Chinese startup Leapmotor is best known for cut-price small and mid-size models including the C10 medium SUV it launched here with last year, but it’s planning to launch larger and more premium models.
It has released handful of teaser images of its upcoming flagship SUV, which is set to wear either the D16 or D19 nameplate when it’s launched in the Chinese market during 2026.
Leapmotor’s new range-topper is expected to offer three rows of seating, and will likely be offered as either an electric vehicle (EV) or an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) – the brand has never offered any other powertrain type since it started producing its first vehicles in 2019.
The new SUV will be one of two or three models in Leapmotor’s D series of vehicles, with another set to be a people mover. These will be the brand’s largest models, logically slotting in above A-, B- and C-series vehicles.
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According to Chinese outlet Autohome, the flagship SUV will be priced between 250,000 and 300,000 yuan (~A$52,725-$63,265).
“We launched C first, then B, then D and A… If you start with A and move up one by one, it will be more difficult. So our choice of C is also a very important factor in Leapmotor’s success,” Leapmotor founder, chairman and CEO Zhu Jiangming told the publication, referring to the brand launching mid-size C models first.
The styling of the new SUV is extremely similar to not only Leapmotor’s existing C16 large SUV, which entered production last year, but also a raft of other large Chinese SUVs such as the Aito M9, Geely Galaxy M9, Li Auto L9, Deepal S09, and Onvo L90.
Its polished, monoblock-style wheels are also reminiscent of those on the Zeekr 9X, though otherwise its styling is minimalist in traditional Leapmotor style with smooth flanks and slim lighting elements front and rear.
While Leapmotor hasn’t confirmed exterior dimensions yet, it could be over 5m long.
Chinese brands have yet to offer electric SUVs this large in Australia, although BYD’s premium brand Denza could bring its N9 crossover SUV here. Should the D16 come here, it would likely serve as Leapmotor’s rival to the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9.
In addition to rolling out its new D-series models, Leapmotor is also set to introduce two more vehicles for its A series to join the T03 city car.
The brand has already fleshed out its B- and C-series lines.
The B10 small SUV due in Australia this year will be followed by the B05 small hatch revealed at this month’s Munich motor show. Leapmotor also launched the B01 small sedan earlier this year in China.
The C-series lineup is comprised of the mid-size C10 crossover SUV already offered here, plus a stretched version called the C16. There are also two older models, the C01 mid-size sedan launched in 2022 and the C11 SUV launched in 2020.
The Chinese brand, which has a joint venture with Jeep parent Stellantis to distribute its vehicles globally called Leapmotor International, posted a 30 million yuan (A$6.5m) profit in the first half of 2025.
The result is a marked turnaround from a 2.2 billion yuan (A$4.7bn) loss over the same period last year, with an operating profit of 14.1 per cent being its highest since the company was formed in 2015.
It has its sights set on a profitable calendar year.
Despite keen pricing, the only Leapmotor model available in Australia thus far – the C10 – is languishing in the sales charts. Just 381 examples were sold here in the first eight months of this year, well behind the rival Geely EX5 (2736).