Leapmotor T03 – The Small EV That Surprised Us

We have been looking for a possible successor to my wife’s current car for a while now.

She still drives a first-generation Smart from 2002, and for city driving that little car is still hard to beat. It is short, easy to park and perfect for short daily trips.

But after more than twenty years, it is also clear that sooner or later something newer will have to take its place.

We already tested the new electric Renault Twingo. On paper, it looked interesting, but during the test drive the spark simply did not jump over.

The Leapmotor T03 was a completely different story.

My wife got in, started driving and was impressed almost immediately.

Made for the City

The T03 is clearly designed for urban use.

The steering is light, the electric drive is smooth and the car feels easy to handle. The slightly higher seating position also gives a good view of the road, something my wife already likes about her old Smart.

Of course, the T03 is larger than the original Smart. But it still feels compact enough for narrow streets and small parking spaces.

At the same time, it offers something the Smart cannot: four doors, a usable rear seat and much more everyday practicality.

During our test drive, the display showed a remaining range of 284 kilometres. For the kind of driving my wife normally does, that would be more than enough.

A Strange Sound at Low Speed

One thing we noticed during the test drive was a noticeable sound at low speed.

At first, it sounds a little like the electric motor itself.

But it is most likely the AVAS pedestrian warning sound.

Electric cars are extremely quiet at low speeds, so this artificial sound helps pedestrians, cyclists and especially visually impaired people notice the approaching vehicle.

We could hear it up to roughly 20 or 30 km/h.

After a short time, we barely noticed it anymore.

Almost Fully Equipped From the Start

One of the strongest points of the T03 is the equipment.

With many cars, the advertised base price only gets you the basic version. Then you start adding climate control, cameras, assistance systems, better multimedia and other options.

Suddenly the “cheap” car is no longer cheap.

Leapmotor takes a different approach.

The T03 is essentially offered in one very well-equipped version.

It already includes things like automatic climate control, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, a digital driver display, a large touchscreen, navigation, an electric parking brake, alloy wheels and a panoramic glass roof.

In Germany, we would call that “volle Hütte”.

In other words: almost everything is already included.

That was also one of the biggest differences compared with the Twingo.

The Twingo did not convince my wife during the test drive, while the Leapmotor felt better and offered a much more complete package.

The Price Is Hard to Ignore

The Leapmotor T03 costs around €18,900.

Considering the amount of equipment included, that is already a strong price.

It gets even more interesting if the maximum government EV support of up to €6,000 applies.

The calculation would then be very simple:

€18,900 purchase price

minus €6,000 possible support

equals €12,900

A new electric city car with four doors, automatic climate control, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic roof and several assistance systems for just under €13,000 is difficult to ignore.

Of course, the actual subsidy depends on the applicable conditions and personal eligibility.

So before buying, we would check everything carefully.

What About Service and Spare Parts?

This is also an important question because Leapmotor is still a relatively new Chinese brand in Europe.

The good thing is that Leapmotor is not building its European business completely on its own.

Distribution and service are handled through Leapmotor International, which works together with Stellantis.

And Stellantis is not a small unknown company.

Brands such as Opel, Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep and Alfa Romeo are part of the Stellantis group.

That means warranty handling, repairs and spare parts are supported through the authorised Leapmotor dealer and service network instead of relying on some unknown workshop structure coming directly from China.

Of course, we would still ask the local dealer which workshop is responsible for us and how spare part availability works before making a final decision.

Interestingly, a local care service in our area already uses the T03 in everyday operation.

So the car is not completely unknown here.

The Most Important Thing Was Still the Test Drive

Specifications, price lists and equipment tables are important.

But in the end, the person who drives the car every day has to feel comfortable in it.

That was exactly the difference for us.

The Twingo looked interesting before the test drive, but my wife was not really convinced afterwards.

With the Leapmotor T03, it was almost the opposite.

She liked it within the first few kilometres.

And that counts for a lot.

Our Conclusion

The Leapmotor T03 surprised us more than expected.

It is compact, easy to drive, very well equipped and practical enough for everyday use.

It is not meant to replace a large long-distance car, and that is not what we would use it for.

Its job would be simple:

Shopping, short trips and everyday city driving.

For exactly that purpose, it could be almost perfect.

The combination of equipment, driving comfort and price is difficult to beat.

Could it really become the successor to our 2002 Smart?

After this test drive, the answer is definitely moving closer to yes.

What do you think about the Leapmotor T03?

Would you consider a small Chinese electric car, especially when a large European group is behind the sales and service network?

Or would you still prefer a more established European brand?

Hornet on Tour