Performance variants under study says Leapmotor

Leapmotor is exploring performance-focused versions of its electric vehicles, with access to Stellantis engineering expected to play a key role in developing more driver-focused EVs.

Leapmotor is actively studying the introduction of higher-performance variants, internally referred to as “Ultra”, as it looks to capitalise on growing enthusiasm for sporty EVs.

“If we see that the Ultra had a good grip… that could be a stream,” said Leapmotor’s global head of brand strategy, product and marketing Francesco Giacalone.

While still in the early stages, Leapmotor has previewed its performance ambitions with an “Ultra” variant of the B05 revealed overseas, claiming a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds.

While not yet confirmed for Australia, the B05 – due here later this year – could provide a natural foundation for any future high-performance variants.

If demand proves strong, the brand says the “Ultra” concept could extend beyond a single halo model.

The move comes as performance becomes an increasingly important battleground in the EV space, shifting from a niche offering to key brand builder.

Models such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N and the Tesla Performance variants have shown that there is a growing appetite for EVs that deliver both speed and driver engagement.

For Leapmotor, that shift is being supported by deeper integration with Stellantis, with the group’s engineering expertise now embedded earlier in the development process for global models.

“Around six to seven months before the start of production… we have a complete vehicle dynamic evaluation done with Stellantis Engineering.”

This allows Leapmotor to fine-tune vehicle dynamics closer to production, opening the door to more sophisticated setups and potentially more credible performance variants.

Despite this, the brand has no plans to follow rivals in “creating a sub-brand”, instead of keeping higher-performance variants within its existing model lines.

Any expansion into performance EVs will ultimately depend on customer demand, with Leapmotor signalling a measured, market-led approach rather than a full-scale performance push.

However, with access to Stellantis' expertise and a growing global appetite for engaging EVs, the brand appears well-positioned to evolve beyond its value-focused roots into a more dynamic space.

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