Leapmotor has pulled the covers off the B05, a fully electric hatchback aimed at Europe’s C-segment and priced from €26,900. That puts it straight into the kind of territory where practicality, range, and a vaguely convincing sense of style all have to show up at the same time.
The Chinese brand is pitching the car as a daily driver with a sporty edge, and the spec sheet is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. With up to 218 hp, a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.7 seconds, and up to 482 km of WLTP range, the B05 looks designed to tempt buyers who want more than just a budget commuter EV but still do not want to pay premium-brand money.
Leapmotor B05 design and body details
Leapmotor says the B05 wears a wide body and coupe-style silhouette, with a shoulder width of 1,880 mm. The visual tricks are familiar enough – frameless doors, hidden handles, and 19-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels – but they help the car stand apart in a hatchback class that often plays it safe.
There is also a strategic angle here. Stellantis is helping with the engineering, and Leapmotor says the chassis has been tuned for European roads, which is the sort of detail that matters more than the usual design-language poetry. The market already has plenty of low-cost EVs; fewer manage to feel like they were built with European buyers in mind rather than merely sold to them.
Battery options, range and charging
Buyers will get two battery choices. The 56.2 kWh version is rated for 401 km of WLTP range, while the 67.1 kWh pack stretches that figure to 482 km. Charging is equally competitive on paper, with a 30% to 80% top-up taking around 17 minutes.
- Power output: up to 218 hp (160 kW)
- Torque: 240 Nm
- 0 to 100 km/h: 6.7 seconds
- Battery options: 56.2 kWh or 67.1 kWh
- WLTP range: 401 km or 482 km
- Charge time: 30% to 80% in around 17 minutes
Interior tech and safety equipment
Inside, the B05 gets a dual-screen cockpit made up of a 14.6-inch central display and an 8.8-inch digital cluster. That is a fairly conventional EV cabin setup, but it should do the job for drivers who expect their hatchback to feel like a rolling tablet with seats.
Safety kit is more generous than the entry price might suggest. Leapmotor lists 21 ADAS functions, 14 sensors and cameras, a high-strength body structure, and seven airbags. If the company can deliver those numbers in a car that stays this aggressively priced, the B05 could become a problem for better-known rivals that have been leaning too hard on badge value.
Leapmotor B05 European launch strategy
The B05 is not trying to be exotic. It is trying to be the electric hatchback that ordinary buyers can actually justify, which is a far harder job than it sounds. Europe’s compact EV segment is getting more crowded, and Leapmotor appears to be betting that a mix of range, fast charging, and understated performance will matter more than brand heritage.
The obvious question now is whether pricing from €26,900 is low enough to make shoppers look past the unfamiliar nameplate. If the final European rollout keeps the same mix of specs and equipment, rivals will have to work harder on value than they probably hoped.