The Leapmotor T03 Is Nearly the Cheapest EV in Britain, and It Shows in All the Right and Wrong Places
All three reviews frame this car around the same direct rival: the Dacia Spring, Britain's cheapest new electric car. The T03 costs barely more, offers a genuine step up in most areas, and still can't quite escape feeling like a budget car built to a budget.
A Tiny Car Backed by a Very Large Company
Leapmotor is a Chinese start-up barely a decade old, but it isn't going it alone in Europe. Reviewers keep returning to Stellantis's 51% stake in Leapmotor's international arm as the detail that separates this from a typical unknown Chinese newcomer — genuine dealer network, genuine parts support, genuine reassurance.
Specs at a Glance
| Body style | City car / small hatchback |
|---|---|
| Length | 3.6 metres |
| Battery | 37.3kWh |
| Power | 94bhp, front-wheel drive |
| Claimed range | 165 miles official |
| Built at | Stellantis's Tychy plant, Poland |
Full Review Summary
Top Gear
Top Gear measured the T03 at 12.7 seconds 0-62mph, comfortably quicker than the Dacia Spring's slowest version, and praised genuinely impressive quietness at most speeds for such a small, inexpensive car. They found the tech integration a persistent irritant, with intrusive alerts and beeping detracting from an otherwise polished driving experience, and rated the interior as competent but lacking the character the Spring has managed to inject into a similarly budget-focused package.
What Car?
What Car? tested real-world efficiency at 4.0 miles per kWh across a 103-mile mixed commute, giving a theoretical range of 144 miles — notably better than the Dacia Spring covering the same route. They found refinement genuinely improved over the Spring, with limited road noise at speed, though noted more motor whine at low speeds than pricier rivals like the Citroën ë-C3 or Renault 5.
Autocar
Autocar praised the T03's unusually tall body for comfortably fitting four six-foot-tall adults with genuine head and leg room, a rare trait for any car this size. They found the adaptive cruise control genuinely poor, braking and accelerating too abruptly to feel natural, and noted the car hadn't yet been tested by Euro NCAP at time of review, despite Leapmotor's claims about high-strength steel construction and standard energy-absorbing structures.
Strengths
- Genuinely strong value against the Dacia Spring specifically
- Surprisingly spacious cabin for such a compact footprint
- Stellantis-backed dealer network and parts support
- Generous standard equipment for the price
Weak points
- Poorly calibrated adaptive cruise control
- Not yet tested by Euro NCAP at time of review
- Lacks the character and charm of rivals like the Dacia Spring
- No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
Who It Actually Suits
Buyers who want a genuinely practical, well-equipped city car and prioritise cabin space and range over outright charm or driving fun. Worth cross-shopping directly against the Dacia Spring — the T03 costs a little more but delivers meaningfully more range and refinement in return.