Vauxhall will launch a new electric SUV that will be co-developed and produced by fast-growing Chinese start-up Leapmotor in less than two years. The move is part of a significant expansion of the partnership between the two firms that will include Leapmotor taking over part of a Stellantis factory in Spain.

The new model is set to be launched in early 2028 and will adopt an as yet unknown name from the firm’s past. It will be around 4.5m long and slot between the Frontera and the Grandland in Vauxhall’s line-up of C-segment SUVs, which also includes the Mokka.

While the SUV will be based on the “core components” of Leapmotor’s electric architecture, Vauxhall-Opel CEO Florian Huettl said engineers from the Anglo-German brand’s Rüsselsheim headquarters will be in charge of the design, on-board experience and chassis engineering. He said “synergy gives us the best of both worlds” of Chinese development speed and European engineering.

“We will use the fastest development processes and sequences that have been developed by Leapmotor that are Chinese, so we can be more digital – and we have a very clear sharing of responsibilities,” said Huettl. “Opel-Vauxhall engineers will lead on everything that relates to drivetrain, steering systems, noise, isolation, packaging, seating, lighting – everything that you know from our brand.”

Huettl declined to say exactly which platform the car will be built on beyond “it will be an evolution of something that exists” but the base is set to be Leapmotor’s existing architecture. That will enable the new vehicle to make extensive use of the Chinese firm’s components. Leapmotor has its own digital architecture and produces around 65% of all of the parts used in its own vehicles, a key reason why it is able to develop cars at comparatively low cost.

Where new SUV fits in Vauxhall's line-up

While Vauxhall already offers three crossovers and SUVs that sit broadly in the C-segment, Huettl said the size of the segment means there is room for another.

He said vehicles of around 4.5m long form “a very popular spot in many markets, including Germany and the UK” that “Vauxhall today has not covered yet”, citing models such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Elroq. He added: “We see this as a vehicle that gives us additional coverage in the segment.”

Huettl wouldn’t give details on where the new EV will sit in terms of price but hinted that “we have been exploring how to make electric mobility affordable, exciting and accessible for our customer base”. 

While the new SUV will be built on a production line with Leapmotor models, Huettl said it won’t merely be a badge-engineered version of one, insisting that “we are co-developing a car that will be our own machine using some of their components”.

Huettl added that the firm is “still looking into the best way” of implementing the infotainment, given Vauxhall uses a completely different operating system from Leapmotor. But he said the new model will “feature interface technology that you will see in other Vauxhall products” and, crucially, “we will use buttons”.

Huettl confirmed that the new SUV will take on a name from Vauxhall-Opel’s past. He said: “We like the success of the Frontera, including the name. We have made a decision on the name we use, and we will use the recipe of finding something very suitable in our own history.”

While he wouldn’t confirm what that name will be, sources have hinted that it won’t be Manta.

Deal to give Leapmotor a European production base

Vauxhall-Opel parent firm Stellantis bought a significant stake in Leapmotor in 2023. As part of that deal, the two firms formed Leapmotor International, a joint venture in which Stellantis has a controlling 51% stake, to sell the Chinese brand's vehicles in international markets, including the UK.

As previously reported by Autocar, the two firms have been in talks to expand that partnership and this news marks a significant step. Leapmotor and Stellantis will look to add an extra production line at the Stellantis plant in Zaragoza, Spain, where the Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon are currently produced. The new line will be used for the new Vauxhall SUV as well as the Leapmotor B10. Production of the B10 could begin there this year.

Notably, Leapmotor’s energy division has plans to open a new battery factory in Zaragoza with a capacity of around 100,000 packs per year. This will ensure that much of the new vehicle will be produced in Europe, potentially helping the new model to avoid tariffs and to be eligible for electric car incentives.

Huettl hinted that the new Vauxhall SUV could be the first of several Stellantis vehicles that are developed in partnership with Leapmotor as the deal expands. He said: "We decided to go and explore this opportunity and make the contribution from a product side to the next step of the development of Stellantis and Leapmotor partnership."

He added: “What I hope to gain from this is improving our development speed, and challenging our own methods, while at the same time leveraging the skills that we have and the experience that our engineers have to make sure that all Vauxhall-Opel products that will emerge from this project fulfil all the requirements that we have and that have made our brands what they are. So there will be no compromise whatsoever on the actual features that we need for our customers.”

As part of the expansion of the Stellantis and Leapmotor partnership, ownership of the Stellantis plant in Madrid could also be transferred to Leapmotor in 2028. The Citroën C4 is currently built there, but when its planned production run ends in 2028, it could be replaced by a Leapmotor model.