, no hype concepts, rooted in 100,000-200,000 yuan level home market, calculate space, range, configuration and price clear.

Full-domain independent R&D held down costs, multi-model covered different budget family demands, overseas借助 Stellantis channels rapid volume release. These three points superimposed, stepped on the switching node of new energy from trial to popularization.

Leapmotor can sell to 80,000 units, also explains one thing: when industry no longer tells brand stories, ordinary families will vote with budget. Who can give the most practical value in limited budget, who can get more market share. As for technical slogans and ecosystem vision, that's the next step.

【Lead: On May 16, 200,000 Leapmotor older vehicles received free city pilot assist overnight; on May 18, the MPV D99 interior was unveiled, beginning to advance into the high-end market. When competitors are still dividing classes using intelligent driving and configurations, Leapmotor chooses to make them standard equipment. After monthly sales of 70,000, the question is no longer "how many can be sold", but "is the ceiling high enough".】

Author: Cai Yan

Although sales rank at the top among new forces, Leapmotor reported a loss of 390 million yuan in the first quarter, making the goal of achieving 5 billion yuan net profit this year much harder to reach. When the A10 becomes popular, D99 aims for the high-end, and the second brand is ready to launch, this car company that started relying on "cost-performance" has achieved rapid scale expansion but encountered a bottleneck in profits, and it is working hard to change the situation.

▲ Leapmotor rises to the first echelon relying on independent research and development technology

From "Cost-Performance Catfish" to "Head Goose of New Forces"

Four years ago, Leapmotor was still in the stage of "monthly sales of thousands of units", with attention and volume far less than "NIO, Xpeng, and Li Auto". The arrival of the turning point was much faster than the industry anticipated. In 2025, Leapmotor delivered 596,600 vehicles for the whole year, topping the annual sales list of domestic new force car makers; in the first quarter of 2026, it delivered 110,200 vehicles, ranking first among new forces again; in April alone, monthly sales exceeded 70,000 units, setting a new brand historical record.

▲ Leapmotor's April monthly delivery volume exceeded 70,000 units

Whole-domain independent research is the origin of all Leapmotor stories. Currently, Leapmotor has established 17 parts factories, with the ratio of self-developed and self-made accounting for 65% of total vehicle costs, covering core links such as electronic control modules, lamp controllers, intelligent driving chips, and electric drive systems. With 65% of the total vehicle cost controlled in its own hands, this vertical integration capability means that when the industry is generally constrained by supplier price hikes, Leapmotor can hold the cost initiative in its own hands; when competitors are still using third-party intelligent driving solutions, Leapmotor is already able to push the nationwide city pilot assist function for free to 200,000 older car owners and promises permanent free usage. This major OTA on May 16 pushed urban main roads, elevated roads, roundabouts, and other all-scenario city pilot assist capabilities to the old B series, Lafa5, and 2026 C series LiDAR version models. Leapmotor proved one thing with actions: Intelligent driving is not a "selling point" for new cars, but an "entitled right" for old users.

At the same time, Leapmotor's channel strategy and product strategy formed an exquisite cooperation. As of January this year, Leapmotor's domestic sales and service outlets exceeded 1,000, covering 295 cities. But unlike the practice of traditional car companies concentrating stores in first-tier cities, Leapmotor's channels are highly "sunk" to fifth-tier cities. The sinking market is not Leapmotor's "supplementary channel", but Leapmotor's basic plate. This "surrounding cities by villages" approach has allowed Leapmotor to establish user cognition and channel barriers early in areas where mainstream new forces have not yet reached.

From the product level, Leapmotor has built a complete product ladder from the A platform to the D platform. The A10 is priced at 65,800 - 86,800 yuan, yet pulls hardcore configurations such as LiDAR, spot-to-spot pilot assist, and Qualcomm dual flagship chips into the market under 100,000 yuan. Market response was extremely enthusiastic, daily production capacity has reached the level of thousands of units, entering the "Daily Thousand Club" that only a few hit products like Tesla Model Y have reached. The other end is the first mid-to-large MPV D99, positioned as technological luxury, equipped with dual 8797 chips, 1280 TOPS assisted driving computing power, 800V high-voltage platform, second-row seats support rotation function. Quickly attracted industry attention after the interior release. One end is entry-level ultimate cost-performance, one end is brand bearing towards high-end breakthrough, the middle relies on C and B series to form a stable basic plate — this "blossoming at both ends, supporting in the middle" matrix structure is the structural support for Leapmotor to break through 70,000 units in a single month.

▲ Leapmotor A10 brings high-end configurations down to the 100,000 yuan level market

Competition Intensifies, Can Leapmotor Sales Continue to Rise?

In 2026, the elimination competition in the automotive industry intensified, Leapmotor founder Zhu Jiangming straightly said "There is no future without scale".

However, the current awkward situation for Leapmotor is that volume increases but profit decreases. Its Q1 revenue was 10.82 billion yuan, delivered 110,200 vehicles, overseas sales 40,900 vehicles, year-on-year growth of 442%, accounting for 37.1% of total sales, setting a new historical record. Affected by the increased proportion of low-price models, the gross profit margin dropped sharply from 14.9% in the same period last year to 9.4%, net loss 390 million yuan. However, management maintains Q2 guidance of 240,000-250,000 vehicles, annual sales 1 million vehicles and 5 billion yuan net profit target unchanged. Behind it is the confidence in product rhythm — A10 daily production capacity will reach over 1,000 units, May expected 26,000 units, June aiming for 30,000 units; The D99 about to be pre-sold is positioned as a 300,000 yuan level technological luxury MPV, extended range version equipped with 800V high-voltage platform, pure electric version equipped with 1000V high-voltage platform, and equipped with dual 8797 chips, will become a new growth pole.

Secondly, the launch of the second brand opens up new space. Leapmotor Vice President Li Tengfei confirmed at the Q1 financial report meeting that the new brand will debut as early as the end of 2026 or 2027, expected to launch in mid-2027, aiming at the 300,000 yuan and above high-end market, adopting an independent sales network, helping Leapmotor transform from "sales champion" to "full-spectrum giant".

Furthermore, supply chain independence and global layout are the moat. Whole-domain self-research covers 65% of total vehicle costs, especially valuable against the background of shortages in components such as memory. Leapmotor International has already covered 35 countries, 2026 export target 100,000-150,000 vehicles, promoting localized production of factories in Spain and Malaysia, overseas business has already turned a profit. Leapmotor's true ceiling is not in the delivery numbers, but in whether it can continuously build a "Technology-Product-Brand" positive cycle. The May 16 OTA pushed city pilot assist for free to 200,000 older cars, covering B series, Lafa5, and 2026 C series LiDAR models, achieving nationwide opening (2024 C series LiDAR version will follow in the third quarter); meanwhile, Leapmotor plans to achieve "spot-to-spot" high-level intelligent driving push in the third quarter, intelligent driving team over 700 people, training servers nearly 600 units, achieving full-chain self-research. Converting whole-domain self-research into OTA push, stunning products, and cost pricing, "Good but not expensive" is indeed the deepest moat, Leapmotor's ceiling is far from arriving.

▲ Leapmotor D99 attacks the high-end market

Comment

Leapmotor's immediate task is not about sales, but whether it can find a balance pivot between the original intention of "Good but not expensive" and brand upward, especially against the background of turning from profit to loss in the first quarter and a sharp drop in gross profit margin. When the second brand aims for the market above 300,000 yuan, the underlying capabilities of whole-domain self-research will undergo more severe premium testing. Breaking this hurdle, Leapmotor can truly evolve from "sales champion" to "value benchmark".

(This article is original to "Heyuan Yueche", unauthorized reproduction is prohibited)

Recently, Leapmotor announced May sales data, with single-month deliveries reaching 81,569 units, a year-on-year growth of 81%, and a month-on-month increase of 14.26%. This impressive performance report propelled Leapmotor to become the focus of the domestic new energy vehicle market. Following the current growth pace, the brand's annual sales are expected to break the million mark, joining the top ten domestic passenger car sales rankings. Comparing industry data reveals that last year the tenth domestic automaker had an average monthly sales volume of about 71,000 units, while Leapmotor's current monthly sales have surpassed this level. It also widened the gap with top new forces like Li Auto, Xpeng, NIO, Zeekr, etc., as the latter brands maintained May deliveries within the 30,000-unit range. Looking back at the development history, Leapmotor's growth speed is astonishing. In 2019, the first model's annual sales were less than 3,000 units; in 2025, annual deliveries approached 600,000 units; and by this May, it successfully stepped onto the monthly sales 80,000-unit plateau, becoming one of the fastest-growing new energy brands in China. As sales continue to rise, the market also began to explore which consumers are choosing Leapmotor vehicles.

Currently, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China has surpassed 50%, and the market development logic has witnessed a significant shift. In the early stage of industry development, new energy vehicles mainly relied on tech-savvy early adopters who love new things. Now, the core driving force for market growth has gradually shifted to the replacement demand of traditional fuel car owners. For ordinary family consumers, car purchasing focuses more on practicality and cost-effectiveness. Currently, in most regions in China, 92 octane gasoline prices have long stayed around 8 yuan per liter. Annual fuel costs for a conventional fuel car often exceed 10,000 yuan. The lower usage costs of new energy models have become a key factor in attracting replacement buyers. Leapmotor's main products focus on the 100,000 to 200,000 yuan price range, which is the largest passenger car volume segment in China, precisely capturing the two market trends of fuel car replacement and new energy vehicle penetration into lower-tier markets. Surveys show that many walk-in intention users originally drove mainstream family fuel cars like Sylphy, Lavida, Haval H6, etc. When choosing cars, they value interior space, range capability, practical configuration, and cost-performance ratio more. Meanwhile, charging infrastructure in tier-3, tier-4 cities and county markets continues to improve, making up for the shortfalls of new energy vehicle penetration. Leapmotor's entry-level model A10 has gathered numerous orders in tier-3 and lower cities. Only months after launch, this model's May sales reached 23,000 units, fully demonstrating the consumption potential of lower-tier markets.

Combining the domestic vehicle insurance data for the first four months of 2026, one can clearly outline the overall profile of Leapmotor's domestic users. Data shows that multiple models under Leapmotor share sales pressure, and the product matrix development is balanced. Among them, C10 cumulative insurance coverage is close to 30,000 units, accounting for the highest proportion of total sales. Models like B01, C11 also have impressive market performance. From the user attribute perspective, Leapmotor's core customer group is pragmatic family users. Purchase budgets are mostly concentrated around 150,000 yuan, pursuing high space utilization, reliable range, smart configuration, and low usage costs. Different models correspond to differentiated consumer groups: The entry model A10 mainly targets families with children, belonging to first-time purchase or additional purchase models for the family. Female user proportion is considerable, and many users prefer the long-range version. Usage scenarios include long-distance self-driving. While the flagship SUV D19 targets the middle-class upgrade replacement group. Car owners are mostly middle-aged and young workplace management levels. Among them, there are many old owners of luxury brands and old Leapmotor users. Positioning leans towards the high-end family market. From the city distribution perspective, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and other tier-1 and new tier-1 cities are Leapmotor's main sales bases. The Zhejiang local market is particularly well-rooted, and sales in multiple prefecture-level cities remain firmly at the forefront. It is worth mentioning that Leapmotor's sales basically come from personal private car procurement. The proportion of operating vehicles is extremely low, and terminal market development is very healthy.

Besides deepening the domestic market, the overseas market has also become a brand new growth engine for Leapmotor. In the first four months of 2026, Leapmotor accumulated exports of 64,000 units. April single-month exports reached 22,000 units, accounting for 30% of that month's total sales. The brand tailored different models for different overseas road conditions, purchasing power, and driving habits, launching differentiated models to achieve precise layout. Europe is Leapmotor's largest overseas market. Local fuel costs are high, urban roads are narrow, and the compact and flexible T03 became the export mainstay. Relying on price and configuration advantages, it gained numerous orders in countries like Italy and Belgium. In the Southeast Asian market, local consumers have limited budgets, and the economic and practical T03 is equally popular. The South American Brazil market, with vast territory and high long-distance travel demand, focuses on the extended-range model C10, precisely adapting to local travel scenarios. In terms of channel layout, Leapmotor chose to cooperate with the international automotive giant Stellantis. Leveraging their mature distribution network and after-sales system, they quickly opened the overseas market, while also laying out local factories in places like Spain and Malaysia. This further reduced operating costs and avoided tariffs, accelerating overseas market expansion.

Leapmotor managed to stand out among a crowd of new energy new forces, achieving a monthly sales result of 80,000. Behind this is a clear development strategy and hard-core comprehensive strength. The brand did not blindly chase the high-end market and flashy tech concepts, but has been long rooted in the mainstream family market, creating a complete product matrix covering the 70,000 to 300,000 yuan price band to meet the car usage needs of families at different levels. Full-domain self-research is Leapmotor's core trick for controlling costs. Its core component self-research rate exceeds 65%, and the vehicle platform component commonality rate reaches as high as 88%. This effectively got rid of reliance on external supply chains, allowing products to maintain affordable prices while guaranteeing configuration. Now Leapmotor is working on both domestic and overseas lines, effectively hedging the operational risks of a single market. Financial performance has also remained stable. In 2025, it successfully achieved full-year profit. In the first quarter of this year, under the premise of continuous investment in overseas factory building and new product R&D, it still maintained a considerable gross profit margin.

Looking back at Leapmotor's development path, its success logic is simple and pragmatic: Conforming to the big trend of new energy vehicle popularization, targeting the huge base of ordinary family consumers, relying on R&D technology to control costs, relying on rich models to cover segmented needs, and leveraging cooperative channels to develop the overseas market. At a time when the car market is returning to rationality, consumers no longer simply chase brand gimmicks, but vote with actual consumption choices. Leapmotor's rise also confirms a truth: In the fiercely competitive automotive industry, accurately grasping the real needs of the masses and continuously providing high-value products is how one can stand firm and achieve long-term development.

Budgeting around 80,000 yuan to buy a pure electric commuter SUV, I'm sure many are hesitating between Changan Qiyuan New Q05 and Leapmotor A10. Although their levels differ and styles vary, they ultimately overlap in street prices, so the issue of 'buy big or small' will definitely trouble you. Who is more worth it? Today we found two configurations with similar prices to compare.

Specific configurations are the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 405Max with a limited-time subsidy price of 79,900 yuan, and the Leapmotor A10 505 Enjoy Version with a guide price of 76,800. The price difference is 3,100 yuan, but how do the product strengths differ? Let's keep reading:

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

First, of course, is the difference in dimensions. As a compact SUV, the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 body dimensions are 4435x1855x1595mm with a wheelbase of 2735mm; while as a subcompact SUV, the Leapmotor A10 body dimensions are 4270x1810x1635mm with a wheelbase of 2605mm. The Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is superior in length, width, and wheelbase, while the Leapmotor A10 is superior in height. With a 179cm tester measuring, the rear legroom is 2 fists, whereas the A10 has only 1 fist 3 fingers. However, with an adjustable backrest, comfort is better.

Regarding storage, the Leapmotor A10 standard volume reaches 602L, including 102L of sunken storage space; while the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is 540L, and it also has 90L of hidden space, so both sides perform about the same.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

(Leapmotor A10)

After comparison, we can see that the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is larger in size. The trunk space is average, releasing more space to the passenger cabin, which is beneficial for multi-person outings. At the same time, regarding seat comfort, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 pays more attention; both driver and passenger seats support electric adjustment. The driver's seat also has heating, ventilation, massage, and lumbar support adjustment functions. The rear seat backrest also supports angle adjustment, making riding comfort better. The Leapmotor A10 provides electric adjustment for the driver and front seat heating. The care for the driver is decent, but it is not very friendly to the passenger and rear passengers.

At the same time, differences in manufacturing concepts can be seen in other configurations. Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is willing to invest more; compared to Leapmotor A10, it adds automatic air conditioning, rear wiper, phone wireless charging (50W), in-car KTV, tire pressure monitoring, "see it, say it" voice interaction, and external speaker function. In terms of phone interconnection, it adds CarLink, CarPlay, and Honor Connect. The Leapmotor A10 adds panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, second-row tray tables, and ambient lighting compared to the New Q05. Additionally, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is equipped with an active closing grille, which allows for better heat dissipation and reduced energy consumption. It needs to be emphasized that the Leapmotor A10 lacks rear AC vents. If you take your wife and children out on a trip, during this hot summer, it can be quite uncomfortable.

The core Three-Electric Systems is also a significant difference. The Leapmotor A10 is equipped with Gotion High-Tech or Jiangsu Zhengli battery cells, battery capacity is 53kWh, full charge range reaches 505km, paired with 2.5C fast charging, 30-80% takes only 16 minutes, which is relatively competitive at this price point. Changan Qiyuan New Q05 applies CATL battery cells + Golden Bell 2.0 3C fast charging battery, belonging to a first-line battery brand, but capacity is 40.3kWh, full charge range 405km, 30-80% fast charging takes 15 minutes. So this involves whether you prefer trusting a first-line battery brand or wanting long range. If you want both, you can increase the budget and choose the high-spec Changan Qiyuan New Q05, which has a big-brand battery and 506km long range. Besides the big-brand cells, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 also uses liquid cooling technology with better heat dissipation; even the low-spec uses direct cooling, whereas Leapmotor A10, although the high-spec uses liquid cooling, the low-spec only adopts air cooling, with relatively poorer performance.

Looking at performance, both SUVs are front-wheel drive. The Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is equipped with a 120kW, 190N·m motor, with a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 8.9 seconds, considered average. The Leapmotor A10 is equipped with a 90kW, 150N·m motor, with a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 10.6 seconds. Relatively speaking, the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 has stronger power. Starting at traffic lights in the city is faster. After getting on expressways or highways, the acceleration capability is also stronger, giving more confidence when overtaking trucks or changing lanes.

Summary:

Must admit, the Leapmotor A10 possesses global quality. The Changan Qiyuan New Q05, with central enterprise quality control, is also global quality, with no issues to pick regarding reliability. Furthermore, it went overseas before the A10, is already launched in Thailand, will enter Uzbekistan in June, enter Indonesia and Central/South America in August, and enter Europe in October, demonstrating central enterprise speed and strength.

Specifically at the product level, the A10 fits the commuter car identity better, with overall space, power, and configuration performance being relatively average, but the range is indeed very powerful, though the battery brand persuasion is slightly weaker. The Changan New Q05 uses CATL battery cells + Golden Bell 2.0 3C fast charging battery, with more advanced technology, and it accommodates more home attributes, with a larger size, stronger power, and richer configuration. Returning to the question in our title, who is more reliable? Currently, the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 offers a 6-year or 150,000-km vehicle warranty, while the Leapmotor A10 offers 4 years or 120,000 km. Besides, CATL is a big brand and more trustworthy. So my suggestion is that everyone should primarily consider the Changan Qiyuan New Q05!

I wonder how many friends have been paying attention to the under 100,000 pure electric SUV market recently? In recent times, this segment has been very lively. Just take the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 and Leapmotor A10, last month's sales reached 15,814 and 14,372 units respectively, both entering the top 10 in all categories of the April 2026 sales ranking, and the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 even took the sales champion in the compact pure electric SUV market.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

Worth noting is that both hot products have many highlights, you can get 500km+ range at the 90,000 level, the Leapmotor A10 is even equipped with LiDAR, for friends with needs for advanced intelligent driving assistance, the attractiveness of this car is indeed not low. But in terms of price, the high-end Changan Qiyuan New Q05 506Max+ and Leapmotor A10 505 LiDAR version have dealer prices of 95,900 and 86,800 respectively, friends with a budget of around 90,000 can consider it. Obviously, this is the final round for choosing one of two.

(Leapmotor A10)

If you are sensitive to the budget, then between the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 and Leapmotor A10, the latter might be more appealing, after all the dealer price is truly thousands cheaper. Moreover, the high-end A10 is equipped with LiDAR, both urban/highway conditions can activate navigation assist driving, this is its advantage. Of course, if the budget allows, choosing the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 high-end trim also has advanced assist driving with LiDAR.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

But since this is a head-to-head review before buying a car, a comprehensive comparison is unavoidable. First looking at dimensions, as a compact SUV, the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 length/width/height are 4435*1855*1595mm, wheelbase is 2735mm. The Leapmotor A10 car class is a subcompact SUV, length/width/height are 4270*1810*1635mm, wheelbase is 2605mm.

(Leapmotor A10)

If considering just commuting/errands, the Leapmotor A10's 'small stature' has a slight advantage, convenient for around town. But in fact, many friends buying cars also need to consider family use, budgets under 100,000 are mainly for necessary demand groups. Since it is necessary demand and has family needs, space naturally cannot let you down.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

Taking daily family travel as an example, the 130mm wheelbase difference between the two cars is reflected intuitively in the rear experience. Sitting in the rear of Changan Qiyuan New Q05, legroom is flat and spacious, sitting 3 adults together won't be too crowded; but sitting in the rear of Leapmotor A10, both seating width and legroom will be smaller. Mom taking care of children in the rear, the Changan Qiyuan New Q05 rear more spacious space will be more convenient for her maneuvering, children can also have a larger activity space.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

Besides space, commuters and family users also pay attention to comfort configurations. In comparison, both cars are equipped with electric tailgate, keyless entry, adaptive high/low beam and other external configurations. But from inside the cabin, Leapmotor A10 passenger seat cannot be electrically adjusted, rear seat backrest also does not support angle adjustment, and lacks rear AC vent, in-car PM2.5 filtration device etc.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

On the other hand, Changan Qiyuan New Q05, besides passenger seat supports electric adjustment, the front row also integrates heating/ventilation/massage/passenger leg rest functions, compared to Leapmotor A10 only providing front seat heating, its quality is undoubtedly one step higher. Including rear passengers also receive some consideration, such as adjustable backrest angle, equipped with rear AC vent, rear center armrest/cup holder etc., more suitable for scenarios like family travel.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

Besides comfort experience, we cannot skip the driving system comparison. First looking at the range that everyone cares about, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 and Leapmotor A10 are equipped with 51.9kWh, 53kWh batteries respectively, CLTC pure electric range reached 506km, 505km, difference is large enough to ignore. But from the cell supply chain perspective, the former comes from CATL, the latter is Gotion High-tech/Jiangsu Zhengli, if talking about brand gold content, 'Ning Wang' naturally ranks ahead, more trustworthy. Additionally, both cars have global quality, built according to global strict standards, Leapmotor A10 meets domestic/EU dual standards, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is already on the market in Thailand, in the future will sequentially land in multiple country regions, ultimately explore Europe region, additionally has central enterprise backing, quality and quality are very reliable.

Because this article discusses the A10's 505 version, adopting battery liquid cooling technology, temperature control is good, but if it is the 403 version, adopting low-cost air cooling technology, heat dissipation effect is poor. On this point, the New Q05 does better, entry level adopts battery direct cooling technology, high-end uses liquid cooling technology, can better achieve thermal management, guarantee battery safety.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

In terms of power, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 and Leapmotor A10 both have front-mounted single motor layout, motor maximum power output are 120kW/190N·m, 90kW/150N·m respectively, 0-100km/h acceleration time reached 8.9 seconds and 10.6 seconds. Frankly, both cars in the pure electric camp acceleration performance are average; but relatively, Changan Qiyuan New Q05's 8-second level 0-100 acceleration, under mountain road driving, highway overtaking and other conditions will be more impressive than Leapmotor A10.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

(Leapmotor A10)

In summary, Leapmotor A10 505 LiDAR version advantages are prominent: lower price, wider coverage of intelligent driving assistance, suitable for consumers who prioritize budget + technology trial. And Changan Qiyuan New Q05 emphasizes the word 'Comprehensive' more: adding budget can also get advanced assist driving, and dimensions larger, comfort configurations higher, adopting top cell supply chain, power is also stronger, comprehensive performance more all-around. In short, budget 90,000 level pursuing all-encompassing family experience, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 506Max+ more worth considering.

Nowadays, new energy vehicles dominate, oil prices are high, the 70,000-80,000 market has become the main battleground for pure electric SUVs, and in this price range, Leapmotor A10 and Changan Qiyuan New Q05 are popular choices with good sales and reputation. Today let's compare the Leapmotor A10 505 Enjoy Edition (76,800 yuan) and Changan Qiyuan New Q05 405Max (79,900 yuan after discount) to see which model is more worth buying.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)(Leapmotor A10)

Exterior: Each has its own features, different styles

(Leapmotor A10)

(Leapmotor A10)

Regarding the exterior, actually looking at the actual visual effect, both cars look great. Among them, Leapmotor A10 style is similar to BMW MINI, outlined with round and simple lines, the overall shape is quite round and cute, quite in line with the aesthetics of contemporary young consumers.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

As for Changan Qiyuan New Q05, reportedly led by world-class design master Klaus Zyciora, not only high originality and recognizability, but also very fashionable and dynamic visual effect, the front Digital Intelligent Wing 2.0 integrated light and rear Matrix Star Ring taillights improve the car's tech feel and recognizability, body lines are smooth and dynamic, plus wave-shaped D-pillar and fastback also create a good sports atmosphere.

Interior Texture: Changan Qiyuan New Q05 has more soft wrapping, better touch

(Leapmotor A10)

Regarding the interior, sitting inside you can actually see, both cars' design and style are basically on the same route, front row both adopted simple wrap-around cockpit design, both equipped with a 14.6-inch floating center control large screen, creating a simple and tech-savvy driving atmosphere.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

In terms of materials, there is still some difference between the two cars. Leapmotor A10 uses more hard plastic materials, interior texture is average; while Changan Qiyuan New Q05 interior 80% area is soft wrapping, added foam pads in frequently touched areas like center console armrest and door panel armrest, touch feeling is better.

Configuration Performance: Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is more generous and practical

(Leapmotor A10)

Regarding configuration, including LED headlights, keyless entry/start, power windows, power side mirrors and other mainstream configurations, both cars have them, but in high-frequency configurations, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is still superior, equipped with automatic air conditioning, rear air conditioning vents and PM2.5 filtration device, while Leapmotor A10 all series are manual air conditioning, also no rear air vents, summer rear row easy to stuffy.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

In addition, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 also has passenger seat electric adjustment, driver seat ventilation/massage, phone 50W wireless charging, rear wiper and other practical configurations, all these are not in A10.

Intelligent Experience: Interaction experience is both very smart and easy to use

(Leapmotor A10)

Then is the intelligent cockpit part, today this Leapmotor A10 is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip, considered mainstream car machine chip now, performance, fluency aspects have good guarantee, can support car networking, voice control car, phone car machine interconnection and other mainstream functions, can meet daily use vehicle's smart interaction needs.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

And Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is equipped with Tianshu Intelligent Cockpit, built-in 4nm car-grade cockpit chip, fluency, response speed also online, and access to AI large model, compared to Leapmotor A10 also has continuous dialogue, visible is sayable, voice interaction experience is more smart and easy to use, plus HUAWEI HiCar, Carlink, CarPlay, Honor Car Link, 8 indoor speakers, including 1 outdoor speaker, audio video entertainment experience is also more excellent.

Assisted Driving: Both support L2 level assisted driving, basic functions complete

(Leapmotor A10)

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

Regarding assisted driving part, both cars equipped with conventional L2 level assisted driving functions, including adaptive cruise, lane keeping, automatic emergency braking, etc., can meet daily highway and urban express road usage needs.

Space Performance: Changan Qiyuan New Q05 leads, more suitable for home use

(Leapmotor A10)

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

For family users, space is definitely a hard demand, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 body size is 4435/1855/1600mm, wheelbase reached 2735mm, belongs to standard compact SUV. While Leapmotor A10 body size is 4270/1810/1635mm, wheelbase 2605mm, belongs to small SUV level, smaller by one size than Changan Qiyuan New Q05.

According to research, 175cm passenger no matter sit front row or back row, on both cars can obtain abundant riding space, this point deserves a thumbs up, and Changan Qiyuan New Q05 benefits from size advantage, rear row space more spacious, just leg space adds about one fist distance, long distance trip, family can easily stretch body, reduce fatigue, children can also freely move on seats.

(Leapmotor A10)

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

Regarding storage, Leapmotor A10 trunk base volume reached 602L, rear seats folded flat max expand to 1549L, performance excellent, while Changan Qiyuan New Q05 trunk volume is 540L-1380L, performance also not bad, daily home use also basically enough.

Power Performance: Changan Qiyuan New Q05 acceleration, overtaking has more advantage

(Leapmotor A10)

Regarding power aspect, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 equipped with a max power 120kW permanent magnet synchronous motor, 0-100 acceleration time is 8.9 seconds. Leapmotor A10 equipped is max power 90kW motor, 0-100 acceleration time is 10.6 seconds.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

From actual driving feeling look, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 power obviously more sufficient, starting and acceleration both relatively light and quick, even fully loaded condition overtaking also relatively confident. While Leapmotor A10 power although can meet daily city commute needs, but high speed overtaking time will show strength insufficient.

Range Recharge: Changan Qiyuan New Q05 battery invests more

(Leapmotor A10)

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)

Regarding range, Leapmotor A10 CLTC range is 505km, longer than Changan Qiyuan New Q05's 405km, this is its obvious advantage. If budget allows, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 provides 506km range version optional, and battery quality and safety more guaranteed, because it all series standard CATL cell, while Leapmotor A10 uses Gotion High-tech or Jiangsu Zhengli cell, although also domestic big brand, but brand power and reliability still slightly inferior. However, both cars are global car quality, Leapmotor A10 meets strict China, Europe two places standards, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is still central enterprise quality, and in May Thailand listed, already one step get overseas market recognition, next will continue expand overseas map, reliability no choice.

(Changan Qiyuan New Q05)(Leapmotor A10)

Comprehensive view, both cars product power performance actually both quite good, basically no short boards, just each has focus, text contrasted two configurations, among them Leapmotor A10 advantage lies in price lower, range longer suitable budget limited, to range requirement higher young users, while Changan Qiyuan New Q05 although expensive 3,100 yuan, but in space, power, battery quality, practical configuration, interior texture aspects all have advantages, and also provided 506km range version optional, just budget slightly higher. In budget same situation, if more focus on family use, pursue comfort and safety, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 undoubtedly is more suitable choice.