Stellantis is already building Chinese-designed Leapmotor EVs in Europe to help that brand gain a foothold and lower tariffs in that region. Now, it is taking the next logical step to help gain traction for its own EVs.
Leapmotor, a company younger than the current Dodge Durango, will now design a new Stellantis SUV for Europe. It will be sold under one of the more iconic brands in the Stellantis family, and with a little faith and a lot of elbow grease, Leapmotor’s help will make it possible to go from idea to showroom in less than two years. That’s a timeframe basically unheard of in the automotive world. And it won’t stop with just one.
Opel Will Make The Leap First
Leapmotor Opel collaborationOpel
The first of the 14 brands under Stellantis’ umbrella to get a vehicle developed by Leapmotor will be Opel. The model will be a new C-segment SUV, like the new Jeep Compass, and it will be an electric vehicle sold alongside the current gas-powered Grandland.
Opel’s CEO Florian Huettl made it clear during the announcement that the new model would be “designed and created by us at Opel in Rüsselsheim.” But it will be developed by teams located in Germany and China. It sounds like that development will lean heavily toward China, based on the speed it plans for the project.
Stellantis said that the new model would use “core components” of Leapmotor’s latest electric platform and battery tech. Leapmotor’s LEAP 3.5 platform supports 800 volts for faster charging and advanced driver assistance systems.
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With Leapmotor supplying the chassis, motors, and battery designs, what is Opel doing? “Lighting and seating technology,” the company said in the announcement, which isn’t exactly glamorous. The new model will also get Opel’s styling and its chassis engineering.
We read that as the Opel team making sure that the vehicle isn’t too new or too China-specific for its more traditional buyers, and that the suspension is ready for Autobahn speeds and Alpine mountain roads. Which strikes us as a very good balance.
Stellantis Could Speed Up Development In A Big Way
The Leapmotor C10 is propelled by an EV drivetrain, with an on-board, gas-powered engine serving (only) as generator.CarBuzz/Valnet Publishing (Danie Botha)
One of the major advantages Chinese automakers have now is the ability to bring vehicles to market in half the time of legacy automakers. Cutting development of this Opel down to two years from four or five would be a huge win for Stellantis. It would also be a huge win for European manufacturing. Opel said it plans to build the new model at its plant in Zaragoza, Spain, alongside the Opel Corsa hatchback.
“With this project, Opel would bring together German engineering excellence with global technological innovation speed,” said Xavier Chéreau, Chair of the Opel supervisory board. “This innovative spirit defines the next chapter of our global collaboration with Leapmotor and Opel is taking on a pioneering role with this project.”
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It’ll hurt now, but Stellantis hopes it will make things better for everyone in the long run.
Stellantis said sales of the new model could begin as early as 2028. If it’s a success, expect the cooperation between Stellantis and Leapmotor to grow, at least in Europe and with electric vehicles. That could mean Leapmotor expertise in vehicles from Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, Jeep, and more.
As for other Stellantis-Leapmotor collabs, the automaker said that both parties are “continuing discussions toward potential broader industrial cooperation.” Whether that means potential projects for the US is unclear, but we suspect such things would depend largely on political factors that are currently unpredictable, to say the least.