2026 Leapmotor B05 review

The first time I drove the all-electric Leapmotor B05 hatch was in China at a rented track near the brand’s HQ. I thought it had potential, but its soft and spongy driving dynamics threw a big, wet blanket over any promise of warm hatch fun.

I'm happy to report the vehicle that will arrive in Australia towards the end of this year (wearing a circa-$35k price tag to take on models like the MG4) is very, very different to the Chinese version I sampled.

It has had its chassis and suspension reworked at Alfa Romeo's Balocco Proving Ground, including changing the way the suspension connects to the vehicle, shifting the mounting points to give it a lower center of gravity and a sportier feel.

Has this little European holiday improved the B05? You betcha. 

How much does the 2026 Leapmotor B05 cost?

Short answer? Not much. In Europe, the B05 lists at €26,900, which would be around $44,000 in Australia. But Leapmotor here thinks it can sharpen the pencil much more than that, targeting a starting price of around $35,000.

That would be the range-opener, which gets a smaller 56.2kWh battery delivering a claimed 401km WLTP driving range. There is also a model with a bigger 67.1kWh battery, upping the range to 482km, that would sit above it.

The full price and specification detail is yet to be revealed for our market. But that pricing guide would put the B05 on a collision course with MG’s MG4, which is around $35k drive-away for a model with a similar battery.

What is the 2026 Leapmotor B05 like inside?

It's cheap but very cheerful. Yes, some of the materials hint at the accessible price point, but clever design makes the B05’s interior feel more funky than no-frills.

The dash, for example, disguises its cheaper materials through a perforated insert that sits behind two architectural-feeling ledges, which feels way more fun and youthful than a slab of cheap plastic.

The big glass roof helps lift the ambience, too, as do the two big screens (14.6-inch central screen and an 8.8-inch driver display) that dominate the front of the cabin.

But be warned, if you have a penchant for physical controls, you’re entirely out of luck here. This B05’s cabin is padded-cell featureless, with everything controlled through the central screen or the limited buttons on the steering wheel.

To Leapmotor’s credit, it is aware these button-free zones annoy some drivers, so you can now program two shortcuts into the steering wheel and add driver profiles to save your preferred settings.

The shortcuts help jump to things you might need quickly, like wing-mirror adjustment, while the profiles allow you to save stuff such as active safety system preferences, so you don’t have to set them individually every time you get in.

The B05 is 4430mm in length, 1880mm in width and 1520mm in height, and those numbers translate to a surprising amount of usable room in the back seat. I’m 175cm and could sit behind my own driving position with plenty of knee and head room. The flat floor means a middle back-seat passenger could ride pretty comfortably, too.

Elsewhere, there are USB connections beneath the wireless charge pad up front (though you do need to Cirque du Soleil yourself a bit to reach them) and two more for back seat riders.

The boot offers 345 litres with the rear seats in place and 1400 litres with them folded flat. There’s no spare wheel should things go pear-shaped. 

What equipment does the 2026 Leapmotor B05 have?

The full equipment list is still being worked out for Australia, but I'm predicting a lot of everything, as is the way with most Chinese brands.

We do know that the central screen offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s wireless charging and a 12-speaker stereo.

There’s still no physical key (though one is coming in 2027), meaning for now you have the choice of Leapmotor’s strange and strangely infuriating keycard system – which you need to place against the wing mirror to lock or unlock the car, and then place on the wireless charge pad to get moving – the brand’s phone app, or a passcode you enter into the main screen.

Outside, there are 19-inch alloys, all-LED lighting, and that big glass sunroof. Inside, it’s all artificial leather and the front seats are heated, as is the steering wheel. There’s also a V2L connection point, which is like a household plug you can use to power your bigger devices.

How safe is the 2026 Leapmotor B05?

The brand says it is shooting for the full five-star EuroNCAP safety rating, which would likely be replicated by ANCAP in Australia. But whether that’s a good or a bad thing is debatable.

To hit the lofty five-star target, brands often need to equip every active safety system ever invented. In the case of the B05, that means not just seven airbags, but 21 safety systems (AEB, lane keeping assistance, driver distraction, speed warning etc), with a total of 14 sensors and cameras dotted around the car and the cabin. It can be ferociously annoying when the cacophony of chimes and bongs starts erupting, and the steering wheel fights your inputs.

This is not a Leapmotor problem exclusively, but to the brand’s credit, the new driver profiles allow you to switch all or some of them off, and then you just select your profile and away you go.

Still, that brands have to install these functions, then install shortcuts to switch them off, is a little bonkers. Perhaps it would be easier not to have most of them at all? 

What powers the 2026 Leapmotor B05?

No matter which battery size you opt for, the powertrain is the same – a single rear-mounted (so rear-wheel drive) electric motor producing 160kW and 240Nm. That’s enough for a claimed 6.7-second sprint to 100km/h, and the brand has even fitted a fairly anti-climactic launch control function to help you achieve it. It never pushes you back in your seat, the B05, but it never feels anything approaching under-powered either, and the punch from a rolling start is ample.

The brand also promises a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, that Italian suspension tune and lower centre of gravity, and a battery integrated into the chassis for better overall stiffness. All of which sounds pretty good to me.

What is the 2026 Leapmotor B05 like to drive?

Massively improved over the Chinese-market version, and a rolling lesson to some of the other Chinese brands on how much better cars are to drive when they don’t feel like the suspension coils have been swapped for Slinkies.

I wouldn’t describe the B05 as overtly sporty. The flat-footed acceleration feels ample, but never all that urgent, and both the light-ish steering and compliant ride further dispel any promise of a bristling hot hatch.

But what Leapmotor’s Italian colleagues have achieved is a car that feels significantly more balanced, engaging and cohesive than the Chinese version, and one that’s way more enjoyable to drive as a result.

There’s a balance here that was entirely missing from Chinese B05, with none of that model’s bouncing or swaying. Instead, it now feels stable and comfortable through bends, with most of its weight cleverly hidden away behind a compliant but very competent suspension tune.

Leapmotor could have just dialled up the firmness, delivering one of those brittle and sometimes jarring drive experiences. But they’ve done the opposite, with the B05 feeling comfortable on every road surface we took it on, even rougher patches, and sporty enough for a winding road.

The only caveat is we’re yet to drive the B05 in Australia, so will reserve final judgement until then. But the early signs are good. Keep sending our cars to Europe, Leapmotor. 

Open Road’s take on the 2026 Leapmotor B05

From a four-wheeled tall ship to one of the better-driving cars to come out of China, the international tune hasn’t made the B05 infinitely sportier, but it has made it much, much better.

There are still some quirks I struggle to get my head around (like ADAS seemingly designed to keep you safe by annoying you too much to want to drive) but there, too, the brand is making key changes for international markets. It’s surely a sign of good things ahead for the Chinese newcomer Down Under.

What we liked

• Improved suspension tune
• Plenty of standard features
• Agreeable interior styling

 

What could be better?

• Infuriating ADAS interference
• Currently no physical key fob
• Lack of buttons may annoy some