It was always supposed to be this way. The initial template for electric cars was as small, light cars, decluttering and cleaning up our town centres. If you do 250km a week behind the wheel, range should not really be an issue.
Somehow, the grand plan went badly awry. Distracted by a global fixation with SUVs and the onset of range anxiety, we ended up with big, heavy batteries attached to even bigger, heavier cars. All at prices of €50,000-plus.
After a decade-long detour and a few false dawns – the overpriced and range-poor Honda E and VW’s e-Up – we are getting back to basics with the charge of the light brigade, and buyers are being offered a range of enticing small EVs. They may be small, but you are now getting a lot of car for under €30,000.
In many ways, Renault has led the way with the impressive R5 proving that small cars can be stylish, charming and potentially profitable. And that’s before the arrival of the Fiat Grande Panda.
Asian car brands have long had as much affinity with small cars as European rivals.
Which brings us to the Leapmotor, yet another new Chinese brand arriving in Ireland. Founded less than 10 years ago, it has links to Europe courtesy of a stake in the business held by car giant Stellantis (owner of a portfolio of brands including Opel, Fiat, Peugeot, and Citroen, to name just a few).
It’s arrived in Ireland under the management of Gowan Autos, a long-running Irish conglomerate which also handles the other Stellantis brands here, so we’re likely to see Leapmotor’s cars on the forecourts of about 16 established Irish dealers by the end of next year.
A fleet of Leapmotors is due to land in the coming months, but its first foray is with the mid-sized crossover C10 and this little city car, the T03.
The naming seems as inspired as a Zanussi dishwasher, and the design isn’t more exciting. This is not a pretty car from any angle. But when it comes to value, the T03 delivers.
One version is offered in Ireland, and there’s no options list, which means that the standard fare is pretty impressive, especially lined up against rivals.
You get alloys (small ones admittedly); a panoramic roof; all-round electric windows; rear-view camera, keyless entry and a 10-inch digital touchscreen combined with an eight-inch instrument cluster. Then there is also air-conditioning of a sort, plus a whopping 10 different driver assistance systems to keep you safe and secure.
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The battery is small: at 37kWh, and that means range is less than 250km, but that’s a realistic figure, not some hopeful aspiration that turns into 120km when the weather turns foul. It doesn’t take a very fast charge compared to some new EVs, but at a peak of 45kW, that is more than the Dacia and means you get close to the max on a fast 50kW charger.
There’s also a decent amount of space inside. It’s not as flexible in the back row as the mid-level Hyundai Inster, but you can get four adults around town in this, and the headroom is particularly impressive. Bootspace isn’t great, but it will take a sizeable weekly shop, and the rear seats can be dropped if needed.
Back in front, the controls are intuitive, though it will take a while to get your head around the menus, and we’re still hoping that Leapmotor will deliver a software upgrade to add features like Apple CarPlay. For now, you’re left with old-school Bluetooth audio connections.
Outside of town traffic, this is a point-and-click car. Its high sides make it susceptible to strong crosswinds, but in general, it’s a stable and easy drive, if not very engaging. There’s not much charm to driving this car, but it’s not unpleasant either. It’s functional.
A big bugbear we had with this car – and many of its counterparts these days, to be fair – is the over-nervous driver assist safety systems that are increasingly mandatory in new cars.
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Every drive is accompanied by a cacophony of beeps, bings and bongs that seemingly detects life-threatening danger at every turn. In principle, these systems save lives, but when they repeatedly cry wolf, drivers are simply going to ignore them, reducing their benefit when they are really needed.
It’s useful to be alerted to any lane changes on the M50, but when you are on a road that’s barely the width of two cars, you don’t need a constant reminder of where the grass verge is: it’s about two inches from the edge of your tyre.
Of course, in this market it’s all about price. And in this regard, the Dacia Spring has an edge, starting at €15,990. Next up is the newly launched BYD Dolphin starting at €17,985, though if you want more than entry level, then the price really starts at €22,230.
Then there is this Leapmotor at €18,950. No options aside from colour, so that’s pretty much the price you are going to pay. And for that, you get a lot of car.
Over at Hyundai, the Inster has won us over with an incredible package starting at €19,595. Even if you want the slightly bigger battery and the sliding rear seats, you are still talking about a reasonable €23,095.
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And of course, there’s the Renault 5, starting at €25,995 and pushing up towards the €30,000 when you add some options. Some would argue the R5 belongs in a slightly different category, and this is really Twingo territory; it’s a fair point if your budget cut-off is €25,000 max.
But let’s set the budget barrier even lower here: at €20,000. Our perspective changes. Dacia is the cheapest, but it shows. Its old-fashioned features can be charming, but it lacks too many of the creature comforts that are standard on its rivals. The ride is choppy, its power delivery is erratic and though it’s incredibly nimble in car parks, it’s no fun on the open road. It’s also more cramped in the rear than rivals. It’s simply cruder than the other cars here.
Next up is the BYD, which we’ve yet to spend enough time in to offer a substantial review, but it certainly delivers the creature comforts, though pricing quickly rockets over our budget limit if you want a treat.
That also applies to the Hyundai Inster, which delivers in so many areas for us, from its refined driving performance through to its practicality.
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And so, we have the T03. On paper, it makes the case for being the best budget buy here. And for many, that will be the right choice. But there is something missing in its recipe mix: character.
Small cars should be nippy, agile and fun, with clever functionality and a big dollop of charm. The best small cars of the last 30 years have had all these, combined with more than a few flaws. Yet you forgave those because these cars had character.
It’s great to see proper competition in this class for the EV age, but we’re still waiting for the EV city car with all the winning traits.
Lowdown: Leapmotor T03
- Power: 37.3kWh battery pack powering the front wheels via a 70kW single electric motor with a max torque of 158Nm
- 0-100km/h: 12.7 secs
- Range: 265km
- Energy consumption: 16.3 kWh/100km
- Price: €18,950
- Our verdict: Great price, impressive specification, lacks character and charm
- Our rating: 3/5
