This year, competition in the automotive market has escalated, and from the very start of the year it has entered a contest of intelligence. Many automakers have been promoting intelligent driving equality for their models. BYD launched the Yuan PLUS Smart Driving Edition in March, and this model has attracted the attention of many consumers with its intelligent configuration. However, as the Yuan PLUS Smart Driving Edition hit the market, another strong model also focused on the 100,000-150,000 yuan market—Leapmotor B10—followed closely behind. The new car has gone all in on product strength and technological experience, and will begin pre-sales on March 10.
For car enthusiasts who want to buy a pure electric SUV for 100,000-150,000 yuan, should they look at the newly launched BYD Yuan PLUS, or pay more attention to the Leapmotor B10 that is about to begin pre-sales? Below, through a detailed comparison, we will show everyone the differences between the two cars!
Appearance is a matter of opinion, so let us still get to know them through a brief introduction.
As a model carefully built by Leapmotor, the Leapmotor B10 adopts the latest design style of the Leapmotor family in terms of appearance. Its squared front face makes the model appear fuller, incorporates closed-off design elements, and continues the family's signature three-point悦动 crystal daytime running lights. The light assembly style is more flattened, effectively improving the visual effect, while the unique design of the daytime running lights also enhances the model's recognizability. The headlight assembly is connected to the blackened lower surround, and the overall design style is quite novel.
On the side, the Leapmotor B10 adopts hidden door handles, and blackened design is used in many places, enhancing the sporty atmosphere. In terms of dimensions, the new car measures 4515/1885/1655 mm in length, width, and height respectively, with a wheelbase of 2735 mm. It can be seen that the Leapmotor B10's overall dimensions are a size larger than the Yuan PLUS, giving it more advantage in space. The rear design is neat, with clearly layered lines, and the through-type taillight assembly echoes the front headlights.
Stepping inside, the interior design of the new Yuan PLUS has changed in details compared with the old model. The position and style of the air-conditioning vents remain unchanged, and a floating central control screen is equipped. What has changed is that the traditional gear lever design has been canceled, and instead a column shifter is used, making the center console area appear cleaner and fresher.
The interior design of the Leapmotor B10 is also very novel. It is equipped with a 14.6-inch 2.5K floating central control screen and a rectangular full LCD instrument panel, showing a good technological atmosphere. At the same time, ambient lighting called Time Engine is added at the chrome air-conditioning vents, and together with the two-tone multifunctional steering wheel + electronic column shifter, the atmosphere inside the car is quite good, and the steering wheel has a heating function. Interestingly, the center console area of the Leapmotor B10 adopts an open multi-purpose island, breaking the closed layout of traditional car interiors and greatly helping with item storage, for example, placing women's bags, mobile phones, books, and so on are all good choices.
The Leapmotor B10's "persistence" regarding space is not just in some detail designs; the car also provides flexible and variable space. The front seats can be folded flat backward, and the rear seats can be folded forward, forming a large platform. Together with a 1.83-square-meter panoramic sunroof, lying in the car with family while camping and looking at the stars can also be a kind of romance. At the same time, the interior of the Leapmotor B10 also achieves "zero formaldehyde," which is rare among models in the 100,000 yuan class. Most similar models commonly have odor problems, especially in summer, when interior odors may be unbearable and affect family health, while the Leapmotor B10 uses environmentally friendly materials inside, which is worthy of praise.
Intelligence becomes the focus. How do the two cars perform?
Many car owners do not have overly high requirements for the intelligence of new energy vehicles costing more than 100,000 yuan, or do not have great expectations for it, but both models' performance in intelligence exceeds the expectations of many car enthusiasts.
The BYD Yuan PLUS Smart Driving Edition has been upgraded in terms of intelligence, equipped with an L2-level assisted driving system, supporting lane-change assistance, automatic parking, automatic lane-change assistance, and assisted driving functions on highways. However, the car's chip is its weak point. It does not use mainstream chips on the market, but instead chooses the Qualcomm 6125 chip, making it difficult to guarantee the smoothness of the infotainment system after long-term use.
Compared with the Yuan PLUS, the Leapmotor B10, at a comparable price, provides richer configurations and more advanced intelligent driving capabilities. For example, it is equipped with lidar, which is not available on any model in the BYD Yuan PLUS lineup. At the same time, the intelligent driving system is equipped with the 8650 chip, the infotainment system uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip, and it also provides intelligent configurations such as a large AI voice model. This makes the Leapmotor B10's value in intelligence exceed that of models at the same price, and even comparable to models in the 200,000 yuan class.
In terms of power, the BYD Yuan PLUS Smart Driving Edition still carries a drive motor with a maximum power of 150 kW and uses lithium iron phosphate battery as its energy storage device. In terms of range, it is equipped with 49.92 kWh and 60.48 kWh battery packs, corresponding to Ministry of Industry and Information Technology pure electric range of 430 km and 510 km respectively. In terms of power, there is no upgrade compared with the old model.
According to current information, the Leapmotor B10 will offer rear-drive motors in two specifications with maximum power of 132 kW and 160 kW. It is matched with battery packs with capacities of 56.2 kWh and 67.1 kWh, and the range is 510 km and 600 km respectively. In terms of range, it has a certain advantage over the Yuan PLUS. In the current new energy vehicle market, especially among pure electric models, a range of more than 400 kilometers is mostly seen in small commuter cars. For a compact SUV mainly used for family travel, a longer range is still very necessary and can, to a certain extent, avoid the embarrassment of running out of power when the car is urgently needed.
Overall, the two models are bound to engage in a fierce contest in the market. For consumers planning to buy a car, they might as well wait a little longer and see whether the Leapmotor B10, a model about to begin pre-sales, can bring surprises. And according to Leapmotor's style, the small reservation benefits during its pre-sales period will not be bad, and are worth consumers' anticipation.
