Australians could be set for even more choice for utes Down Under, with the possibility of a Leapmotor-badged commercial on the cards.
Leapmotor has not ruled out the possibility of a ute from the new Chinese brand, and is well aware of the scale of the opprtunity for such a model in Australia due to the success of models like the BYD Shark 6.
“Leapmotor is aware that a ute would perform well here, as well as in a lot of other markets. I think it would suit the Australian market really well," Rick Crichton, Senior Product Manager at Stellantis Australia told Australian media recently.
The proposition was also suggested mid-2025 at the Melbourne motor show with the Leapmotor international CEO, Tianshu Xin, telling Australian media that the brand’s primary focus is passenger cars, but a ute could be coming.
“At the moment, we’re focusing on not the pick-up sector, we’re focusing on the passenger cars. But it doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility that Leapmotor will develop, not only a pick-up, but also entering into the commercial vehicle space.”
“It’s more than just a pick-up, because even in the light-commercial space, this energy transition will happen as well, but it will be maybe a few years behind passenger cars.”
Stellantis, the company that owns 51 per cent of Leapmotor International, has a broad portfolio of cars – including utes/pick-up trucks from brands such as Jeep and Ram.
Taking part in the development of vehicles sold outside of China means that a ute from Leapmotor could see technology and design sharing from other brands under the Stellantis family.
Furthermore, it could see the birth of a range extender electric vehicle (REEV) hybrid ute, with other Leapmotor products being sold with the choice of full-electric or REEV power.
Pressure is mounting for the brand to cover this corner of the market following ute launches from other Chinese manufacturers such as BYD, JAC, MG, GVM, and LDV, as well as Chery recently showing off its diesel plug-in hybrid dual-cab.
Despite being a relatively small overall car market compared to other right-hand drive markets such as the UK and Japan, Australia is like South Africa and New Zealand in having a strong light-commercial ute segment.
Rick Crichton says that Leapmotor International is taking note of how important Australia is to the brand.
“On a global scale, Australian total market volumes might be small, but geographically, Australia is huge. So we're definitely given utmost consideration and considered to be an extremely important market.”
“So, making sure the products are tailored to suit the varying landscapes in Australia, but also Australian driving tastes and customer preferences, is of extreme importance.”
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
