Leapmotor B05 family hatch on route to the UK with sub-£30k price and 400-mile range
The Stellantis-backed brand will launch a Volkswagen ID.3-rivalling small car with almost 20 per cent more range
Leapmotor has confirmed the name of its forthcoming sub-£30,000 family hatchback at the 2025 Shanghai Motor Show. The B05 will be based on the recently revealed B10 SUV, and could offer up to 400 miles of range.
The news comes as Leapmotor pulled the covers off its not-for-UK B01 saloon in China – another model based on the company’s new ‘Leap 3.5 technology architecture’. The B05 should share many of the same components, including its battery and rear-mounted electric motor, although capacities and power outputs haven’t been confirmed.
Leapmotor senior VP Li Cao told us the firm’s new range of B-badged models is “born for the youth” – with the company specifically targeting a younger audience compared to that of its existing cars. He confirmed that the slippery (0.197Cd) B01 saloon will be able to cover up to 403 miles (presumably on the less stringent Chinese test cycle) on a single charge – suggesting the inevitably blockier hatchback should still comfortably trump rivals like the MG4 and Volkswagen ID.3 for range.
During Leapmotor’s press conference on the opening morning of the Shanghai show, a silhouette of the new family car flashed up on a screen behind the stage. The outline showed a fairly conventional hatchback shape – not dissimilar in proportion to something like a Peugeot 308. We expect the B05 to take its styling cues from the new B10, with a similar set of headlights, connected by a thin piece of dark trim. Inside, a twin-screen layout is likely – possibly including a 14.6-inch central display.
We’ll need to wait until early 2026 before we first set eyes on the production-ready B05, with first cars expected in the UK later that year. Prices should start from less than £30,000 – putting it within striking distance of rivals like the ID.3 and MG4.
Company founder Jiangming Zhu also revealed the names of the final two models set to complete Leapmotor’s European line-up in due course. The A10 small SUV and A05 supermini won’t be ready until later in 2026, though the Nissan Juke and Micra rivals are considered core to the maker’s success in the UK.
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