What is the Leapmotor B05?

I’ve just had my first proper look at the Leapmotor B05, which made its debut today at the 2025 Munich Motor Show, and I think this one could really shake things up. For starters, it’s not an SUV, which is a nice change! Instead you get a smart looking five-door hatchback that’s heading for the UK in 2026. The big headline here is the price: it should come in at under £30,000, putting it squarely in the firing line of the VW ID.3 and MG4 - but for less money.

Design wise you get slim LED headlights, frameless doors and flush handles, and I think the full-width light bar across the back looks fantastic. The roofline is lower and sleeker than you might expect from a family hatch, so it has a touch of the sportiness we see from brands like Cupra. 

Who is Leapmotor?

Now, if Leapmotor is a new name to you that’s because it’s new-ish to us in Europe. But Leapmotor is a big Chinese tech brand that has sold hundreds of thousands of cars in China. Its cars are now being sold here in Europe through a joint venture with car giant Stellantis, which is the parent company of brands including Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and Vauxhall.  Leapmotor has already brought three cars to the UK - the C10 a five seat family SUV, the B10 a smaller crossover (which we’ll be driving soon), along with the compact Dacia Spring rival, the T03.

All Leapmotor cars are sold and serviced through existing members of the Stellantis dealer family.

How far will the Leapmotor B05 go, and how quickly does it charge?

The B05 will be the fourth car to join the lineup. It gets a 67kWh battery and should manage about 260 miles on a charge. There’s a single motor putting out just over 200bhp, which I think should make it feel more than brisk enough for most people. Leapmotor has hinted that bigger batteries are possible, with claimed ranges of up to 400 miles, but we’ll have to wait and see if we get those in European cars. The B05 gets DC rapid charging of up to 168kW, which is better than many rivals and enables a 10-80% charge in under 30 minutes. 

What's it like inside?

The cabin feels like it’s been designed to appeal to people who love their gadgets. You get a big 14.6-inch touchscreen in the middle and a smaller digital display in front of the driver. It’s all very clean and minimalist. 

It'll be really well equipped, too. It's one of Leapmotor's chief selling points, that it offers higher standard equipment levels than its rivals. The B05 will be offered in only one trim in the UK, and we expect that to be the top-spec Leapmotor B05 Design model that gets a panoramic glass roof, alloy wheels, 360-degree parking camera, leatherette upholstery, ambient lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, and electric seat adjustment for those up front. 

The real reason I think the B05 deserves attention is the price. We won't have confirmed UK pricing until later this year, but I expect this to come in at around £30,000 or under. For a five-door electric family car with this much space and equipment, that's even rivalling MG for value. With Stellantis’s backing, could be a genuine game-changer for Leapmotor. 

Interestingly, the B05 is going to be made in Europe, which means it should qualify for European incentives including the UK government's new Electric Car Grant, and avoid the tariffs that often push Chinese imports up in price.