A surprise addition to the Leapmotor stand at the Paris motor show was the company’s flagship D19 SUV, a tank of a seven-seater that comes with an 80kWh battery and range extender petrol and makes the Kia EV9 look svelte. 

The plush quilted interior, air suspension and rear cinema screen sit uncomfortably alongside some of the company’s other offerings, like the T03 electric city car that was for a long while the cheapest car on sale in the UK. 

I got to have a ride in the car when I visited the Beijing motor show earlier in 2026, and it is indeed a tech powerhouse, with a cosseting ride and an impressive interior – but it feels like it’s from a different company to the B05 hatchback. 

But the first mistake among the attending journalists was assuming that the D19’s presence on the stand meant its next stop would be in European showroom. Not so, according to the company’s new international CEO, Danilo Annese. 

From his perspective Paris wasn’t just a European-focused show, and the company had made a conscious decision to show the D19 here: “We’re here as an international motor show and it’s the first time the car has been shown outside China. We’ll sell it in other regions, like the Middle East, but Europe is still a question mark.

The question for the brand in Europe has focused on the price of the car and whether what is essentially a budget focused brand (albeit with a strong emphasis on tech) would be able to sustain a fancy SUV like the D19. But again, Annese disagreed with the premise. 

“The issue isn’t the price of the car, it’s the dimensions,” said Annese. “What worries me is that the 5.25-metre length of the car is more than some garages, that’s much more the concern. When it comes to technology and value, the D19 is exactly in line with what Leapmotor has been doing so far.”

From Annese’s point of view the D19 is the perfect showcase for Leapmotor’s ambition – it has the company’s latest platform underneath it, the biggest battery fitted to a range-extended EV on the market that comes with 311 miles (500km) of range before you even crack into the petrol…

“And of course the car is also notable for the interior quality, the seats, the interior TV, it’s really another level. But as I say, probably not ideal for Europe but the Middle East will get the car and after that other regions.”

We know that the B03 is the next new car to come from Leapmotor, but what then? Well, Annese has said not to expect the same breakneck pace over the next year or two as the company catches its breath. 

He did say that Leapmotor is trying to decide whether or not to bring the recently launched D99 MPV over from China, plus we know that the company is working with Stellantis on bringing its own car on the new platform that the 2CV is set to arrive on in 2028. 

Production of the B10 has already started in Spain, according to the company this week, with plans to build a new Opel/Vauxhall SUV at the same plant on a Leapmotor platform. Annese says the company is in constant discussions with Stellantis about what other cars they could develop together. And you’d have to imagine that there’s a new T03 on the way at some point soon too.