Leapmotor A10 EV Could Revive the Neon for Stellantis
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- Leapmotor launched the A10 EV in China this week at a starting price of 965,800 yuan (~$9,500), after first showing it at the Guangzhou Auto Show last year
- The A10 pairs a single front-mounted electric motor (70 kW or 90 kW) with a 53 kWh battery delivering over 500 km (~310 miles) of range, plus 100 kW DC fast charging that takes the pack from 30% to 80% in about 15 minutes
- The A10's ADAS suite includes lidar, a Qualcomm SA8650 chip, City NAP, Highway Navigation, and Memory Parking — described as functioning similarly to Tesla's Summon feature
- The author argues Stellantis' US dealers need a new-age Neon and proposes the A10 as the template, estimating a ~$19,990 MSRP is plausible if Stellantis imports and assembles the car in the US
- The A10's design nods to the original Plymouth Neon's "happy, smiling face" through its whimsically named "Haha" taillight, and its chunky crossover body targets the same young car buyer the 1990s Neon did
- The top commenter pushes back, arguing America has permanently shifted toward oversized vehicles and that small, efficient EVs will struggle in the US, drawing a parallel to Cuba's distinctive car culture
Why it matters: Stellantis has been starving its US lineup of affordable, modern product, and the A10 offers a ready-made template at roughly $9,500 in China that could theoretically translate to a sub-$20,000 US price point. The piece also surfaces a genuine tension the source flags directly: even at the right price with the right tech and the right nostalgic packaging, America's entrenched preference for oversized vehicles may be a harder barrier than the import math.
