Stellantis is in advanced talks with Leapmotor over an Opel-badged electric SUV that would use the Chinese carmaker’s technology and be built at Stellantis’ Zaragoza plant in Spain, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
If approved, the project would give Opel a quicker and cheaper route to a new EV as European brands face tougher cost pressure from Chinese rivals and slower-than-hoped battery-EV growth in parts of the market.
The model, said to carry the internal codename O3U, is expected to share its architecture with Leapmotor’s B10 compact SUV.
Production is reportedly targeted for 2028, with annual output of about 50,000 units.
Under the plan being discussed, Leapmotor would provide key electrical and electronic technology, while Opel would take charge of the exterior design. Part of the development work would also be done in China.
The report lines up with comments from Leapmotor last month that some projects with Stellantis were already at an advanced negotiation stage and that mass production of Leapmotor vehicles in Spain was expected to begin in October.
Even so, this Opel SUV remains a reported project rather than a confirmed product plan. Stellantis has only said it maintains regular engagement with Leapmotor on ways to expand cooperation, while Leapmotor has said component-supply talks are under way but denied platform-level collaboration plans.
Stellantis bought about a 20% stake in Leapmotor in 2023 for €1.5 billion (RM7bil) and set up Leapmotor International, a 51:49 joint venture to sell, export and build Leapmotor vehicles outside Greater China.
