After the first few days with the C10 AWD, which I collected two weeks ago, I can say I am pleased with my choice.
I’m really enjoying the car and, quite honestly, I’ve been speaking highly of it to friends and relatives as well, whom I sometimes let have a drive. I’m happy — and also a bit proud — to have chosen a newer brand such as Leapmotor, and precisely for that reason, I thought it would be helpful to send some suggestions to Customer Care, based on my initial experiences, during the post-sales survey.
I don’t necessarily consider these to be serious “flaws” in the car, but rather aspects where I believe there is room for improvement, especially through software:
- Climate control: in my view, it needs further refinement. The cabin temperature isn’t always stable, and the transition between heat, cold and simple fan isn’t always progressive. I’ve also noticed several instances of the windscreen misting up suddenly and very quickly, which I feel deserve particular attention.
- Brake pedal: the initial response is, in my opinion, too sharp. While driving you get used to it, but during low-speed manoeuvres it’s rather annoying because it makes it hard to modulate braking and easily causes a bit of pitching. If it were possible to adjust the response curve via software, that would certainly be a worthwhile improvement.
- Throttle response at very low speeds: this is something I notice mainly during manoeuvres, perhaps on an incline. At times the car doesn’t move forward perfectly smoothly, but seems to have a sort of rhythm, almost a “stepping” motion — I find myself having to modulate and slightly pump the accelerator to maintain a very low, steady speed. It’s quite unusual and I think here too a refinement of the software management of torque at very low speeds could noticeably improve smoothness.
- User profile: I’d like the profile to retain a greater number of personal settings and preferences, rather than having some of them reset every time the car is started. More comprehensive profile management would make the everyday experience even more personalised.
- Floor mats: this one is purely a “physical” matter. I collected the car with some aftermarket mats, which I replaced straight away because the driver’s side interfered with the accelerator pedal. I think it would be sensible to offer mats that are specifically designed for and perfectly compatible with the vehicle.
Then there’s something I consider more of a hardware/optical issue, so likely not something that can be fixed with an update.
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Headlights: overall, I really like the beam pattern and, compared to my previous car, there really is no comparison. However, I’m not entirely convinced by that jagged horizontal blue line that delimits the dip beam at its upper edge. In certain conditions you can see it “jittering” on the road as it follows irregularities in the tarmac, and it remains quite visible even when the main beam is activated. It’s probably a feature of the light unit and therefore difficult or impossible to alter, but personally I find it a bit irritating.
Furthermore, I’ve noticed a slight reduction in brightness in the lower left part of the beam, which I find a bit of a shame. Nothing that compromises the overall quality of the road lighting, which I consider thoroughly good, but it’s a detail I’ve picked up on.
I’ve already passed these suggestions on directly to Leapmotor, because I believe it’s useful for a manufacturer to hear feedback from people who use the car every day.
For the rest, my verdict on the C10 AWD remains decidedly positive. I’m still in the phase of discovering all its features, but for now I’m happy with the purchase and I hope Leapmotor continues to work on the software and the user experience, because in my view the car really does have tremendous potential.