Gowan Auto, which is the Irish distributor for the broad swathe of Stellantis Group brands - Alfa Romeo, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Opel, and Peugeot, as well as Honda, has announced that it's been appointed as the Irish distributor for Chinese brand Leapmotor.
Who is Leapmotor?
Good question - it's yet another in the growing band of Chinese car makers entering the European car market, but in the case of Gowan Auto, it's perhaps not so much of a stranger as Leapmotor is a joint venture between Stellantis and Leapmotor China, and it's been one of China's fastest-growing car brands in recent months.
When does Leapmotor arrive here?
Leapmotor will hit the Irish market in September, and it will be added to the existing family of car brands at Gowan Auto, sharing expansive office space, an 80,000 sq ft parts warehouse, a contemporary training academy, and an extensive marketing showroom.
Heading up Leapmotor's operations in Ireland will be James Brooks, who is currently the managing director for Opel here, and he will retain that role as he works with Leapmotor. Stephen McGrath, formerly Head of Product and Pricing at Peugeot and DS Ireland, who has been appointed Brand Manager. Mark Brennan, formerly Marketing Executive at DS Ireland, has been appointed Marketing Manager at Leapmotor Ireland. Both Stephen and Mark will play key roles in establishing Leapmotor's presence and driving brand growth in Ireland. Emma Toner is Marketing Director for Leapmotor, in addition to her current brand, Opel. Recruitment for a Business Development Manager will commence soon.
What cars will Leapmotor be launching?
Initially, Leapmotor will bring two very different models to the Irish market. First up is the T03, which Leapmotor describes as “a compact B-segment hatchback offered at an A-segment price.” It gets a 37.3kWh battery pack and a range of up to 265km. Standard equipment will include a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, and a 10.1-inch infotainment system.
Then there's the C10, which is an altogether more sophisticated and expensive thing, a mid-size electric SUV with a 69.9kWh battery and a range of up to 500km. There's also a plug-in hybrid range extender version (or REEV), which claims to offer as much as 900km of driving on a combination of a full fuel tank and a full battery. Standard equipment for the C10 includes electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, 20-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree surround view camera, heated steering wheel, a 12-speaker premium Hi-Fi system, a 14.6-inch central touchscreen, and a ten-inch digital instrument cluster.
We've already tested early versions of the T03 and the C10, and you can read more on them here: Leapmotor reviews.
Anything else to know?
Well, as we've seen with other Chinese brands, these first two models are just the tip of the spear, and Leapmotor says that another six new models will join the range by 2028, starting with a compact crossover EV called the B10, which arrives in the Autumn.
Michael Dwan, Managing Director at Gowan Group, said: “Gowan Group is very pleased to announce the imminent arrival of Leapmotor in Ireland. Leapmotor aims to become Ireland's best value electric vehicle brand by offering high levels of specification and advanced technology as standard. Leapmotor's core philosophy is that customers should not have to compromise on quality or features for affordability, delivering a true value without compromise proposition for Irish car buyers.”