Maserati DNA for Leapmotor C10 SUV

When the Leapmotor C10 EV arrived in Australia in January 2025, it was praised for its composed chassis dynamics – a traditional weak spot for Chinese challengers.

The secret? This sub-$50,000 electric mid-size SUV’s chassis calibration was co-developed with Maserati’s suspension gurus.

Available as an EV priced from $45,888 plus on-road costs and soon a PHEV priced from $45,990 drive away – currently making it Australia’s most affordable PHEV – the C10 isn’t perfect and still shows some rough edges, notably its half-baked driver assistance systems.

But Leapmotor’s global head of product planning, Tianyue Zhong, emphasised that Maserati’s chassis development expertise paid massive dividends in transforming this sub-$50,000 family SUV.

“The team of Maserati engineers worked together closely with the Leapmotor team,” he explained, noting that parent company Stellantis’ proving ground in Balocco was used for some of the chassis tuning.

“That’s a high standard, yes. That’s how we like to position the vehicle, like you can have this kind of feeling [of refinement].

“Hardware wise, it’s already pretty good. The C10 has multi-link independent suspension, so our colleagues from Maserati really just wanted to explore the boundary of the hardware.”

Don’t expect a tyre-shredding performance variant a la Mercedes-AMG or BMW M models anytime soon, but Giacalone believes that Maserati’s suspension gurus have created a polished ride and handling balance that puts competitors on notice.

“It’s not making the car like a super car but still it can deliver the best riding and driving experience [in its class],” said Zhong.

Stay tuned for our full review of the new Leapmotor C10 REEV, which stands for ‘range-extended electric vehicle’, or a PHEV by any other name.

Priced under $46K drive away, the C10 PHEV features DC fast-charging capability up to 65kW and a modern interior featuring a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

The Italian-influenced Chinese challenger has a claimed range of 970km (WLTP) and is likely to be more popular than the C10 EV, given the sales success that hybrids are experiencing in Australia right now.

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