Leapmotor B05 Review & Prices

The Leapmotor B05 is the fourth model in the Chinese brand’s UK lineup - and this time, it’s taking aim at the family hatchback class. It’s a Golf-sized hatch with a fully electric powertrain, lots of room inside, plenty of standard equipment and a good-value price tag - but like other Leapmotors, it’s let down by annoying software and overly domineering safety systems.

Like a lot of the best Chinese cars, the Leapmotor B05 looks as though its styling has been ‘inspired’ by an already-popular European model - in this case, the Volkswagen Golf. But it’s totally different under the skin, being a full EV instead of a conventional combustion-engined car. It’s a bit like two cakes with identical decoration, until you slice them open and find one is red velvet while the other’s lemon drizzle. Not worse - just different.

Other electric hatchbacks the B05 will go head-to-head with include the Volkswagen ID3, the Cupra Born, the MG4, the Kia EV4 and the Renault 4. But at a price of just under £29,000, you’ll probably consider it alongside similarly-priced EV SUVs such as the Jaecoo E5, Geely EX5 or Ford Puma Gen-E.

From a distance, the B05 really does look quite a lot like a Golf. It has similar proportions, and the same lightbar across the front with similarly-shaped headlights at either end. It’s a bit more individual elsewhere, though - the sides feature cool frameless doors and less cool hidden door handles (they’re just a bit annoying), while at the rear you get a full-width lightbar with ‘Leapmotor’ writ large across the tailgate.

On the inside, it’s a clone of the larger Leapmotor B10 and C10 - minimalism is the order of the day. This extends as far as the colour palette, which is consistent across the whole cabin - all of the different materials are the same shade of either light or dark grey. Some may find this calming, others might think they’ve fallen into a branch of Dunelm Mill circa 2015.

Leapmotor B05: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 300 miles
Efficiency: 4.5 miles per kWh
Battery size: 67.1kWh
Max charge speed: 174kW
Charge time AC: 9.5 hours, 0-100%, 7kW
Charge time DC: 24 mins, 10-80%, 174kW
Charge port location: Right side rear
Power outputs: 215hp

You certainly don’t lack for space. The Leapmotor B05 is really roomy for a family hatchback - six-foot adults can stretch out in the back, helped by a flat floor and plenty of shoulder room. The boot at 345 litres is a bit smaller than most alternatives, including the MG4, ID3 and EV4 - but you should still fit a weekly shop in without too much trouble.

Up front, you get a 14.6-inch touchscreen which controls almost everything - the only physical controls are some multifunction buttons on the steering wheel, a drive selector on the steering column, and a single stalk for your indicators, wipers and lights.

It’s far from the only new EV to do this, but Leapmotor’s interface is extremely menu-heavy and not every function is really where you’d expect it to be. And it’s a real shame that driving functions, such as the drive mode, regenerative braking or safety aids, are all hooked up to the same menu system and are therefore awkward to use while on the move.

When you get going, the Leapmotor B05 is a really pleasant surprise. It’s not fun or exciting to drive, but it’s comfortable and quiet, and doesn’t feel too heavy or too wallowy in the corners. The steering has a nice natural weight to it, and even large bumps don’t upset it too much. It actually drives a lot like a Golf, which is a compliment - and makes it a world away from the soft and squidgy B10 and C10 SUVs.

Its range is a useful 300 miles to a charge, which sits between short- and long-range versions of cars such as the EV4 and ID3. It’s a shame there’s no extended-range model with a bigger battery to go against the 388-mile or 371-mile ranges of those cars’ top versions, though.

The only real things that let down the driving experience are the safety aids. There’s so many of them, and you have to go through menu after menu making sure they’re all properly turned off. If you don’t, not only will the lane-keeping aids aggressively tug at the wheel, but you’ll be assailed by so many beeps and bongs you’ll want to take the bus instead.

Verdict

The Leapmotor B05 is a good electric hatchback with a decent range, comfortable interior and even impressive road manners. With a price tag lower than the main competition, it’s a great alternative if you want a good-value EV but you prefer a hatchback to a small SUV.

It’s just a shame that the incessant beeps and bongs of the awful safety systems really let the side down. If Leapmotor can fix these with an over-the-air update - as we’ve seen other manufacturers do - then this will be a much easier car to recommend.

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The Leapmotor B05 costs £30,495, with a £1,500 ‘Leap Grant’ from the manufacturer matching the government’s EV grant and bringing the price down to just under £29,000. And that’s it - there’s only one trim level, and the sole optional extra is a metallic paint finish for £575 - so choosing your Leapmotor B05 couldn’t be simpler.

That makes it slightly cheaper than the MG4 and several thousand pounds below the VW ID3 or Kia EV4, which is impressive value. You’d have to go for something shorter range and less premium if you wanted to spend less, such as the Jaecoo E5 or Renault 4.

Standard equipment is very generous for that price. You get heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable front seats, a 14.6-inch infotainment screen and 8.8-inch instrument cluster, wireless charging, all-round LEDs, a panoramic roof, 19-inch alloy wheels and synthetic leather upholstery.

The Leapmotor B05 is nice to drive in town and stable on the motorway - it’s just not very exciting on a twisty road

In town

The Leapmotor B05 is pretty good to drive around town. The electric motor has a smooth, linear response, and it’s pretty easy to set off smoothly even in Sport mode - unlike some EVs which are quite hyperactive at low speeds. Visibility from the front is good, though the rear window is a little small and there’s no rear wiper.

You do miss out on the high-up driving position of a proper SUV, and it’s particularly annoying that Leapmotor hides the mirror controls in the touchscreen as it makes repositioning them for parking a real pain. But the B05 rides over lumps, bumps and potholes quite well, so it’s comfortable on pockmarked city streets.

On the motorway

Our test route in Germany didn’t include much motorway but for the short stretch we tried the B05 was pretty good. It has enough power to get up to speed smartly and it’s very quiet and relaxed even at top speed. There was a bit of a shudder when we hit the German motorway limit of 81mph, as if one of the wheels was unbalanced, but we’ll reserve proper judgement when we get the B05 in the UK for a more extended stretch.

On a twisty road

The B05 has the ingredients to be quite good fun on a twisty road - it’s not too big or too heavy, it’s powerful enough without being silly and it’s also rear-wheel drive. But like most EVs of this type including the Volkswagen ID3, it leans more into being safe, neutral and comfortable rather than exciting.

So while there is a ‘Sport’ mode, and even launch control, neither of them are particularly fun. The B05’s strength is that it doesn’t feel as wobbly and wayward as many Chinese cars in the corners, such as the big-selling Jaecoo 7 or BYD Sealion 5. An MG4 is more playful in the bends than the Leapmotor, but it’s not as comfortable.

The B05’s interior gives plenty of passenger space and decent storage, but the boot is smaller than its main alternatives

It’s easy to get comfortable in the Leapmotor B05. The seats adjust electrically and have a reasonable amount of support when you’re cornering, though the slippery artificial leather does mean you can slide about a bit. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake too, though there’s no adjustable lumbar support or extendable seat bases like you get in the best alternatives.

Storage spaces are pretty good. There are a pair of cupholders and the door bins can hold water bottles, plus there’s a large storage area under the centre console that’s more accessible than it is in some alternatives. The wireless phone charging pad is very prominent, though, and puts your phone right in direct sunlight - it’s not cooled, either.

You’ll also notice six holes on the dashboard, which in Leapmotor’s native China fit accessories such as a fold-down table or a Labubu-style mascot. No word yet on whether Leapmotor in the UK will offer these.

Space in the back seats

The Leapmotor’s rear doors open quite wide and once you’re sat inside there’s plenty of room. Headroom is good, even with the panoramic glass roof, and legroom is excellent with some space to put your feet underneath the seat in front.

It’s also quite wide, so three people can sit across the rear in more comfort than they could in an MG4, helped by the flat floor. A Volkswagen ID3 is roomier, though, with its almost MPV-like upright stance.

Rear passengers get a fold-down armrest with two cupholders (and a tea tray - of course) while in the centre there are a couple of air vents as well as one each of USB-A and USB-C ports for charging devices.

Boot space

At 345 litres in capacity, the Leapmotor B05’s boot is pretty small compared to the alternatives. The MG4 has a 388-litre space, the VW ID3 385 litres, and the Kia EV4 a massive 435 litres.

The B05’s boot is also smaller than the cheaper Jaecoo E5 or Ford Puma Gen-E’s, so it’s not the best option if you’re a heavy shopper or want to take the whole family on holiday. It’s also not rated for a towbar, so you can’t get a rear-mounted bike rack or a trailer to ease the load. At least the space is square and uninterrupted, though the seats leave a bit of a step in the load floor when folded and there’s a sizable lip to hoick items over. There’s also no ‘frunk’ for storing cables, but that’s par for the course with cars like this.

The Leapmotor B05 is let down in a big way by its touchscreen and software - otherwise, it’s quite nice inside

It feels light and airy inside the Leapmotor B05, helped by the massive panoramic sunroof that comes as standard on all UK cars. Leapmotor’s done the same trick with this car as it did with its C10 SUV - namely, all of the interior surfaces are the same colour regardless of material, and you can choose between light or dark grey at no cost. It’s a bit dull and doesn’t have much styling flair, but it’s not offensive.

It’s also quite nicely built. The artificial leather is soft, and most of the surfaces you touch are high-quality in feel. There are no creaks or rattles, and there are even some posh touches like the frameless windows and highly damped grab handles.

The 14.6-inch touchscreen in the middle of the car controls everything - you don’t even get a volume knob, and the hazard lights are up on the ceiling. It’s bright, quick and responsive, but unfortunately the menu system isn’t very intuitive and so it takes much longer than you’d hope to do anything. While there are voice commands, they don’t work too well.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, and do a good job of bypassing the factory navigation, but you still need to go into the screen for things as basic as changing the level of brake regeneration, switching driving mode or even adjusting the mirrors.

You also need to do a lot of scrolling to turn off all the safety aids - more on them in a moment.

The B05 has an official range of 300 miles on a charge. That neatly splits the difference between standard and long range versions of cars like the VW ID3, MG4 and Kia EV4. The ID3, for example, has 241 miles of range with its smallest battery, and 352 miles with its biggest.

Our test route wasn’t long enough to gauge real-world range, but we saw efficiency of 4.0 miles per kWh, which would equate to a pretty decent figure of around 270 miles per charge.

The B05 is also pretty quick to top up. With a maximum charge rate of 174kW, it can get from 10-80% in 24 minutes at a suitable charging point. That’s a little faster than its main alternatives, which is great for when you want to undertake longer trips.

As a fully electric car, the B05 pays the lowest rates of road tax - especially as it doesn’t come anywhere near the expensive car supplement. It’s also a very cost-effective company car thanks to the low list price and 4% benefit-in-kind rate.

Euro NCAP hasn’t yet tested the Leapmotor B05, but with the Leapmotor B10 and C10 both scoring full five-star verdicts it’s likely the closely-related B05 will perform quite well.

Unfortunately the reality doesn’t necessarily match the crash tests, because Leapmotor’s safety equipment is very poorly implemented. If you leave the systems switched on, the car is unbelievably beepy and bongy - there are alerts for just about everything and very little clue as to what they’re for.

Worse still, the lane-keeping aids are extremely aggressive, tugging at the wheel with considerable force. If you’re not paying attention, the car has a tendency to pull you off course, which on narrow roads like some of the German ones we tested the car on could be disastrous as it takes you away from the white lines but into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Turning these systems off should be easy, but it isn’t. They’re spread across several menus and don’t have simple on/off functions in some cases. You need to do a lot of scrolling up and down. Some features can’t be deactivated while you’re driving, but Leapmotor doesn’t tell you this - you only know because about 10 seconds after you turn it off, it comes back on.

You’re supposed to be able to set up a drive mode ‘profile’ and activate it with a single switch, but this didn’t work during our time with the car. Even if it did, there’s no excuse for the safety systems to be so bad that turning them off is a total necessity. Hopefully an over-the-air update fixes this soon because they’re a good reason not to buy the car at this stage.

The Leapmotor B05’s warranty is ever so slightly more generous than the norm, with a year more cover than you get from the typical three-year/60,000-mile warranty. But other new entrants offer far longer cover, especially on their electric vehicles.

At least Leapmotor’s partnership with Stellantis means you should be able to buy and service your Leapmotor just about anywhere in the country with Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and Fiat dealerships everywhere. Leapmotor is too new to feature in the 2026 Driver Power survey, but other Stellantis brands performed extremely well.