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Leapmotor appears to get just a little bit extra fascinating with every new-model launch in Australia.
The Chinese model’s debut mannequin in 2024 was the C10, a frumpy-looking, forgettable mid-size electrical SUV. But then it gained an extended-range electrical (EREV) powertrain, one thing nonetheless fairly uncommon in Australia, and was subsequently adopted by the smarter-looking B10 small SUV, now additionally accessible with each EV and EREV powertrains.
Now, Leapmotor is getting into the small automotive phase with the B05 electrical hatch.
It may be Leapmotor’s most engaging automotive but, slicing a decrease, sleeker European silhouette when most Chinese electrical hatchbacks are variations on a tall, rounded, transport-pod theme.
By the best way, the title’s B-ZERO-5, not B-O-5. It’s an unlucky title, nevertheless it denotes the automotive’s place as a small mannequin, alongside the B10 small SUV… and the B03X, which is smaller nonetheless as a result of it’s known as the A10 in China. Oh, and the B05 is named the Lafa5 in China.
Say what you’ll about rival BYD’s sea creature names, however they’re lots simpler to maintain observe of.
The Leapmotor B05 is among the few small Chinese electrical hatchbacks bought right here with rear-wheel drive. With Leapmotor speaking about 50:50 weight distribution and European suspension tuning carried out by its accomplice Stellantis, proprietor of manufacturers comparable to Alfa Romeo, the B05 appears a bit extra fascinating on paper than its rivals.
But is it in actuality?
How a lot does the Leapmotor B05 price?
Leapmotor Australia has launched the B05 with particular promotional pricing, with the bottom Style variant accessible for $35,990 drive-away till December 31, 2026.
| Model | Price earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2027 Leapmotor B05 Style | $35,888 |
| 2027 Leapmotor B05 Design LR | $39,888 |
More and extra small Chinese electrical hatchbacks are arriving in Australia, and the B05 is not the value chief amongst them.
It undercuts the mannequin it strains up with most intently on paper, the rear-wheel drive MG 4 EV Essence 64, which is priced at $39,990 drive-away.
However, these rear-drive hatches are undercut by front-wheel drive opponents, together with the BYD Dolphin Essential (from $29,990 plus on-roads; presently being provided for $28,888 drive-away), the GAC Aion UT Premium ($31,990 plus ORCs), and MG’s personal MG 4 EV Urban (presently priced from $29,990 drive-away).
Lightning Yellow is the usual exterior paint end, and personally I like it – as a substitute of the daring yellows seen on many automobiles, it’s extra of a pastel yellow that brings to thoughts lemon curd or cheesecake or banana cream pie. Great, now I’m hungry. The different, extra boring exterior finishes price an additional $990.
To see how the Leapmotor B05 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What is the Leapmotor B05 like on the within?
If you’ve sat in a Leapmotor B10, you’ll discover the B05 inside very acquainted.
It’s all very 2026 Chinese, from the large touchscreen to the whole lack of buttons to the 2 scroll wheels on the steering wheel.
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If none of that is sufficient to flip you off, then learn on.
While the bigger C10’s dashboard is swathed in soft-touch plastic, all of it appears like one huge injection mould and it comes throughout as low cost. The B05 and B10 function exhausting plastic dashboards, however they’re far more fashionable than their huge brother, whereas soft-touch trim can nonetheless be discovered on the doorways. There’s a selection of Light Grey or Shadow Grey interiors within the top-spec Design LR, however the base Style can solely be had in darkish gray.
Like the B10, the B05’s dashboard options uncommon cutouts that appear like logical locations to mount equipment, if solely Leapmotor Australia had any to supply. Best verify AliExpress or Temu as a substitute.
Leapmotor persists with its awkward NFC card as a substitute of a correct key fob, which suggests it is advisable unlock the automotive by tapping the cardboard towards the driving force’s aspect exterior mirror after which begin it by inserting it on the centre console.
The excellent news is you possibly can bypass this tedious course of totally by utilizing your cellphone as a key by way of the Leapmotor app, and by programming a four-digit PIN to enter once you need to begin the automobile.
You may also share digital key entry with others, and when you have a teen driver – or any person else you don’t belief – you possibly can arrange alerts so that you’re notified if the automobile leaves a geofenced space or exceeds a set pace restrict.
The centrepiece of the cabin is a big 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen operating Leapmotor OS 4.0+, which contains a row of anchored buttons alongside the underside for capabilities comparable to temperature adjustment and the demister. There are additionally shortcuts throughout the highest, in addition to a customisable shortcut menu accessed by swiping down from the highest of the display screen.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have wi-fi connectivity, and we had no points with the latter; the split-screen performance additionally works excellently on this measurement of display screen.
The infotainment system isn’t good. We seen just a little lag in our tester, for instance, whereas the digital camera high quality isn’t the perfect among the many Chinese manufacturers. There’s over-the-air replace functionality, although naturally this may solely make fixes to software program and never {hardware}.
There’s numerous intelligent software program on this automotive. For instance, you possibly can automate routines, comparable to having the heated entrance seats come on every time the temperature drops under a sure degree. There’s additionally a 360-degree dashcam perform that captures footage from the surround-view digital camera system, which might be saved to a USB drive.
Guard Mode is Leapmotor’s model of the pet mode present in different manufacturers, and retains the air-conditioning on whereas displaying a message on the touchscreen. Camp Mode retains the air-conditioning, USBs and vehicle-to-load (V2L) performance on, even when the automotive is locked.
A easy, 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster sits forward of the driving force, displaying key info like pace, vitality consumption and remaining vary. There’s no head-up show.
You’ll discover a USB-A outlet for smartphone mirroring, plus a USB-C charging outlet, awkwardly positioned on the second degree of the centre console going through the entrance of the automobile.
An air-cooled 50W wi-fi cellphone charger is conveniently situated on the base of the centre stack, subsequent to a pair of cupholders.
The entry-level Style – which wasn’t accessible to drive on the launch drive – options material seat trim, however the Design LR upgrades to what Leapmotor calls ‘TechnoLeather’. That feels like a distinct segment dance occasion, nevertheless it simply means artificial leather-based upholstery.
The TechnoLeather-upholstered seats are snug, although there’s solely heating – and no air flow – for the seats up entrance. The seats proved supportive in additional spirited driving, however they nonetheless have the comfortable, snug really feel Chinese seats are identified for.
In the Design LR, there’s additionally a set panoramic glass roof with a sunshade, however in fact there’s no button for this – it is advisable use the touchscreen or voice assistant as a substitute.
Leapmotor claims there’s a complete of 25 storage areas within the B05 cabin, together with a well-sized storage cubby on the rear of the centre console that may even be used as a tissue dispenser in case you match the proper measurement of field.
We didn’t play Count von Count and go in search of all 25 storage areas however it’s best to in all probability discover them and memorise them, lest your youngsters go hiding any meals in them so that you can discover a lot, a lot later…
Rear-seat legroom is sweet for this class of automotive, and at 180cm tall I might sit comfortably behind my very own driver’s seat place, although toe-room might be constricted relying on the place of the entrance seats.
The B05’s devoted EV platform means there’s no centre driveline hump and subsequently a flat ground – excellent news for a centre-seat occupant.
As for headroom, it’s lots snug for somebody 180cm tall. There are air vents and map pockets again right here, plus a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders and each USB-A and USB-C shops.
The B05 has 357L of boot area, and a two-level boot ground. This offers you a spot to place the usual Mode 2 and Mode 3 charging cables, as there’s no space for storing (aka frunk) underneath the bonnet.
Another factor we should ding the B05 for is the dearth of a rear wiper, which we had been keenly conscious of when the heavens opened throughout our launch drive.
| Dimensions | Leapmotor B05 |
|---|---|
| Length | 4430mm |
| Width | 1880mm |
| Height | 1520mm |
| Wheelbase | 2735mm |
| Cargo capability | 357L (rear seats up) 1205L (rear seats folded) |
To see how the Leapmotor B05 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What’s underneath the bonnet?
All B05s in Australia function a single-motor rear-wheel drive electrical powertrain with 160kW of energy and 240Nm of torque, however there is a selection of two completely different batteries.
| Specifications | Style | Design LR |
|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electrical | Single-motor electrical |
| Battery | 56.2kWh LFP | 67.1kWh LFP |
| Power | 160kW | 160kW |
| Torque | 240Nm | 240Nm |
| Drive sort | RWD | RWD |
| Kerb weight | 1700kg | 1780kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.5 seconds | 6.7 seconds |
| Claimed vary (WLTP) | 401km | 482km |
| Energy consumption (WLTP) | 15.8kWh/100km | 15.9kWh/100km |
| Max AC cost fee | 11kW | 11kW |
| Max DC cost fee | 156kW | 174kW |
We noticed vitality consumption of 14.6kWh/100km throughout the launch take a look at route, which consisted primarily of high-speed rural roads.
The B05’s vary figures stack up properly within the phase. Its most direct rival, the MG 4 EV Essence 64, has 452km of WLTP vary, which places it neatly between the B05 Style and Design LR.
To see how the Leapmotor B05 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
How does the Leapmotor B05 drive?
The Leapmotor B05 is a usually good automotive to drive, nevertheless it has two key points. While they’re separate points, they each revolve round how the steering feels.
In brief, the steering communicates an excessive amount of once you don’t need it to, and too little once you do need it to.
This small hatchback boasts a stable journey and dealing with steadiness, however is let down by steering that’s missing in really feel once you take it on a tougher drive than the day by day freeway commute.
It’s telling that every one the automobiles on the launch had been toggled to the Sport steering mode, which at the very least dials in additional further synthetic weight than the opposite two modes. But the steering, whereas acceptably weighted in Sport mode, communicates little of what’s happening beneath.
If there wasn’t all this discuss of European tuning and 50:50 weight distribution, this lack of steering nous can be extra forgivable. However, Leapmotor is pitching this as much less of a transportation pod and extra as a fun-to-drive hatchback.
And certainly, it’s a tidy handler, with a composed really feel by way of winding roads and good physique management. Grip proved good from the Hankook tyres, together with when a deluge of rain fell on our take a look at route.
Ride consolation is sweet, too – it’s on the firmer aspect, however throughout some rougher rural roads the B05 carried out admirably at conserving impacts from reverberating all through the cabin.
It does really feel extra grand tourer than sizzling hatch, regardless of what’s on the spec sheet. But that’s no dangerous factor, because it’s snug to drive and doesn’t fall over in corners. We simply want the steering supplied a greater connection between you and the automobile.
As for the opposite steering situation, it’s the incessant tugging of the lane-keep help.
It’s usually the case with Chinese automobiles – the lively security and driver-assist expertise lets the sport down.
Of all of the B05’s security options, it’s the lane-keep help that aggravates essentially the most. It’s merely far too delicate, chiming incessantly even once you’re inside the lane markings.
Our first try at turning it off noticed it flip instantly again on whereas we had been nonetheless within the settings menu, which reminded us of HAL 9000. “I’m sorry Will, I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”
It seems, it’s linked to the driving force consideration monitor, so it is advisable flip that off first. Oh, however turning off the driving force consideration monitor doesn’t cease pop-ups from showing on the touchscreen warning that your consideration has been diverted. The system, subsequently, stays annoying, simply barely much less so.
On a few events we additionally had a warning pop up advising us to lock the driving force’s seatbelt appropriately, despite the fact that it already was. The solely strategy to cease that annoying chime was to unbuckle our seatbelt after which re-buckle it. Leapmotor says this situation is being fastened, which is sweet as a result of it’s bloody annoying and we might see drivers probably unbuckling their seatbelt whereas nonetheless driving simply to close up this alert.
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Leapmotor has supplied a intelligent resolution to customising the B05. Instead of doing the awkward leaping by way of touchscreen menus each time you begin the automotive to show off numerous options, you possibly can merely program a driver profile, assigning your most well-liked setting for the varied options – even when this implies switching them off.
This profile can in flip be accessed by way of two presses of the left-hand steering wheel curler. It’s fairly fast and painless, and simply requires you to spend a couple of minutes once you first purchase the automotive to tailor these settings. You may even arrange completely different settings for various customers of the automobile.
Would it’s higher if all these programs had been merely programmed appropriately to start with? Yes. It’s additionally totally attainable Leapmotor might repair a few of these gripes with future over-the-air updates. However, this programmable profile perform is an appropriate resolution to the issue.
To see how the Leapmotor B05 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What do you get?
There are two trim ranges in Australia.
2027 Leapmotor B05 Style gear highlights:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Tyre inflator equipment
- Launch management
- Automatic LED headlights
- Automatic high-beam
- NFC and Bluetooth key entry
- 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- Integrated surround-view dashcam recorder
- Over-the-air software program updates
- Wireless cellphone charger
- 6-speaker sound system
- Cloth upholstery
- Automatic local weather management
- Rear cargo blind
- In-vehicle Wi-Fi
- Leapmotor Connected Services, together with distant local weather management, automobile standing and placement monitoring
Lepmotor B05 Design LR provides:
- Fixed panoramic glass roof with energy sunshade
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Rear privateness glass
- TechnoLeather upholstery
- 6-way energy driver’s seat
- 4-way energy passenger seat
- Heated entrance seats
- Heated steering wheel
- 12-speaker sound system
- Rear centre armrest with cupholders
- Multi-colour ambient lighting
Is the Leapmotor B05 protected?
The Leapmotor B05 has a five-star ranking from impartial security authority ANCAP, based mostly on testing carried out in 2026 towards the most recent, strictest protocols.
| Category | Leapmotor B05 |
|---|---|
| Safe Driving | 66 per cent |
| Crash Avoidance | 77 per cent |
| Crash Protection | 92 per cent |
| Post Crash | 89 per cent |
Leapmotor says the B05 has essentially the most ADAS (superior driver-assistance programs) of any of its fashions so far, with 21. Instruction movies for every might be seen on the touchscreen.
Standard security gear consists of:
- Adaptive cruise management
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver consideration monitoring
- Front cross-traffic help
- Intelligent pace restrict help
- Lane-keep help
- Emergency lane-keep help
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Surround-view digital camera with clear chassis view
- Rear parking sensors
- Tyre strain monitoring
- Front, front-side, curtain, and far-side airbags
How a lot does the Leapmotor B05 price to run?
Leapmotor affords eight years of capped-price servicing, with companies costing between $215 and $470. It says each second service is dearer as a result of battery fluids have to be modified.
| Servicing and Warranty | Leapmotor B05 |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 6 years or 150,000km – automobile 8 years or 160,000km – battery |
| Roadside help | 8 years (service-activated) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 8 years or 160,000km |
| Average annual service worth | $372.50 |
| Total capped-price service price – 8 years | $2980 |
To see how the Leapmotor B05 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
CarExpert’s Take on the Leapmotor B05
SUVs could considerably outsell passenger automobiles, however the small electrical hatchback phase is getting more and more aggressive.
The Leapmotor B05 has an uphill climb in Australia. While different Chinese manufacturers like Geely have turn into juggernauts seemingly in a single day, Leapmotor’s gross sales volumes stay considerably decrease.
That’s regardless of every new mannequin being not solely extra fascinating than the final, however extra compelling besides.
The B10 is a great small SUV, however in case you can forego its larger seating place and upright physique, the B05 makes for an intriguing selection for a small EV.
Its rear-wheel drive format and European-like design bring to mind the MG 4 EV, although it is not fairly as entertaining to drive, whereas its driver-assist programs nonetheless want work and there is a irritating lack of bodily switchgear – each complaints we are able to lob at virtually each different Chinese automotive in the marketplace.
There are cheaper electrical hatchbacks from different Chinese manufacturers, and the B05’s steering stops it from dwelling as much as its potential as a extra European-tuned various to the fairly bland commuter automobiles that dominate this phase.
Nevertheless, the B05 is Leapmotor’s most compelling automotive but in Australia, and offers us hope for what’s to return.
Interested in shopping for a Leapmotor B05? Let CarExpert discover you the perfect deal right here
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MORE: Explore the Leapmotor B05 showroom
CarExpert attended this occasion as a visitor of Leapmotor.
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