Another Chinese Car Brand Appears in Hungary

The Emil Frey Group, a car importer operating in several Central European countries, will begin selling Leapmotor cars in Hungary, making it the first Chinese brand in its portfolio, György Balkány, country manager of Emil Frey Hungary, announced at a press conference in Budapest on Tuesday.

Leapmotor is reported to be an up-and-coming car manufacturer founded in 2015. It began selling its electric vehicles in 2019 and has since sold more than 800,000 cars worldwide. The Stellantis group acquired a 20% stake in the company in 2023, and the vehicles are now manufactured in more than 30 countries.

Distribution of the brand has already begun in Europe, with the formation last year of Leapmotor International B.V., which is also owned by Stellantis. This spring, the company signed an exclusive import agreement with Swiss-owned Emil Frey Hungary to distribute the Leapmotor brand in Central European countries in its region.

Leapmotor is seeking to gain a share of the European electric vehicle market with state-of-the-art technology, a wide range of models, and competitive prices.

It is launching two models in Hungary: an electric city car and an electric family SUV. It plans to introduce two new models each year until 2027. Emil Frey is the importer of several brands of the Stellantis automotive group in Hungary, offering around 100 models, including light commercial vehicles. It has more than 100 contractual partners, including dealers and service centers, throughout the country. Leapmotor models are expected to be available at five dealerships in Hungary starting in September, with plans to increase that number to ten in the medium term.