PRIVATE BUYERS WILL WARM TO THIS CHINESE-EUROPEAN ELECTRIC HATCHBACK
Only the most naïve politician thinks that Chinese car makers are helping the UK’s net zero ambitions by selling only electric cars here – Damien Dally, Leapmotor’s UK chief executive, points out that the percentage of EVs sold in the UK by Chinese firms is only 25 per cent of total sales.
Leapmotor’s B05 is different, however. For a start, it’s not part of the horde of mid-sized family SUVs; it’s a hatchback. It’s only available with battery power, not the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain of most recent cars hailing from China. The B05 has a decent 300-mile range, is well-priced from £29,000, and claims to offer “driver excitement with distinctive design”.
Yet while family hatchbacks might not be the force they once were, the market is still significant. EVs such as the MG4, Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, Vauxhall Astra, Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born and Renault Megane E-Tech all present strong competition for the B05.
Can Leapmotor, a joint venture between Anglo/European giant Stellantis and Chinese company Leapmotor, pull it off? Last year, its UK sales were only 4,300, this year to the end of May it shifted 4,600 and hopes to sell an annual total of more than 15,000 through its 79 UK dealers. Ambitious, then.
Early indications are mixed, however. Leapmotor’s other models – the T03 city car, the mid-sized B10 SUV and the larger C10 family SUV – might be well priced, but they’re also dynamically dubious, with maddeningly intrusive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), iffy touchscreens and universally grey plastic interiors.
Single specification
For UK models, a 67.1kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery powers a 215bhp/177lb ft AC electric motor, which drives the rear wheels via a step-down gear. The range is quoted at 300 miles, and the charging times at a maximum of 174kW DC will add a 30 to 80-per-cent charge in 17 minutes – a 11kW AC charger is standard. The top speed is 106mph, with 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds.
It’s reasonably well equipped, with 19in alloy wheels, electrically adjustable front seats, automatic air conditioning, LED lights and electrically adjustable, folding and heated door mirrors. The blurb claims the only decisions you have to make are between the five exterior colours and two shades of grey for the interior.
It’s 443cm long, 188cm wide without the mirrors and 152cm tall. It weighs 1,837kg. The all-independent suspension comprises front MacPherson struts and a multi-link rear. The boot holds 345 litres and 1,400 litres after folding the rear seat backs, although the resulting load bed is heavily stepped.
There are three driving modes: Comfort, Standard and Sport, which alter the power delivery, regeneration braking and steering weight respectively. There is also a launch control function, which maximises getaway power from standstill.
Inside job
As with the exterior styling, the interior feels weirdly familiar. Grey is apparently a big thing with Chinese car makers; a stylist at Leapmotor’s new Munich design office said they had suggested some tastefully pastel-coloured facia panels, which were summarily rejected by the Chinese management.
There’s reasonable amounts of room in the front, while the reclining rear seats will accommodate at least two, with three at a pinch. And while it’s a country mile from being premium, the plastic upholstery is comfortable and easy to clean, and the seats feel comfortable if far from supportive.
The touchscreen is responsive but confusing, with a super-annoying cat avatar. Someone has to stop car firms burying oft-used functions such as the heater and mirror adjustment in sub-menus; it is distracting/borderline dangerous. Fortunately, the B05’s steering column adjusts manually, although not by much.
On the road
After the intrusive 21-strong ADAS “aids” of the B10 SUV, for the B05 I was promised the ability to turn off functions such as the lane-keeping assistance and speed-limit warning. There are a number of pre-programmed settings, which include one to access just such a freedom. It might do, but within 10 yards all the systems switched themselves back on. Despite several additional attempts to turn off the lane keeping, it always switched back on, which corrupts what is a quite nicely balanced and weighted steering system. I was told there is a tutorial to help you locate it within the touchscreen, but no one ever explained how. You would never figure it out on your own.
So the “sporting B05” isn’t that sporting at all, but it rides tolerably well, handles tidily and doesn’t frighten the horses. Efficiency isn’t bad, either; against the official 3.91 miles per kW/h I achieved 4.4, which gets it near a 300-mile range. The launch control is completely underwhelming, but honestly, who uses these things? The B05 is brisk enough without attempting to tear off the tyres away from traffic lights.
The Telegraph verdict
Elements of this car reminded me of ill-starred Saturn, a low-price, no-haggle brand founded by General Motors in 1985. But in this instance, forget any sporting pretensions; the B05 is simply a perfectly pleasant Chinese hatchback which drives nicely and is likely to appeal to those looking to shift into EVs in much the way that MG has achieved success in the UK. Like MG, more than 68 per cent of Leapmotor sales are to private individuals, and there’s no reason to suppose that will change with this car.
But what might that do to the legacy marques of sprawling Stellantis, which often occupy floor space in the same showroom at higher prices?
Leapmotor’s sales ceiling, I suspect, is how many sales it prises from those existing Stellantis marques. While the company says that rate is low, it also admits it will be looking at taking sales from “legacy French brands”. While it means Renault, it seems to have forgotten that Stellantis has two of its own: Citroën and Peugeot.
The facts
On test: Leapmotor B05
Body style: five-door SUV
On sale: now
How much? from £28,995 inc £1,500 manufacturer grant, company car price £30,495 OTR
How fast? 106mph/0-62mph in 6.7sec
How efficient? 3.91miles/kWh WLTP Combined, 4.4 miles/kWh on test
Powertrain: 67.1kWh (useable) lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, AC permanent-magnet synchronous motor with a step-down gearing, rear-wheel drive
Range: 300 miles maximum (WLTP), 295.2 miles on test
Charging: DC up to 174kW, 30-80 per cent in 17 min
Maximum power/torque: 215bhp/177lb ft
CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 24.6g/km (CO2 equivalent well-to-wheel)
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED): £10 first year, then £200
Warranty: 4 years/60,000 miles; 8 years/100,000 miles on the battery
The rivals
Volkswagen ID.3 Neo, from £32,000 (estimated)
Thomas Schäfer, VW’s chief executive, says that this update of the successful but fast-dating ID.3 of 2020 marks a return to a “true VW”; useful, practical and singularly styled. The range is 250 to 391 miles, depending on which of the 50, 58 and 79kWh batteries you choose, while a revised interior includes a return to physical buttons.
Vauxhall Astra Electric, from £29,995
Recently facelifted and reduced in price, this multi-drivetrain model is not only familiar but has a decent price, drives well and looks good. The range is 281 miles from a 55.4kWh lithium-ion battery.
Recommended
This Chinese SUV is charged with topping the sales charts as its sister did
2026-07-14T10:25:41Z
