Two grades with up 900kms’ combined range.

ADDITIONAL detail about a range extender hybrid from Leapmotor has shared as the model’s on-sale sneaks closer.

The B10 Ultra Hybrid EV was announced by the brand on June 10 at Fieldays, the annual agricultural show at Hamilton.

Now in addition to confirming there will be two grades, and that the highest-specified Design will place $5000 above the entry $39,990 Life, Leapmotor says both will be on sale from early July.

The entry edition is cheaper than the fully electric, but otherwise lookalike, B10. The Design is the same price as an B10 EV in Life trim.

The range extender type promises a driving range of up to 900km, the local distributor says.

The B10 Ultra Hybrid is driven exclusively by an electric motor, but has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine acting solely as a generator. It never directly drives the wheels.

The set-up suggests the car is akin to the Nissan e-Power, but it is not clear if the Leapmotor also apes Nissan’s models in being categorised as a petrol models.

Nissan insists its e-Power cars are electrics, but the status exempts them from the Road User Charges that attach to orthodox battery-fed electrics.

Leapmotor says the setup delivers what it describes as an "electric-first" driving experience, combining the smoothness and instant response of an EV with the ability to travel longer distances without relying on public charging infrastructure.

The B10 Ultra Hybrid uses an 18.8kWh battery pack and offers a claimed electric-only driving range of 86km under the WLTP testing cycle. Total driving range is rated at up to 900km, while combined fuel consumption is claimed at 2.5 litres per 100km, again when using the WLTP schedule.

The electric motor makes 160kW of power and 240Nm of torque. It charges via AC power at up to 6.6kW or up to 46.6kW by DC fast charging. With the latter, 30-80 percent charging in 30 minutes is claimed.

The model has a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen alongside an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster. Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and like other leap motor product it entertains over-the-air software updates.

Safety and driver assist equipment runs to adaptive cruise control, lane centring, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a surround-view camera, and a total of seven airbags.

At 4515mm long, 1885mm wide and 1655mm tall, with a 2735mm wheelbase, the B10 is a compact SUV. Luggage capacity of 430 litres is cited.