Leapmotor has expanded its model range in South Africa by introducing the compact crossover B10, which began taking orders on Tuesday with a price starting from 499,900 rand. This model is approximately 260,000 rand cheaper than the C10, which launched the brand in the country in October.
The B10 uses the same architecture with an additional energy source (range-extender) as the C10, which Stellantis brought to South Africa last year. Despite being labeled a 'hybrid electric vehicle,' movement is carried out exclusively by the electric motor; the 1.5-liter gasoline engine is never mechanically connected to the wheels and functions only as a generator to replenish battery charge when the energy level drops.
The main difference between the B10 and C10 lies in the size of the battery pack. The B10 is equipped with an 18.8 kWh battery, providing a range of up to 86 km purely on electricity, whereas the C10 achieves 145 km. However, thanks to the range extender system, the total range reaches about 900 km. Leapmotor claims a combined fuel consumption of 0.9 L/100 km. The electric motor develops a power of 158 kW.
Both variants feature Vehicle-to-Load functionality, allowing the car to power external devices from its battery—a useful feature for a market facing power outages. The drive is rear-wheel drive, which is unusual for a compact crossover in this price segment. The 18.8 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery charges from 30% to 80% in 20 minutes on a 46 kW peak power DC charger. From a standard three-prong home outlet, the same charging takes four to six hours. The battery has its own eight-year or 150,000 km warranty, separate from the five years and 100,000 km warranty on the vehicle itself.
It is important to note that buyers in South Africa receive a different version of the B10 than the one that attracted international attention. The international version is a fully electric SUV with a lidar-based driver assistance system, offered at a price below $18,000 USD. The local model is a range extender variant, and lidar is not mentioned in promotional materials.
The B10 cabin features a 14.6-inch 2.5K touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Leapmotor app allows remote locking, pre-conditioning the air before travel, checking battery status and range, viewing driving statistics, planning charging, and receiving over-the-air software updates.
The safety package includes seven airbags and 17 declared driver assistance systems, along with a five-star Euro NCAP rating. Previously, when TechCentral tested the C10 in Spain before its local launch, the car impressed with its technological sophistication, comfort, and performance; however, the driver assistance system was noticeably overly active, warranting observation of the model with such a high number of such systems.
Two versions are offered: the Style at 499,900 rand and the Design at 549,900 rand. The additional 50,000 rand provides more comfort rather than functionality. Both cars are equipped with a panoramic roof, a 360-degree camera, 18-inch wheels, and a full suite of driver assistance systems.
The Design model features leather seats, electrically adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, an electric tailgate, rain sensor wipers, privacy glass, 64-color ambient lighting, folding mirrors, and 12 speakers instead of six.
Stellantis acquired about 20% of Leapmotor in 2023 and owns 51% of Leapmotor International, a joint venture that sells the brand outside of China. The company is building a factory in South Africa with a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year by 2030 and aims to become the largest player in the Middle East and Africa by then, planning that 35% of the target one million annual sales will be electrified. The starting price of 499,900 rand is a more realistic path to achieving these targets than the 759,900 rand price point in a market where Chinese competitors BYD and Chery are actively expanding their presence.
Food delivery aggregator Swiggy announced on Monday the launch of its AI assistant named 'Guru' for its restaurant partners. This tool is designed to track payments and monitor the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
The assistant is available to 270 thousand restaurants in over 720 cities. Swiggy reported that the menu analysis features in 'Guru' allow partners to add items, create descriptions, and highlight the most popular products, providing personalized data based on the analysis of category performance and best practices.
Rohit Kapoor, CEO of Swiggy Food Marketplace, noted that artificial intelligence has changed business methods and increases efficiency across all industries. He added that, having collaborated with restaurants for over 12 years, the company understands the daily operational requirements and the need for constant execution of multiple tasks faced by partners.
Eight construction workers discovered gold coins and bars totaling $10.5 million (169 million Roman francs) in Belgium last Tuesday during work, officials reported.
The gold find was made beneath the building undergoing renovation in the town of Dendermonde, located approximately 19 miles northwest of Brussels.
The discovery was made by Kob Philips, a student working part-time on the construction site. He told Belgian broadcaster VTM: 'I thought they were one-euro coins neatly laid out in a row. We dug them up, and then we saw a small gold bar lying there, already attached to our pickaxe. In fact, there was a bit more than we expected.'
After the discovery, the workers contacted the property owner, who then called the police, according to VTM's Face. The Eastern Flanders prosecutor's office informed CNN that the police were called due to the significant value of the find, and the gold is currently being kept in a 'secure and guarded location.'
Face specified that some of the gold bars are marked with dates from the 1960s, while the sovereign coins feature different monarchs and dates.
This find has already led to potential claimants. Face noted: 'We already have citizens who want to claim the gold, having various documents proving they are descendants.'
A police investigation is currently underway to determine if there are any criminal aspects to the case.
