Paris Motor Show: 2025 Leapmotor B10 shaping up to be Australia's cheapest EV

The 2025 Leapmotor B10 small SUV has been unwrapped at the Paris motor show ahead of its Australian debut next year.

Built to battle the likes of the Jeep Avenger, Peugeot E-2008, Hyundai Kona and inbound Kia EV3, the new small SUV slots into the Chinese EV start-up's line-up above the T03 but below both the C10 and three-row C16 that could follow later.

Pinching its smart, sleek looks from the bigger C10, the new baby Leapmotor SUV gets a slim front and rear lightbar, pop-out door handles and smooth pebble-like styling.

Within, the B10 should sport a cabin that mirrors the C10's with large screens dominating a minimalist cabin that will lack conventional buttons.

When it arrives, like its two bigger brothers the B10 will be based on the car-maker's advanced new LEAP 3.5 platform that will deliver advanced driverless tech and super-fast 800-volt charging architecture.

Globally, Leapmotor has confirmed that the B10 will be offered with both all-electric power and a range-extender hybrid that uses a small 1.5-litre petrol engine as a generator for a long range – expect our market to bag EV-only B10s.

At the show Leapmotor was a bit light on the details of the B10 so it's not known if the small SUV will lead the class for DC fast-charging with an 800-volt electrical architecture or if it will only come with the slower charging 400-volt electronics that could mean it can only be topped up at 84kW.

Other unknowns include what will drive the B10 with it thought to get a detuned version of the C10's 170kW/320Nm motor and a downsized version of its 69.9kWh battery.

In Europe the B10 will be priced below €30,000 ($A48,500) but in Australia expect it to be even cheaper as the much bigger C10 will cost around $45,000.

That means, when the smaller SUV lands here in 2025 it could become Australia's most affordable SUV and be priced at around $35,000 – the same price as the current MG ZS, with some tipping final pricing for the most basic versions to hover around $30,000, below the current drive-away deals for the MG4 hatch ($30,990).

Leapmotor's breakthrough in Australia will no doubt be significantly aided by Stellantis' $2.5b investment that will see both the C10 (that launches next month) and the B10 sold, serviced and maintained via the car giant's Jeep and RAM Australian dealership network.

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