Hyundai KONA Electric vs Leapmotor C10

The Leapmotor C10 costs £1,500 more than the Hyundai KONA Electric. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Hyundai KONA Electric is not just cheaper - it also offers 57 miles more WLTP range. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Hyundai KONA Electric comes out ahead overall.

The Hyundai KONA Electric is £1,500 cheaper to buy. The Hyundai KONA Electric is cheaper to charge, roughly £136 a year versus £216 for the Leapmotor C10, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Hyundai KONA Electric comes out roughly £1,900 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 266 miles for the Hyundai KONA Electric and 175 miles for the Leapmotor C10 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Hyundai KONA Electric goes roughly 91 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 41 minutes in the Hyundai KONA Electric and 30 in the Leapmotor C10, so the Leapmotor C10 loses less time at each stop. So the Hyundai KONA Electric stops less often while the Leapmotor C10 stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The Hyundai KONA Electric is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 75 mm narrower than the Leapmotor C10. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 575 mm of total clearance for the Hyundai KONA Electric and about 500 mm of total clearance for the Leapmotor C10. The Hyundai KONA Electric also turns in a 0.6 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 86% battery health for the Hyundai KONA Electric and 90% for the Leapmotor C10. That gives the Leapmotor C10 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Leapmotor C10's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Hyundai KONA Electric's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.