The Leapmotor B10 SUV achieved a five-star rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) on Friday, being recognised as one of the safest vehicles in Australia last year.
In the small SUV category, the fully electric model ranked fourth after the Chinese GAC Aion V and Chery’s Jaecoo J7. The South Korean brand Kia closed the podium with its EV3 model.
The B10 is Leapmotor‘s second model to receive a five-star rating from the Australasian program, after the battery-electric (BEV) version of the C10 achieved the same rate in December 2024.
The Stellantis-backed company’s B10 scored 152.98 out of 170 possible points across all major safety protocols.
The small SUV achieved a score of 93% in adult occupant protection, while it earned 95% in the child occupant protection — the highest result achieved in the parameter under ANCAP’s 2023-2025 criteria.
Additionally, it scored 84% in vulnerable road user protection and 86% for its Safety Assist system.
Andy Hoang, Head of Leapmotor Australia, said that “this recognition reflects our commitment to delivering accessible, well‑engineered vehicles that prioritise the safety of all road users as we introduce the brand to Australia.”
The rating is applied to all B10 variants — Style and Design LR — and expires on December 2031.
Other newly launched models in the Australian market with a distinguished five-star rating include the Geely Starray EM-i, Zeekr 7X, Mercedes-Benz CLE Coup, and Kia EV4, among others.
Australian Debut
Stellantis-backed Leapmotor entered the Australian market in October 2024, leveraging the legacy automaker’s extensive global network.
Its first model in the country was the BEV version of the C10 SUV, “the brand’s first global product”, as described by Stellantis.
The mid-size SUV, with the Style and Design variants, started being delivered the month after.
Last March, the Chinese automaker introduced the extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) trim of the C10.
In November 2025, the brand released the B10 small SUV, the cheapest fully electric SUV in Australia to date.
The entry-level pricing model is AU$39,980 ($27,900), while the C10’s is AU$47,990 — equivalent to $33,500.
Global January Sales
Leapmotor delivered 32,059 vehicles globally last month, representing a 27.4% jump from January 2025.
However, sales dropped by 46.9% compared to December’s 60,423 units — typically the strongest month for automotive sales.
Last year, the Chinese automaker sold a total of 596,555 vehicles across its markets, more than doubling from the 293,724 units recorded in 2024.
Additionally, Leapmotor‘s 2025 exports surged more than 400% year-over-year to “more than 60,000” vehicles, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
The brand aims to sell one million vehicles this year, up nearly 70% from 2025, and to reach four million annual deliveries in the next ten years.
In 2023, the multinational automaker Stellantis — which owns Opel, Peugeot, Citroën, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, and Fiat, among others — bought a 20% stake in Leapmotor for €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion).
As part of the agreement, the brand began selling and producing EVs through its partner’s European dealerships and manufacturing facilities.
