Leapmotor’s new D19 flagship SUV could be localised for export markets including Australia within nine to 12 months of approval, as the Chinese automaker looks to expand beyond its current small and mid-size SUV lineup.
Speaking with Australian media in China, Leapmotor International’s Global Head of Brand Strategy, Product and Marketing, Francesco Giacalone, said the D19 has already been assessed for multiple export markets and Australia is one of them.
The D19 has not been confirmed for local showrooms, but Mr Giacalone said it is a vehicle that could work in Australia, as well as markets in regions such as the Middle East and South America.
That means the D19 could theoretically be prepared for export-market sale within a year of being approved, although no Australian launch timing has yet been locked in.
Mr Giacalone also said the D19 could be produced in an armoured version for markets where additional protection is required.
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The D19 will sit at the top of Leapmotor’s global model lineup, above the C10 mid-size SUV and B10 small SUV, both of which are currently sold in Australia.
As part of Leapmotor’s new D-series family of large vehicles, which will sit above the brand’s A-, B- and C-series models, the D19 is expected to offer three rows of seating and be available as both an electric vehicle (EV) and an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), like the C10 and B10.
It would rival the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9 if it made it to Australia. That would give Leapmotor a significantly larger and more expensive model than anything it currently sells locally.
Leapmotor was launched in Australia with the C10 in late 2024, before the B10 was added as its second model earlier this year. The C10 is available in EV and EREV forms, but the B10 is EV-only here at this stage.
The company is also preparing to launch the B05 electric hatch in Australia in the second half of 2026, while the smaller B03X electric SUV remains under consideration for local release.
A large flagship SUV would give Leapmotor a presence in a part of the market that remains important in Australia, even if it has softened recently.
In March 2026, SUVs accounted for 69,258 deliveries, or 63.7 per cent of the total Australian new-car market last month. Large SUVs accounted for 13,064 deliveries, although the segment was down 15.8 per cent year-on-year.
The upper-large SUV market remains dominated by combustion-powered models, with the Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Patrol and Denza B8 being the most popular upper-large SUVs priced under $120,000, and the BMW X7, Lexus GX and Lexus LX being the top three upper-large SUVs priced over $120,000.
EV demand is also rising in Australia. In March 2026, EV sales were up 88.9 per cent to 15,839 units, representing a record 14.6 per cent of the total market.
For now, Leapmotor remains much smaller than the major Chinese brands locally. It delivered 61 vehicles in January, 46 in February and 170 in March 2026, for a first-quarter total of 277 vehicles.
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