Here’s an idea. Flick through the various mainstream car manufacturer websites and check out the models they have available. It’s highly likely the list will be dominated by SUVs…but what about small city cars? You’ll find they’re a bit thin on the ground.

Why? It’s pretty simple. Small cars = small profits, which is a pity as a lot of you reading this will live in urban environments where a small city car would represent sensible transportation.

Throw in the attractive running costs which are promised from a battery-powered car and it’s easy to see that there’s a ready-made market out there for a small 100 per cent electric car. This is why something like the Leapmotor TO3 looks like a decent proposition.

Leapmotor joins forces with Stellantis

One concern might be the name — Leapmotor. It’s still a new name for a lot of folk as the Chinese brand only landed in the UK in March 2025. However, fear not, because behind the scenes, Leapmotor has joined forces with the Stellantis group, which also houses brands like Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Jeep under its rather large wings. For many of you, that’s an association which gives you immediate confidence in the product.

Something else that you’ll like is the warranty. If you buy a new Leapmotor T03, you’ll get a 4-year / 60,000 mile warranty. While it may not be as good as some (Kia gives you 7-years and 100,000 miles), it’s better than many currently on the market..

Exterior Design

I also like the cheeky styling. It reminds me of the third-generation Nissan Micra, Fiat 500, MINI Cooper or even the Smart car. The overall length is 3.6 metres and the wheelbase is 2.5 metres, which means the wheels are shoved into the corners. It’s also got quite a high stance at 2.4 metres.

But what about the car itself? Let’s take a quick rundown of what’s available…

Trims & Prices

In terms of trims, this is the simple bit as there’s only one available. What you see is what you get, but to be fair, the T03 is well equipped for the price. In fact, the only choices are the colours; you get three of them. Caribbean Blue is the standard paint, but for a further £400 you can have either Light White (isn’t all white light?...never seen dark white) or Canopy Grey.

For a starting price of £15,995 (Sept ‘26), it’s affordably placed in the automotive landscape and, if you get a move on, there’s a Leap-Grant available which knocks a further three grand off the price.

Performance & Driving Experience

The T03’s power tops out at 94 bhp, which gives a 0-60mph acceleration time of 12.5 seconds and a top speed of 81mph. Okay, it’s no flying machine, but bearing in mind this little car is designed to spend most of its life trundling along urban roads, it’s sufficient. And it’s not so underpowered that it’d struggle to keep pace with motorway traffic.

The important figure for any electric car is how many miles you can expect from a full charge. Leapmotor reckons you’ll manage up to 165 miles. As ever, that’s an optimistic figure, but I managed 151 miles during my week with the car in warm late summer sunshine. That sort of distance is perfectly acceptable for a city car and also allows for the odd longer journey to visit relatives.

Out on the road, the T03 is surprisingly decent to drive. It’s nicely sprung to cope with our dreadful roads. Chuck it into a corner (unlikely, I know), and it rolls a bit. It would be nice if the drive was more involving but, again, this is a car built for urban traffic, the school run, or working as a second car. You even get a choice of driving modes — standard, speed and comfort — although it’s difficult to differentiate between them.

Interior & Kit

Inside, the build quality is good, and there’s a surprising amount of interior space. A couple of adults in the back won’t be moaning about a lack of knee room. Although space in the boot is a little tight, you’re unlikely to use the T03 to head off with the family on a week’s camping holiday.

So, what about the standard of kit?

As mentioned earlier, the only choice with the Leapmotor T03 is the exterior colour. Everything else comes included in the price with no options

However, even though the purchase price is extremely attractive, don’t assume that Leapmotor has skimped on the goodies. Every T03 gets a panoramic sunroof with electric sliding shade, a 10-inch central touchscreen which includes DAB and sat nav; air con, 8-inch digital driver readout, voice control, keyless start, adaptive cruise control, 15-inch alloys, powered windows and mirrors, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

You get the usual selection of safety gadgets, but the TO3 does tend to overdo the amount of beeping which seems to accompany just about everything you do…or don’t do. Sadly, this is becoming a trademark of many cars and is seriously irritating.

Concluding Thoughts

Yes, the Leapmotor T03 lacks any real driver enjoyment, but for the vast majority of owners, this will be of little concern. Most of these cars will be viewed as a family friend, a little runabout or even a glorified tool. It’s surprisingly roomy, decently equipped, comfortable, easy to punt around city streets thanks to the fairly high seating position, and it is competitively priced.

And bearing in mind that if you want a car of this type, you have a rather shallow pool of vehicles to choose from. City cars aren’t fashionable amongst motor manufacturers, which means Leapmotor may have quietly stumbled upon a success story.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Leapmotor

Leapmotor T03 Review | Built For Urban Traffic