It’s fair to say that in New Zealand, Leapmotor has been doing a bit of a “ziggy zaggy” dance. It’s a brand with plenty of promise, but let’s be honest, it hasn’t quite hit the stride we (or they) expected. Well, the team at ADHL has finally called time on the excuses, and they’ve got a plan to make sure you stop scrolling past them.
At our first look at the new BO3X and the BO5 the local management team were refreshingly honest, they admitted that Leapmotor has been a bit of a frustration, largely because the product deserves better than the performance they’ve been seeing. But thankfully they’ve identified the pillars to fix it.
The ‘Unignorable’ Strategy
The biggest news isn’t just the new metal (more on that in a moment); it’s the mindset. They’ve launched a new campaign with a simple, punchy tagline: ‘Unignorable.’ It’s designed to be confronting, memorable, and to cut through the noise of a market that’s becoming increasingly cluttered with new entrants.
They’ve also tackled the barrier to consideration head-on. If you were worried about warranty, they’ve bumped it to six years, finally putting that particular detractor to bed.
Strength in Numbers
Let’s talk about the dealer network. When they started, they were operating with what they called “three and a half dealers.” That’s hardly enough to cover a small town, let alone a country. By September 1st, they’ll have twelve dealers, covering roughly 80% of the market. They’re still eyeing up gaps in places like West Auckland and Dunedin, but they’ve finally reached a critical mass.
The Hardware
Then there’s the new product. The BO3X is the new star of the show, but the BO5 is the one that might raise a few eyebrows. The B05 sits in a seemingly unusual category right now, a sort of large hatchback. Adding more models to an already comprehensive (but focussed) line-up will certainly add to the brand’s appeal.
Globally, the brand is on a boom. They delivered 100,000 cars in a single month recently, ranking them number three globally just last month. With 70 to 80 percent of their manufacturing done in-house, they’ve got the quality and the agility to fix issues quickly without relying on an external ecosystem.
Tarmac Takeaway
Leapmotor is moving from a ‘wait and see’ brand to one that’s actively hunting for market share. With a new fleet manager on board, a fresh marketing campaign, and a dealer network that actually exists, they’re positioning themselves to be a serious player. They’ve got the tailwinds of the NEV market behind them, (and for the first time?), it feels like they’re ready to stop zig-zagging and start sprinting.
