Gasgoo Munich- On June 16, Leapmotor rolled out updated versions of its C10, C11, and C16 models simultaneously. Marketed respectively as a "smart family long-range medium SUV," a "tech luxury sports SUV," and an "all-round versatile comfortable large SUV," the trio aims to cover distinct niches.The lineup spans 17 variants across both pure electric and extended-range powertrains, with guide prices ranging from 125,800 to 169,800 yuan. Customers placing orders before the end of July can stack additional incentives.Since the C11 debuted in 2021, the C-series has carved out a space in the fiercely contested 120,000 to 200,000 yuan family SUV segment. Global sales have topped 800,000 units over five years, making it an "evergreen family" amid a field of more than 300 SUVs. According to 2025 insurance registration data, the C11 stands alone among domestic models in crossing the industry’s "death valley." Among the 60-plus new energy models launched in 2021, only the Tesla Model Y, Model 3, core BYD models, and the Leapmotor C11 have maintained stable monthly sales above 5,000 units.So, what is the secret behind the C-series’ 800,000 sales? What specific functions and components were updated in this comprehensive refresh, and how did Leapmotor manage to add features without raising prices? With the company’s A, B, C, and D platform lineups now maturing, what unique significance does the C-series hold for the brand? Seizing the launch as an opportunity, Leapmotor’s management sat down with the media to address these pressing industry questions.From "Lifesaver" to "Anchor"The story of the C-series begins in 2020.Back then, Leapmotor’s first sports car, the S01, flopped, leaving the company’s cash flow severely strained. It was the T03 microcar that hauled the brand back from the brink. Priced under 100,000 yuan, the small car moved 43,000 units a year, but it also saddled Leapmotor with a reputation for making "senior mobility scooters."The turning point arrived in 2021 with the launch of the C11, a medium SUV. Its specifications were benchmarked against the Mercedes-Benz GLC, which then cost between 400,000 and 500,000 yuan—offering the same 80 kWh battery, genuine leather instead of synthetic, and a similar footprint. Leapmotor’s pricing strategy: keep it under 200,000 yuan. The early-bird offer was even more aggressive, knocking another 20,000 yuan off the price for first-batch buyers.Image Source: LeapmotorRecalling this history during the media roundtable, Zhu Jiangming, founder, chairman, and CEO of Leapmotor, said the C11 "established the foundation for Leapmotor’s pricing strategy and business model." The logic is straightforward: price based on cost, not brand premium; tell customers what the car is worth, not what the badge is worth.The C-series expanded along this path. In 2024, Leapmotor introduced the more affordable C10, followed later that year by the six-seat C16 SUV for multi-child families. Together, they formed a clear hierarchy: the C10 targets young first-time buyers around the 120,000 yuan mark; the C11 locks in quality-focused commuters at 150,000 yuan; and the C16 goes after larger families at 180,000 yuan. Over five years, the C-series has contributed the lion’s share of Leapmotor’s total sales. In May 2026, Leapmotor delivered 81,500 vehicles system-wide, with the C-series trio accounting for over 20,000 of those.One telling metric is the Net Promoter Score (NPS). The C-series scored 65.5, beating the industry average of 59.1 and matching luxury SUVs priced above 300,000 yuan. This suggests C-series buyers aren’t just price-sensitive consumers drawn by discounts; they have developed a genuine level of brand loyalty.Xu Jun, Leapmotor’s senior vice president, offered a telling detail: many C-series owners have driven 200,000 to 300,000 kilometers over three or four years. They perceive Leapmotor as offering "solid materials and solid service," Xu said, summarizing their mindset as "not choosing the expensive one, but choosing the right one."How 800,000 Users Drove Product IterationWith 800,000 units sold over five years, user feedback has piled up. The core logic behind this refresh is simple: address the most concentrated pain points all at once.The chassis was a major weak point. "As a development engineer, having people say your chassis is terrible is shameful," admitted Cao Li, Leapmotor’s senior vice president. For this update, all three models now come standard with FSD continuously variable damping shock absorbers. The C10 and C16 rear suspensions were upgraded from torsion beams to five-link independent setups, while the C11 retains its front double-wishbone and rear five-link structure, with aluminum alloy used for lower control arms. The braking system switched from floating calipers to Continental One-Box wire-controlled braking with front four-piston fixed calipers, bringing the stopping distance for all three vehicles into the 35-meter bracket.Zhu Jiangming added that the C11’s steering system was also upgraded to Bosch EPS, and a heat pump was added to fill that gap. "We believe the C11 no longer has any obvious shortcomings," he said.Intelligent features are also catching up. The cockpit across all three models now runs on a 5nm Qualcomm SA8295P chip. For autonomous driving, the lidar versions use a 4nm Qualcomm SA8650 chip (200 TOPS), paired with a Hesai 300-meter lidar and 28 sensing hardware units, with standard, permanently free door-to-door navigation assistance. Leapmotor’s city navigation assistance began rolling out nationwide on May 16. A new exterior "little blue light" was added to indicate autonomous driving status to pedestrians—a detail born directly from user feedback.Comfort specifications have been leveled up across the board. All three models now come standard with front zero-gravity seats reclining up to 124 degrees, featuring ventilation, heating, and massage. High-spec versions of the C11 and C16 are equipped with a 23-speaker PSS audio system. The five-seat version of the C16 supports electric one-touch folding of the second row into a bed, while the six-seat version features 190mm sliding rails for the second row.How does the math work for "more features at the same price"? That is the central question. While it is an open secret in the industry that many brands cut specifications to protect margins during model updates, Leapmotor is doing the opposite. Cao Li explained that the company imposes a rigid requirement on its R&D team: any annual cost increases related to configuration and user-perceived value must be absorbed into mid-cycle updates without raising the sticker price.This model is sustainable thanks to two factors. First, cost dilution from in-house development—the 800,000-unit volume of the C-series is sufficient to spread out the tooling and development costs of self-developed components. Second, optimization through technological innovation—rather than simply stacking expensive parts, the company uses integrated design to find lower-cost implementation paths without sacrificing performance.Zhu Jiangming has often described Leapmotor’s technical strategy as "integrated innovation" rather than pure invention. Examples include using the 8155 chip to process both cockpit displays and 360-degree surround view, or leveraging the AI computing power of the 8295 chip to handle certain driving functions.After Scaling, Where Next?In 2025, Leapmotor delivered 596,555 vehicles, doubling sales for the second consecutive year. It claimed the top spot among new EV makers and achieved its first annual net profit of 540 million yuan. In May 2026 alone, deliveries hit 81,569 units, keeping Leapmotor at the top of the new-force rankings for several months running and placing it sixth across all automotive brands."Leapmotor has indeed developed quite well over the past three years, especially in April and May just passed, where we successively broke through the 70,000 and 80,000 unit milestones," Zhu Jiangming said regarding these results. "I believe June’s performance will be even better. This is thanks to the solid foundation laid by long-term full-domain self-research, creating excellent conditions for future development."Yet, the first half of 2026 saw hundreds of new models hit the market, and the shakeout is far from over. Leapmotor’s decision to double down on technology investment, overseas expansion, and its product matrix after achieving scale is underpinned by a clear strategic logic.On autonomous driving, Leapmotor has adopted a pragmatic strategy—don’t race to be first, but ensure the experience is solid when features launch. Cao Li revealed that after the A10 and D19 deliveries, the usage rate of high-level driver assistance functions jumped by 30% to 40%. Users are treating ADAS as a practical tool rather than a gimmick, which is more persuasive than any specification sheet.In Zhu’s view, the barrier in autonomous driving isn’t about being first to market; it’s about data accumulation and iteration speed following large-scale delivery. That is precisely where Leapmotor holds an advantage in its current scaling phase.Overseas, the partnership with Stellantis has evolved over the past year from channel sharing to joint manufacturing. In May 2026, the two sides announced deeper collaboration: the Leapmotor B10 will be produced in CKD mode at a Spanish plant, with core powertrain components supplied from China and mass production targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026. The partners will also jointly develop an Opel-brand electric SUV based on Leapmotor’s technology platform, slated for 2028. Ownership of the Madrid factory may be transferred to the joint venture to produce new Leapmotor models. This approach fundamentally reshapes the cost structure for Chinese automakers going global—local production in Europe avoids tariffs on fully built vehicles while boosting brand recognition.Data shows Leapmotor International’s sales surged 726.5% year-on-year in 2026, with its share of Italy’s electric vehicle market reaching 33.5%. "Going overseas isn’t a single step; we’re just getting started," Xu Jun said. "The full A, B, C, and D series will go global. We will deeply empower various countries, pushing both products and management fully overseas."With the C-series securing the 120,000 to 180,000 yuan bracket, Leapmotor has completed a full-price layout stretching from the 65,800 yuan A10 to the 260,000 yuan D19. The D-series’ debut model, the D19, has performed better than expected.According to Zhu, D19 buyers largely avoided the base trim, mostly opting for the 250,000 yuan tier. "This fully proves that Leapmotor’s products have truly gained user recognition." The significance of the D-series lies not just in raising the average transaction price, but in validating the viability of Leapmotor’s "cost-based pricing" logic at higher price points.At the same time, Leapmotor has maintained strategic discipline in product planning—eschewing short-term hits in favor of long life cycles. Zhu wants the C11 to become an "evergreen" like the Toyota Corolla or Camry. In an industry obsessed with launching new models every month, this approach is distinct, yet it explains exactly how the C-series managed to sell 800,000 units in five years and survive the "death valley."Image Source: LeapmotorZhu also previewed a slate of technological innovations set for release in the third quarter. "Leapmotor has accumulated a lot of substantial tech innovations to share," he said. In reality, the company has maintained a cautious but focused R&D strategy, concentrating resources on core components and vehicle innovations that users can actually perceive.Standing at the milestone of 800,000 C-series sales, Leapmotor’s challenges and opportunities are equally clear. The industry consolidation continues, but Leapmotor has evolved from a new entrant relying on value to a scaled player with a complete product matrix, mature global channels, and sustained profitability. Zhu’s remark that users "don’t choose the expensive, but choose the right" serves as both a customer profile and a summary of his own strategy.
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