Founded in 2015, Leapmotor from Zhejiang is a young new brand of car manufacturing. At the beginning of 2019, it started its car manufacturing career with a "non-mainstream" model positioned as a pure electric coupe - Leap S01. Now, Leap is about to launch its second production model, the Leap T03 (photo | configuration | inquiry), a micro electric vehicle that will be launched in May. Before going on the market, I went to the Leap Car factory for a sneak peek drive experience, and the conclusion was: there are surprises, worth looking forward to!
Zerorun T03
Minimum price: From 59,900
The image parameter configures the inquiry reserve price
Understand the car score of 3.48, understand the actual measurement of the car, there is no car friend circle 76,000 car friends hot discussion second-hand car from 49,800 | 158 vehicles
New car information
Appearance: cute and cute, with a Smart feeling
Micro electric vehicles are mostly aimed at young users, and the exterior design usually takes the dull route, and the more individual, the more likable. Overall, the small body and rounded silhouette of the Zerorun T03 already have personalized characteristics such as "cute" and "cute".
The front face design of the Zerorun T03 has a bit of Smart flavor, officially called the "smile curve front face". The left and right sets of headlights are like a pair of eyes, and the charging cover plate in the middle of the middle of the middle net area and an air inlet in its lower part are like noses and mouths, which are very anthropomorphic.
On the side of the body, due to the relatively small window part and the slightly downward inclined design of the roof, the Zerorun T03 can give people a strong sense of heaviness. There are not many lines on the side of the body, which is in line with the rounded design style of the whole car, and it is more obvious that a waist line is derived from the front fender, extending to the taillights and slightly rising, so that the side of the car does not look too monotonous.
In terms of body size, the length, width and height of the Zerorun T03 are 3620×1652×1577mm, which is similar to the Euler R1 in the same class. The 2400mm wheelbase is slightly shorter than the 2475mm of the Ora R1, but the car is taller than the Ora R1.
Compared with the dull and flexible front of the car, the rear part of the car is relatively mediocre, because the height of the car is relatively high, the visual center of gravity of the rear of the car is also higher than that of the same class model.
Interior: A sense of class that is rare in its class
Like most electric cars, the interior of the Leap T03 also follows a minimalist style. There are only a handful of physical buttons in the center console, and the switch button of the double flashing light is the most conspicuous. However, the interior of the Zerorun T03 is not monotonous, with a large floating central control screen, oval air conditioning outlet, and plastic parts of the instrument panel with textures, and the overall sense of layering gives a good review.
The leather-wrapped three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel is also a highlight, it is almost the same as the Zerorun S01, the shape is sporty, and the grip is good. The multi-function buttons on the left and right sides of the steering wheel can control cruise, multimedia, on-board information display and other functions, and the buttons are moderately damped and comfortable to press, which is superior in similar models.
The 10.1-inch touch screen in the middle integrates most of the in-car operation functions, and also has a built-in Leap On intelligent vehicle system, which supports dual-screen linkage and can seamlessly switch navigation, music and other applications. At the same time, this set of vehicle machine also supports iFLYTEK 3.0 voice interaction system, which can realize functions such as calling, navigation, and system control.
From the actual experience, the Leap T03 set of car machine is very rich, and I personally even feel that it is a little too rich. For example, the unlocking of the trunk is placed on the center control screen, and I personally feel that it is not necessary. Fortunately, the operation of the center control screen is relatively smooth and the response is also very fast.
Like the Zerorun S01, the Zerorun T03 also adopts a pocket gear design, and there is no P gear setting, dial to N gear and then pull the electronic handbrake to park.
As a new car-making force under the security giant Dahua, the face recognition function is also a major feature of Leap T03. The system identifies the driver via a camera, even when wearing hats, glasses, makeup, low light or even at night, and starts the vehicle in seconds. In addition, it has a fatigue monitoring and warning function, which can even identify whether the driver is on the phone and alert the warning. These features are a bit incredible for a car worth tens of thousands of dollars!
Plenty of seating space and practical storage space
Similar to the Ora R1, the Zerorun T03 adopts a four-door, four-seat design, which greatly improves the practicality of the car. In the same kind of mini cars, the seating space of the Zerorun T03 belongs to the upstream level, and it is just enough to seat 4 adults. Thanks to the relatively high height of the car, the headroom performance is excellent compared to the same class Zerorun T03.
In terms of riding experience, the Leap T03 has two highlights worth mentioning compared to similar models. First, it is equipped with a large area of glass canopy and a rare electric sunshade in the same class, opening the sunshade can increase the sense of transparency in the car, and closing it can protect against the sun. Second, the rear door and window can be lifted electrically, compared with the non-lifting window of the Ora R1, the rear seat riding experience is much better.
In terms of storage space, Zerorun officially said that there are 15 storage slots in the T03 car, and the actual experience found that it is indeed more practical. There is a place to put mobile phones under the center control screen, and there are also storage slots for small items such as keys in the middle of the front seats; All four doors have storage space for bottled water, and cup holders are centrally located in the front and rear. This is rare for a micro electric vehicle, and it can be seen that Zerorun has worked practicality.
The trunk opening of the Zerorun T03 is not large, and the conventional volume of the trunk of 210L can meet the needs of daily shopping. If you need to load large luggage, you can fold down the rear seats, and the luggage compartment can be expanded to more than 500 liters.
However, in terms of everyday practicality, I think there is one place that is debatable. The trunk of the Zerorun T03 does not have a manual unlock switch, and the trunk must be unlocked through the remote control key, or the central control screen, mobile phone APP. Although these unlocking methods seem more technological, from a practical point of view, it is still necessary to set a manual unlock switch.
Driving feel: one of the best in its class
The Leap T03 is equipped with the "Heracles" electric drive assembly independently developed by Leap, and the system efficiency can reach 92.3%. The maximum power and maximum torque will reach 55kW and 155Nm respectively, and the official 0-50km/h acceleration time is only 5 seconds, and the data is eye-catching. From the actual test drive experience, the power performance of the Zerorun T03 does have an advantage in its class, even if it is fully loaded with 4 adults, it is not difficult in urban road conditions, and it is easier to break through 100km/h on the highway.
What surprised me was that as the second model of a new car-making force, the Leap T03 is positioned as a micro electric vehicle, and its chassis, electric door, and brake tuning are very mature. Especially the chassis performance, compared with many models in the same class, is excellent, the body integrity is very good, the front MacPherson, the rear torsion beam suspension adjustment is very tough, through the pothole road surface is not stiff or loose, rare!
In terms of driving feeling, the only thing I don't like is that the pedestrian prompt sound is a bit loud at low speeds. Although this tone can be turned off through the center control screen, I suggest that the sound outside the car should be louder (to alert pedestrians), and it is best not to hear this sound inside the car.
Zerorun T03
Minimum price: From 59,900
The image parameter configures the inquiry reserve price
Understand the car score of 3.48, understand the actual measurement of the car, there is no car friend circle 76,000 car friends hot discussion second-hand car from 49,800 | 158 vehicles
CATL battery cells, endurance 403 kilometers
The battery of the Leap T03 adopts the 811 battery cell of CATL, thanks to the high energy density, the battery pack capacity is 36.5kWh, and the NEDC cruising range reaches 403km. When the cruising range of most models in the same class hovers around 350km, the endurance of the Zerorun T03 is undoubtedly a big highlight. The range is 50 kilometers, which means a larger radius of activity and a significant reduction in range anxiety.
Intelligence is ahead of its class
Similar to new car-making forces such as Xpeng and NIO, Leap's models have always emphasized their intelligence, and this T03 is no exception. In addition to the face recognition mentioned above, the Zerorun T03 is also equipped with a class-leading L2 intelligent driving assistance system. The vehicle is equipped with 15 sensors, including forward-looking cameras and millimeter-wave radars, which can realize 10 intelligent driving assistance, including APS automatic parking assist, ACC adaptive cruise, LSF low-speed following, FCW front collision warning, LKA lane keeping, etc. You know, these functions are not common in more than 150,000 models, and these functions can really improve driving safety.
Zerorun T03 also has a mobile APP remote control function, which can realize remote control such as door unlocking, locking, and opening air conditioning. What I didn't expect was that the Leap T03 also supports OTA remote upgrade of the whole vehicle. At present, many domestic models that claim to be able to OTA, most of them can only realize the remote upgrade of the vehicle system, and the Zerorun T03 can achieve the whole vehicle OTA from the multi-vehicle system to the power system and driving assistance system. This means that users can spend tens of thousands of yuan to buy a car that can be continuously upgraded.
summary
As the second model of the new car-making force Leap Auto, the comprehensive performance of the T03 was a bit unexpected to me. The level of intelligence, power performance, and endurance are eye-catching in the same class of models, and even the chassis tuning that the general new forces are not very good at is also doing an excellent job. It is reported that Leap T03 has opened pre-sale on April 10 and booked a test drive. The new car will be officially launched in May, and the price is estimated to be around 70,000 to 80,000, which is worth looking forward to.