Leapmotor says it has overhauled the calibration of its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for global markets, after early feedback on the C10 mid-size electrified SUV found the systems too aggressive for European and Australian drivers.
During a technical roundtable, Leapmotor International’s Global Head of Brand Strategy, Product and Marketing, Francesco Giacalone, said engineers at Stellantis’ Balocco proving ground in Italy have been working with Leapmotor’s Chinese R&D team to refine the calibration of ADAS functions for export vehicles like the upcoming B10 small SUV.
“We have a chassis and dynamics team of Stellantis which do the same test that they will do on pre-production vehicles of Stellantis, and they feed back the Chinese team,” explained Mr Giacalone.
He said the feedback loop begins 12 months before production, with Stellantis engineers benchmarking pre-series production Leapmotor prototypes against European models from brands such as Alfa Romeo and Opel, particularly in areas of steering, ride and handling.
“Alfa Romeo is more the benchmark on the handling, driving performance, and then some others, maybe on the French side, more on connectivity or on the ADAS,” said Mr Giacalone.
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The B10’s ADAS suite – a 17-function Level 2 package with adaptive cruise control, lane-centering, blind-spot monitoring, traffic-jam assist, and autonomous emergency braking – has been recalibrated following criticism that the earlier C10’s alerts were too loud and intrusive.
“Some of you have driven [the C10] and told us immediately after the media drive this car is not suitable for Europeans because it’s too intrusive. The level of sounds alert is too high. Perfect. We took the feedback… and now the cars are matching the European standards,” said Mr Giacalone.
He explained that the process involved both sound-level adjustments and intervention-strength tuning, balancing safety performance with driver comfort.
“We looked at what the competitors do. We asked customers – this one, that is on Alfa Romeo Stelvio, is it disturbing you? This one, which is another brand, is it disturbing you? And we found the right compromise,” he said. “Still, in four to six months, we added it on C10 because it was exactly the exercise we have done.”
The B10’s European calibration is now applied to all right-hand-drive and “overseas” versions, including for Australia, said Mr Giacalone.
“The one you drove today is the European tune for the ADAS. Yes, well, European – I call it overseas because it will be the same in Australia, it will be the same in South America,” he confirmed.
Leapmotor’s regional tuning goes beyond software. Mr Giacalone said each market receives hardware or software adjustments depending on conditions – for example, higher ground clearance and dust sealing for Brazil, or stronger air-conditioning compressors for the Middle East.
“Not every region has no peculiarities. In South Arabia, we need to cope with 50-plus degree cool-down cabins… so there are particular tests, less than one minute to cool down,” he said.
While Mr Giacalone acknowledged some drivers find ADAS systems frustrating, he said Leapmotor is working to simplify user control. The latest software allows drivers to deactivate all alerts through a single programmable steering wheel button.
“We have one-button customer profile… your profile says, OK, all ADAS off, all alerts off, Spotify open. That’s whatever you want,” he said. “One button and everything is washed away.”
Leapmotor says it remains committed to maintaining five-star Euro NCAP safety ratings, but Mr Giacalone conceded that pursuing top-tier active-safety scores can sometimes make systems feel overbearing.
“Some of them are needed for safety of customers, some of them are needed for the five-star score,” he said. “At a point in time, the race needs to be reconsidered in terms of pursuing these objectives.”
The company says the B10, built on its LEAP 3.5 platform, combines this European tuning with Stellantis-validated chassis dynamics. The compact SUV comprises MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, and a 50:50 weight distribution.