Hyundai INSTER vs Leapmotor T03

The Hyundai INSTER costs £7,760 more than the Leapmotor T03. For that premium it adds 39 miles more WLTP range, 25 kW faster peak rapid charging and 70 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Hyundai INSTER comes out ahead overall.

The Leapmotor T03 is £7,760 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £160 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Leapmotor T03 comes out roughly £7,680 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 145 miles for the Hyundai INSTER and 112 miles for the Leapmotor T03 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Hyundai INSTER goes roughly 32 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 30-36 minutes.

The Hyundai INSTER is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 42 mm narrower than the Leapmotor T03. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 790 mm of total clearance for the Hyundai INSTER and about 748 mm of total clearance for the Leapmotor T03. The Leapmotor T03 also turns in a 0.9 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the Hyundai INSTER and 90% for the Leapmotor T03. That gives the Leapmotor T03 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Leapmotor T03's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Hyundai INSTER's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.