Leapmotor B05 2026 review | Value-led EV hatchback goes after the VW ID.3

What is the Leapmotor B05?

The Leapmotor B05 is the Chinese brand's new electric hatchback, and is as such a direct rival to hot-selling European offerings like the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo, Renault Megane E-Tech and Cupra Born. But unlike the MG4 that also competes in this class, Leapmotor's electric newcomer isn't built in China, but rather in Spain, thanks to the brand's joint venture with EU-based manufacturing giant Stellantis. This means it dodges import tariffs, meaning an entry-level price of just £28,995 at launch that undercuts even the MG4.

Admittedly, this price includes a Leapmotor 'grant' (or discount) of £1,500. But with a claimed 300-mile range and strong standard kit list, the B05 clearly has more than just affordability going for it. And that's important, because while Leapmotor can claim to have genuine ties to Europe, it's still a new brand in Britain with a yet-to-be-established long-term reputation. Winning buyers on value is a key strategy that's worked for the likes of BYD, Jaecoo and before that, MG, so will it work for Leapmotor?

To give the car a fighting chance, decent on-paper numbers (more on those shortly) are accompanied by handsome looks. As standard, B05's come with 19-inch 'aero' alloy wheels, and the overall design is more sporting than subtle. Alright, there are none of the angles and aggression of a Cupra Born, but light bars both front and rear, black side skirts and roof details, and even a cheeky roof spoiler give the B05 real road presence. Although bizarrely, the Lightning Yellow finish of the car in our pictures is actually paler in real life than you'd expect.

How practical is it?

The interior of the B05 is very practical, apart from in one quite significant way. Let us explain.

Up front, this 4.4-metre-long hatchback has lots of room for all body shapes, with seats that are supportive, soft and just genuinely very comfortable, alongside cushioned arm rests wrapped in Leapmotor's vegan leather. Electric seat adjustment means getting comfy is easy, and with the standard-fit, one-metre-long panoramic sunroof above, the cabin is pleasingly airy. There's good amounts of storage space as well, including room under the centre console, an average-sized glove box and door bins big enough for small bottles.

Back-seat passengers don't need to be short to have plenty of room, either, because rear space is right up there with the best in this class. In fact, rear knee room may well be class-leading: we'd need to do a back-to-back comparison with rivals to confirm it, but it's certainly in with a shout. Headroom is also plenty generous enough for six-foot-plus passengers to travel very comfortably. Foot space is ok, albeit not perfect, because the 67.1kWh battery in the floor raises your feet enough that you can't tuck your toes underneath the seat ahead. Overall, though, the space on offer is better than most, so the B05 is clearly a great option for those with growing teenagers.

But here's the catch. Priority has clearly been given to passenger space, because boot space is modest at 345 litres. That's admittedly only 40 litres short of the the ID.3 Neo and also the Cupra Born, but it's a more significant 95 litres less than the Megane E-Tech offers. It's partially explained by the B05's lack of underfloor storage, and the Leapmotor doesn't have a front boot to make up ground on its rivals. As far as tip-run usability is concerned, then, the B05 can't get anywhere near its rivals.

What's it like to drive?

The Leapmotor has some on-paper numbers that suggest it could be a genuine threat to the Cupra Born and its VW Group sibling, the ID.3 Neo. For starters, with a rear-mounted electric motor producing 213bhp, this is a rear-wheel drive hatchback capable of hitting 62mph in 6.7 seconds. Then there's the matter of weight distribution, which is a perfect 50:50 split front to rear. Leapmotor even gives its B05 a Sport mode and Launch Control setting, to build on that driver appeal.

But the reality is not as sporty as those facts might suggest. The acceleration feels smooth and brisk rather than properly fast, while the steering is numb and the suspension is actually a little on the soft side. But while that last element doesn't help the B05's level of driver involvement, it does mean the car is comfortable and relaxing to drive: it easily dealt with all the lumps and bumps of our German test route.

Better yet, a three-stage adjustable regenerative braking system - which allows you to ramp up to a full one-pedal driving mode - helps to reduce your workload and boost efficiency, because you can use the brakes much less when it's in the stronger setting. That said, it's not as easy to adjust as the Megane E-Tech's system, because instead of physical paddles or switches, you need to dive into the infotainment menus to change the settings.

Still, the most frustrating feature of the B05 has to be its adaptive driver assistance systems (ADAS), which include lane keep assist tech that fights your inputs too aggressively to be left on, and it's accompanied by an orchestra of bings and bongs that are more distracting than helpful. All would be forgiven if, like the Renault, there were a button to switch these systems off quickly and easily, but the Leapmotor's shortcut button on the steering wheel doesn't seem to cancel all of the bings. To do that, you need to once again dive into touchscreen menus.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

The standard kit list for the B05 is really very impressive. Those 19-inch alloys are included, as is the sporty exterior design. Inside, you get heated- and ventilated electric seats, while the steering wheel is heated, too. There's a cooled 50-watt wireless phone charger, and the screens, including a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and 8.8-inch LCD driver's display, are also standard, although the bigger screen does control almost everything, cabin-wise, with no physical switches on the dashboard at all. That means, yes, the climate controls are a fully digital affair, one that even requires you to minimise whatever's on screen (including your satnav), to make changes. Frustrating.

At least the tech itself is smartphone rapid, with a sharp display and no perceivable lag at all. Apple Carplay and Android Auto certainly look great on the big monitor. But it would have been nice to have had physical buttons for drive modes, regenerative braking adjustment and other regularly-used functions. There are buttons and switches on the steering wheel, including those for media and driver assist functions like adaptive cruise control, but that's it. At a time when rivals are bringing back buttons - most recently with the ID.3 Neo, which trades its predecessor's touch-sensitive dash setup for a mechanical one - the B05 could be a little too tech focused for some.

Leapmotor B05 running costs

As we've said, the pricing of the Leapmotor B05 is very keen indeed, and it'll likely be the biggest draw for potential buyers. The question for buyers will be whether the car's ergonomic foibles are annoying enough to make saving that extra few quid simply not worth it.

As we've said, the car's 67.1kWh battery delivers an official WLTP range of 300 miles. Our test drive of the B05 in Germany saw us average 3.9 miles per kWh of energy use, which equates to a real-world range of about 260 miles. While that's a bit short of the official figure, it's not far off, and does rank the B05 strongly versus similarly-priced competition.

That said, those able to spend a little more cash on their electric hatchback can access many more miles in this class. The bigger-battery Cupra Born is capable of more than 100 miles extra between charges, while the MG4 Extended Range also nudges well past the 300-mile-mark. Nevertheless, with 250-ish miles of usable mileage, most UK drivers should be able to see out a week's worth of driving before needing to plug the car in.

Charging the B05 from empty to full at home would cost you about £18 if you pay for your domestic electricity at the UK's national average rate. Get yourself on a variable power tariff that allows you to charge your car overnight on heavily discounted off-peak power, however, and you'll likely pay around a third of that.

On a DC public rapid charger - like the ones you find at motorway services - the price of the same charge would likely rise to around £53: that's because the average cost per kWh at such chargers in the UK stands at 79p at the time of writing. That's why we recommend only relying on such chargers in an emergency. At least you wouldn't need to spend too long waiting for such a top up, because a 174kW charging peak enables a 10-80% top-up in 24 minutes, which is competitive for the class.

Leapmotor B05 reliability

Leapmotor is still too new of a brand in Britain (it only entered the market in March 2025) to be included in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, or any of the others that we refer to. But since the brand is connected to the Stellantis group in Europe, B05 owners will at least have access to existing group dealerships and garages should repair and maintenance work be needed. That'll bring some peace of mind.

The warranty is okay, but not the best-in-class, with a four-year or 60,000-mile comprehensive vehicle warranty (and a separate eight-year or 100,000-mile battery warranty). That's better than the three years, 60,000 miles you get on the Volkswagen ID.3, but the Cupra Born gets cover for five years or 90,000 miles, while the MG3's cover is seven years or 80,000 miles.