Skoda Elroq vs Leapmotor B10: Is the Chinese SUV Still the Better Deal in the UK?

If you’re looking for an electric family SUV in Britain for around £35,000 (€40,000), two cars keep ending up on the same shortlist. The first is the Skoda Elroq, a compact electric SUV from the Czech brand that sits under the Volkswagen Group umbrella. It’s the familiar choice, with a Skoda dealer in most towns, the brand’s practical touches inside and the Auto Express Mid-Size SUV of the Year award for 2026. It was also the second best-selling EV in Europe in the first quarter of 2026.

On the other side is the Leapmotor B10, from a Chinese carmaker that only launched in Britain in 2025. Leapmotor are partly owned by Stellantis, the group behind Peugeot, Vauxhall and Citroën, and they sell and service their cars through Stellantis dealers. The B10 reached UK customers in December 2025, and by March 2026 Leapmotor said it was the second best-selling electric family crossover among private buyers. It wins people over the old-fashioned way, with more equipment for less money.

Both are about 4.5 metres long, both drive the rear wheels and both have room for a family and its luggage. Once the discounts are taken off, the cheapest versions are less than £2,000 (€2,500) apart. They get there in very different ways, though, and it’s the smaller details that will push most buyers one way or the other.

For most private buyers, I think the B10 is the better deal. The Elroq makes more sense if you need a bigger boot, often drive long distances or buy through a company.

One B10, Seven Elroqs: What You Can Buy in the UK

Leapmotor keep things simple. In the UK the B10 comes in one version only, with a 67.1 kWh battery and nearly everything as standard. That includes a heat pump, a panoramic roof, ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, an electric tailgate, a heated steering wheel and a 14.6-inch touchscreen. It also has vehicle-to-load, which lets you power a laptop or an electric bike charger from the car’s battery.

Skoda do it the traditional way, and Skoda UK list seven Elroq versions. The name is the equipment level (SE L, Edition or SportLine, rising in price and kit), and the number is the battery. The 60 has 58 kWh of usable capacity and the 85 has 79 kWh. Each equipment level comes with either battery, and the vRS sits on top with two motors and all-wheel drive. Before the grant, prices run from £34,295 (€40,331) for the SE L 60 to £47,295 (€55,620) for the vRS.

In the table I’ve put the B10 against two Elroqs. The SE L 60 is the cheapest way into an Elroq, and the SE L 85 is the cheapest one with the bigger battery. Both have the same equipment, so what separates them is the battery and motor. The Edition and SportLine versions add more kit, but they also cost more, so the price gap to the B10 only grows.

Sources: Leapmotor UK, Stellantis Media, Skoda UK, Euro NCAP. UK on-the-road prices converted at the ECB reference rate of 2 October 2026 (£1 = €1.176). Energy use for the B10 converted to miles/kWh from Leapmotor UK’s kWh/100 km figure, and for the Elroq to kWh/100 km from Skoda UK’s miles/kWh figures. Last updated: 5 October 2026.

What the Price Difference Buys You

Both cars come with £1,500 off, but the money comes from different places. The Elroq qualifies for the government’s Electric Car Grant, which knocks £1,500 off at the dealer. Skoda say every Elroq except the vRS qualifies, as long as the final price with options stays under £42,000.

The B10 is not on the government’s eligible list, so buyers do not get the state subsidy. Leapmotor compensate for that by matching the exact same amount out of their own pocket, offering their own £1,500 Leap-Grant to private buyers who order between 1 October and 31 December 2026. Company buyers don’t get it, so they pay the full price.

For £1,800 (€2,116) more than the B10, the Elroq SE L 60 comes with satellite navigation, heated front seats and steering wheel, front parking sensors, a rear camera, cruise control and 19-inch alloy wheels. Adaptive cruise control starts with the Edition 60, which costs £33,695 (€39,626) after the grant, and Skoda UK’s brochure lists the heat pump as an extra-cost option.

That heat pump is the item I’d pay attention to in Britain. It heats the cabin using far less battery energy than a simple heater, so in a cold, wet winter you keep more of your range.

Buyers on the continent get more choice. In Germany the B10 starts at €29,900 with a smaller 56.2 kWh battery and 224 miles (361 km) of WLTP range, according to Leapmotor’s German launch announcement. A B10 with the same 67.1 kWh battery as the UK car, in the top Design trim, costs €34,400 on Leapmotor’s German price list, with similar pricing in almost every other European country. The UK only gets the bigger battery.

Range, Efficiency and Charging

Here the Elroq claws back ground, and it does so with a smaller battery. The Elroq 60 covers 280 miles (451 km) on the WLTP cycle with 58 kWh of usable capacity, while the B10 needs 67.1 kWh for 270 miles (434 km). According to the official UK figures, the Elroq delivers 3.7 to 4.1 miles per kWh (15.2 to 16.8 kWh per 100 km) and the B10 3.6 miles per kWh (17.4 kWh per 100 km). In daily driving the Skoda costs a little less to run per kilometre, both at home and at a rapid charger, where you pay for every kWh.

With the Elroq 85 the gap gets bigger. It’s the same car with a larger 79 kWh battery and a stronger 286 PS (210 kW) motor, and it reaches 372 miles (599 km), about 100 miles (165 km) more than the B10. In SE L trim it costs £2,765 (€3,252) more than the SE L 60 with the same equipment, and £4,565 (€5,368) more than the B10 after both discounts. Motorway speeds push every EV’s range well below its WLTP figure, so the bigger battery is what gives you a comfortable buffer on a trip like London to Manchester, around 205 miles (330 km) each way. If you do that kind of drive regularly, the 85 is the Elroq I’d buy.

Comparing charging times is harder than it should be, because the two companies quote different windows. Leapmotor give 30 to 80% in 20 minutes, while Skoda give 10 to 80% in about 26 minutes for the Elroq 60 and about 29 minutes for the 85. Starting at 30% means the B10’s official time covers a smaller part of the battery, so the two figures can’t be set side by side. I haven’t found an official 10 to 80% time for the B10 on Leapmotor UK’s pages, so independent tests are more useful here.

German EV site Einfach Elektrisch measured 25 minutes from 10 to 80% in the B10 at 13°C, with a peak of 176 kW, slightly above the official figure. ADAC, Germany’s largest motoring club, measured 33 minutes for the same window in the Elroq 85, although that was the earlier version with a 77 kWh battery. In that time the Elroq put back 60 kWh, more tha

n the B10’s whole usable battery can take between 10 and 80%, so the miles added per stop end up closer than the minutes suggest.

Space and Practicality

The B10 is 27 mm longer than the Elroq, and most of that space goes to the cabin rather than the boot. According to official data, the B10 has 2,390 mm from the rear seat to the front footwell. Its boot holds 430 litres, plus a 25-litre frunk under the bonnet for the charging cables. The Elroq has 470 litres and no frunk, so the cables either live under the boot floor or in a dedicated cable bag in the boot.

With the rear seats folded the figures get murky. Leapmotor quote 1,700 litres for the B10, while Auto Express list 1,415 litres. The higher number looks like a measurement to the roof rather than to the top of the seatbacks, so I’d treat it with caution. The Elroq offers 1,580 litres folded.

Skoda’s small practical touches are still there, from the umbrella in the driver’s door to the ice scraper. In Britain the umbrella will probably see more use than any screen in either car.

Safety, Warranty and Servicing

Both cars have five stars from Euro NCAP, tested under the 2025 protocol. Stars are only the overall rating, though. Behind them Euro NCAP publishes a percentage score in four areas, and there the Leapmotor B10 scored higher than the Skoda Elroq in every one.

Source: Euro NCAP. Last updated: 5 October 2026.

The biggest gaps are in protecting pedestrians and cyclists (vulnerable road users) and in safety assist, which covers driver assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking. For a family car, child occupant protection is the score I’d look at first, and the B10’s 93% puts it among the electric SUVs with the highest child safety scores in Euro NCAP testing. What the tests don’t measure is repair costs after a minor crash, how long parts take to arrive or how well the software ages.

Leapmotor cover the B10 for four years or 60,000 miles (97,000 km), one year more than Skoda. Skoda’s three years run without a mileage limit for the first two and stop at 60,000 miles (97,000 km) in the third. Both battery warranties last eight years or 100,000 miles (161,000 km), and Skoda guarantee at least 70% of usable capacity over that period. Elroqs bought with the government grant get an extra promise of at least 80% within the first three years or 40,000 miles (64,000 km). If warranty length is high on your list, I’ve compared which EV brands offer the longest warranties in Europe separately.

Servicing is where the Elroq has the easier story. Skoda have a long-established UK dealer network, while Leapmotor rely on Stellantis dealers. That’s a sensible shortcut, but with the B10 on British roads only since December 2025, there’s no real picture yet of its resale values or of how dealers handle it at three or four years old.

Which One I’d Pick, and for Whom

If you’re a private buyer and your longest regular trip is under about 200 miles (300 km), I’d take the B10. For £1,800 (€2,116) less than the Elroq SE L 60 you get a heat pump, a panoramic roof, ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera. You’d have to go up the Skoda range and add options to get close, and the B10 also has a year more warranty and higher scores in all four Euro NCAP areas.

I’d go for the Elroq if the boot matters more than the gadgets, if you regularly drive long motorway stretches, or if you’re buying through a business. For long trips it’s the Elroq 85, with 372 miles (599 km) of WLTP range, a distance the B10 can’t match with the only battery sold in the UK. Business buyers should keep in mind that the Leap-Grant is for private customers only, so they’d pay the full price for the B10 while still getting the government grant on the Elroq.

Conclusion

The B10 makes a strong case, and in the UK the grant system narrows the price gap rather than widening it. The Elroq answers with a bigger boot, lower energy use and a long-range version, and with a brand many buyers will find easier to trust after only a year of Leapmotor in Britain.

If I were ordering before Christmas as a private buyer, I’d take the B10 and use the Leap-Grant before it ends on 31 December. For a wider look at the Leapmotor against the rest of the class, my guide to the B10 as a best-buy electric SUV goes into more detail.

FAQ

Is the Leapmotor B10 cheaper than the Skoda Elroq in the UK?
Yes. After Leapmotor’s £1,500 Leap-Grant, the B10 costs £30,995 (€36,451) on the road, £1,800 (€2,116) less than the Elroq SE L 60 after the government’s £1,500 Electric Car Grant.

Does the Leapmotor B10 qualify for the UK Electric Car Grant?
No. The B10 isn’t on the government’s list of eligible vehicles, so buyers don’t get the state grant. Leapmotor compensate by matching the £1,500 discount from their own pocket for private buyers ordering between 1 October and 31 December 2026.

What do 60 and 85 mean on the Skoda Elroq?
They refer to the battery. They refer to the battery. The Elroq 60 has 58 kWh of usable capacity and 280 miles (451 km) of WLTP range, while the Elroq 85 has 79 kWh and 372 miles (599 km).

Which has more range, the Elroq or the B10?
The Elroq. The Elroq. The Elroq 60 reaches 280 miles (451 km) on the WLTP cycle and the Elroq 85 reaches 372 miles (599 km), while the B10 sold in the UK reaches 270 miles (434 km).

Which has the bigger boot?
The Elroq, with 470 litres against 430 litres in the B10. The B10 adds a 25-litre frunk under the bonnet, which the Elroq doesn’t have.

Is the Leapmotor B10 safe?
Yes. The B10 received five stars from Euro NCAP in 2025 and scored higher than the five-star Elroq in all four areas, including 93% for child occupant protection against 87% for the Elroq.

Where is the Leapmotor B10 built?
B10s sold in the UK are built in China. Leapmotor have started building the B10 in Spain, but those cars are for buyers in the EU, where Chinese-built EVs face extra tariffs.