Leapmotor B05 2026 Review

Australian pricing and specification of the 2026 Leapmotor B05 haven't been locked in yet – expected ETA September 2026 – but it’s understood the brand is looking to get the starting priced under $36,000.

Its closest rival is the MG4, which now retails for $31,990 drive-away for the base Urban grade.

Two battery sizes will be offered, both with LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry and both bigger than the entry-level MG4’s 43kWh unit. Ergo, choices for the Leapmotor B05 will be a 56.2kWh unit good for up to 401km (WLTP), and a larger 67.1kWh pack that stretches range to 482km (WLTP).

The latter is what we drove on this German launch program and the range claims appear fairly achievable. It’s an efficient hatch.

Standard equipment across the lineup is generous for the segment. Exterior highlights include frameless door windows with flush door handles, a huge panoramic glass roof (with fabric sunshade), 19-inch alloy wheels and a slippery 0.26 drag coefficient.

Inside, eco-leather upholstery, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel lift the cabin above where you'd expect a car at this price to sit.

The tech story is the dual-screen layout: a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen sits alongside an 8.8-inch digital driver's cluster, both running on a Snapdragon-powered operating system that's slick and quick to respond.

There's no shortage of buttons missing, mind you. Climate, mirror adjustment and most other functions are buried in the touchscreen, though a steering wheel shortcut button offers a quick way to mute the ADAS chimes or jump straight to mirror controls.

Safety equipment runs to 21 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) supported by 14 sensors and cameras, a seven-airbag system.

Power comes from a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 160kW/240Nm – rear-drive is something of a rarity at this end of the EV market. The 0-100km/h sprint is claimed at 6.7 seconds, helped by a launch control mode... the reality feels more like eight seconds.

Warranty provisions will be similar to existing Leapmotor vehicles on sale in Australia – the C10 and B10 SUVS – with six years/150,000-kilometre coverage.

Service costs are still not locked in, but expect 12-month/20,000km intervals along with eight years capped-price servicing and roadside assistance.

We’ll start with the way it drives, because that’s the headline. The 2026 Leapmotor B05’s chassis – McPherson struts up front, multi-link rear, 50:50 weight distribution – has clearly had genuine European engineering input as opposed to a fruitless marketing exercise.

Leapmotor won’t say it outright, but the development partnership with Stellantis’ global chassis team (read: Alfa Romeo) is obvious from behind the wheel.

The B05 sits flat through corners, resists body roll well, and the rear-drive layout means it's pushing rather than pulling out of bends. Indeed, the car is very satisfying to drive on demanding, challenging roads – unlike the MG4 XPOWER, according to one Leapmotor executive.

Ride comfort impressed too. Across a mix of flowing hill roads, riverside straights and village streets in the Rheingau region, the B05 soaked up larger hits with more composure than its sporting brief might suggest, all while staying engaging on the twistier sections.

Steering is direct if a little light on feedback, but it’s a minor complaint in a car this enjoyable to chuck around. This car feels more Volkswagen Golf than cheap and cheerful Chinese, no ifs, buts or maybes.

Cabin quality is impressive too. The eco-leather trim feels soft and supple, major touchpoints have a high-quality feel and the doors thud shut with a reassuring solidity. Storage is thoughtful throughout, with USB-A and USB-C ports front and rear, decent door pockets and a 345-litre boot that comfortably beats a Toyota Corolla hatch.

Efficiency looks good too: Leapmotor's claimed WLTP range figures felt achievable on this drive, which bodes well for real-world numbers once the B05 is tested locally.

Outright acceleration doesn't quite match the spec sheet's promise. The claimed 6.7-second 0-100km/h sprint felt closer to eight seconds off the line with launch control engaged, though the mid-range roll-on acceleration is stronger.

It’s almost as if the e-motor is throttled back at low speeds, but it could also be the fact the car weighs 1700kg with the smaller battery, and 1780kg with the bigger pack.

It’s quick enough, but it lacks the punch you might expect given how the chassis begs to be driven hard. This platform could easily handle a lot more power, which will happen in mid-2027 with the Leapmotor B05 Ultra.

The buttonless cabin won't suit everyone. Almost everything, including wing mirror adjustment, is controlled through the touchscreen.

While the steering wheel shortcut helps, it’s still a layout that takes some getting used to. Rear headroom is also tight with the panoramic sunroof’s blind closed, and the boot misses out on luggage hooks and other amenity despite its generous size.

Then there’s the bigger-picture question for Leapmotor in Australia: a dealer network that needs to expand and low brand awareness – all in a market now crowded with umpteen Chinese entrants.

This has kept local sales modest despite the brand’s runaway success story in China and Europe. The C10 didn’t blow us away, but the B10 SUV is a very good product and now, the B05’s quality and dynamics deserve eyeballs.

But getting them is the brand’s real challenge.

On this early international evidence, yes – with the usual caveats that apply to any first drive ahead of local launch.

The 2-26 Leapmotor B05 is, by a wide margin, the most engaging Chinese EV we’ve driven at this price point, with handling that has no business being this good in a sub-$45K hatch. The cheapest Volkswagen Golf you can buy in Australia costs $40K before on-road costs and doesn’t come with half the gear of this thing.

Add legitimate European chassis tuning, strong range, a well-finished cabin and a generous safety and tech suite, and the case stacks up well even before the more powerful Ultra variant arrives. Which should be a cracker… and could give the Golf GTI a run for its deutschmarks.

We’ll reserve final judgement for local testing on Australian roads against Australian pricing, but the early signs are that this could be the car that finally puts Leapmotor on the map here. This or perhaps the Leapmotor ute that’s been talked about.

2026 Leapmotor B05 BEV at a glance:
Price: $36,000 approx
Available: September 2026
Powertrain: Single rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motor
Output: 160kW/240Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 56.2kWh or 67.1kWh lithium-ion LFP
Range: 401km (56.2kWh) or 482km (67.1kWh) WLTP
Energy consumption: 15.9kWh/100km (67.1kWh variant, WLTP)
DC charging: 30-80% in approximately 17 minutes (max 168kW DC)
Safety rating: Not yet tested by ANCAP/Euro NCAP

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au