The pint-sized Leapmotor T03 was such an easy EV to review because it’s so brilliantly simple

Introduction

Simplicity. That sums up the cute little Leapmotor T03 city car in one word. And, when it comes to EVs, being able to get in, press the accelerator and just go is one of the best things about them. The Leapmotor T03 is just such a car, with very little to figure out or set up and not an awful lot to explore either inside or out. The no-fuss small car is one of several new vehicles from Leapmotor, which is a Chinese brand that falls under the giant Stellantis umbrella.

Keeping the simplistic vibe going is the price, with the Leapmotor T03 starting at around £16,000. That’s not a lot and falls into the same marketplace as something like the Dacia Spring city EV. Initially, I thought the Spring was the better car, but by the end of a week spent behind the wheel of this I wasn’t so sure anymore. This little car might be cheap, but it’s also quite cheerful in a no-nonsense kinda way.

One other simple touch is the way that there are no options when it comes to buying – there’s just one model to choose from. The Leapmotor T03 comes as a standard issue, no-frills 36kWh model, which offers just 94bhp to play with. However, this little car comes complete with a decent standard trim level and packs in plenty of tech and convenience features.

The styling

Considering this is a £16K-ish car, the Leapmotor T03 comes very nicely appointed. The finish and trim specification makes it seem like rather good value. The design lines aren’t going to win it any awards, but the styling is focused firmly on practicality. There are some embellishments that take things up a notch, like the 15in alloys and panoramic sunroof impressing me with their quality look and feel.

My test car arrived in a fairly innocuous colour, which didn’t really do the little Leapmotor T03 any favours. To be fair, it is a slightly odd-looking thing, mainly from the front with those curiously shaped headlights framing a blanked out grille. Big door mirrors are a bonus though and these make parking a doddle, which is an obvious boon for a city car. I think I preferred the perky rear end, with a tailgate opening that’s quite high off the ground.

Meanwhile, the interior of the Leapmotor T03 is a very meat ‘n’ potatoes experience. Sure, it’s quite comfortable – but there is, unsurprisingly, lots of scratchy plastic in evidence. Perfect for an around town, family car that is probably going to get lots of things spilt or smeared over the cockpit coverings. Everything feels quite robust though and I was really pleased with the view out thanks to lots of glass all the way around. A short, stubby bonnet makes it ideally suited for nervous drivers too.

Space levels are not bad either, with the seats in the back being more than acceptable for a 3.5-metre or so car. The boot hiding behind that tailgate is a little on the tight side, which isn’t helped due to the narrow bottom half of the design cramping its style somewhat. Fine for an average-sized weekly shop, however.

The drive

I quite liked the way I could jump into the Leapmotor T03 and do virtually nothing to any of the controls and just drive it. That, to me, is an ideal city car that requires minimal supervision and very little effort. Dig a little deeper and the T03 has quite a lot to offer; the catch is that most of the options are buried inside the small touchscreen on the dash.

Drive is engaged using a column selector and the cabin itself is accommodating enough with decent seats and an upright driving position. Press the power button and the little T03 springs into action. It’s immediately obvious that this car is perfect for tight around-town situations, with nimble steering and an excellent turning circle. Get up to speed on the open road though and it does struggle a little bit, especially in Standard mode.

However, there are Comfort and Sport drive options too, with the latter adding a little friskiness into the mix. Of course, the downside to having any fun is the way the battery life ebbs away quite rapidly. This is a car with a small battery. Even charging it up to 99 percent, I couldn’t get the dash to register anywhere near the supposed 165-mile top-end range. The good news, though, is the T03 can be charged really quickly, and I love the power port hidden in the grille of the car.

I feared the worst for a 100-mile each way journey to the airport in the Leapmotor T03, but it worked a treat – albeit in a slightly sedate fashion. I stopped to charge twice on the way up, but that meant I was able to get back home again without stopping and still had 35 miles range left. Motorways are not its ideal habitat, but the Leapmotor got the job done without fuss.

The technology

Being a Chinese product, the emphasis is very much on touchscreen tech. However, it’s necessary to dig through the various menu options, ideally before setting off, to get the best from what is on offer. I was quite surprised with just how many customisation options there were hiding inside the screens of this little car. Some are more obvious than others, while changing anything whilst in motion is not a great idea. It all works, but isn’t especially intuitive with a patchy sat-nav system for good measure.

There was a little bugginess in evidence and the visual experience isn’t everything it could be, but doubtless Leapmotor engineers will read the reviews and quickly tweak the UX in due course. The 8in driver’s display is cool, while the 10in screen on the dash is where the bulk of the options sit. It’s alright to look at but the menu layouts were a little busy and hard to work through unless I parked up. For example, on the motorway I had to give up on the climate controls and just put up with a draft until the next services.

Leapmotor T03 verdict

One thing I did notice while driving the Leapmotor T03 was how much so many UK drivers liked to bully and push it around. I was cut up, tailgated and generally frowned upon by more than a few motorists. I can see why the Leapmotor T03 gets under people’s skin as it looks slow and appears likely to be owned by a pensioner.

A sweeping generalisation I know, but it certainly felt like that. So, a bit like the Honda Jazz, there seems to be a perception about this car and it’s worth bearing that in mind. Try it though; it’s fun and, like I say, simple.

Leapmotor T03 technical specifications