- The first model in Leapmotor's D-series will be a large SUV priced around RMB 300,000 ($41,800).
- Two models in the D series are currently undergoing summer testing.
Leapmotor (HKG: 9863) continues to gear up for its D-series models as the automaker targets higher-end markets.
The company's chief operating officer, Xu Jun, shared two photos on Weibo today showing two camouflaged vehicles, hinting that they are from Leapmotor's D series.
The two vehicles are currently undergoing summer testing in the scorching heat of Turpan, Xinjiang, according to Xu.
One of the vehicles appears to be an SUV (sport utility vehicle), while the other appears to be an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle).
Leapmotor currently sells the T03, B10, B01, C01, C10, C11, and C16 models in China. Except for the T03 and B10, which are only available as battery electric vehicle (BEV) variants, all other models are also available as extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variants.
The C series is currently its most expensive model, but it is only about half the price of Li Auto's EREV models, leading to the company being dubbed "half-price Li Auto."
On July 28, Weibo automotive blogger @拉面师傅Design shared three renderings he created of Leapmotor's first D-series model, saying that the model is expected to be the largest full-size SUV in the Chinese market this year.
As Leapmotor's latest flagship product, the SUV will target the RMB 300,000 ($41,800) market, the blogger said.
Xu reposted the Weibo post and said the model would be the company's first flagship full-size SUV in the D series.
Leapmotor senior vice president Cao Li said at the time that the first model in the D series would be priced around RMB 300,000 and would feature the company's most advanced technologies.
Notably, Leapmotor founder and chairman Zhu Jiangming said at a Qualcomm summit in June that the company's D-series models will go into mass production in the first quarter of next year, at which time Leapmotor's next-generation central domain controller will debut with dual Snapdragon 8797 chips from Qualcomm.
Leapmotor has maintained strong growth this year, delivering 50,129 vehicles in July, marking the first time monthly deliveries have exceeded 50,000.
So far this year, Leapmotor has delivered 271,793 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 149.84 percent, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
($1 = RMB 7.1785)
