Leapmotor is no longer the brand that builds small everyday hatchbacks — it is heading into the big league. The D99, the company’s first-ever MPV, opens pre-orders on June 25 and lands straight in the flagship slot. Seven seats, two powertrains — a hybrid with diesel-truck range and a pure electric on a 1000-volt architecture. The bets are placed.
The dimensions hit you right away. Length — 5280 mm, width — 1995 mm, height — 1880 mm, wheelbase — 3110 mm. That is bigger than any family crossover and three centimetres longer than the main rival, the BYD Denza D9. The cabin layout is 2+2+3, but the real story is what sits inside. The second row gets two zero-gravity seats with heating, ventilation, massage, rotation up to 180 degrees and a 45-degree recline mode. Each one has its own folding tray. The third row folds almost into a bed or turns into a lounge zone.
From there, the technology parade begins. A 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a 17.3-inch central screen, an AR-HUD spanning 50 inches. The second row gets its own 6-inch control panel. Overhead, a 21.4-inch ceiling entertainment display in 3K resolution. And all of it is voiced by a 23-speaker audio system with Dolby support and 2304 W of peak power. The driver’s headrest gets dedicated speakers of its own.
From the outside, the D99 is impossible to mistake. Split lighting, DLP headlights with multi-million-pixel projection, a roof-mounted lidar and an ISD interactive tail light bar 1498 mm wide. Inside it — 8260 LEDs. This isn’t a car, it’s a rolling light show.
Under the bonnet of the EREV version sits a 1.5-litre petrol generator that doesn’t drive the wheels directly — it only feeds the battery. All-wheel drive comes from two electric motors with a combined 300 kW, or 402 hp. Electric range — up to 480 km on the CLTC cycle. Architecture — 800 volts.
The pure electric version is another conversation entirely. Up to 700 km on CLTC, two motors of 180 and 230 kW, a 1000-volt platform and a charging speed that makes your head spin: 15 minutes and you’ve added another 350 km of range. The battery uses CATL’s proprietary NCM-LFP technology, where lithium-iron-phosphate and nickel-cobalt-manganese chemistries share the same pack. The idea is simple — squeeze out maximum energy density without blowing up the cost sheet.
The D99 shows where Chinese brands are pushing the large family segment. Not just more screens and more seats — the bet is on range, charging speed and a cabin meant to replace business class on long trips. A plane without wings. And it has almost taken off.
