Gac Aion Ut vs Leapmotor B05

What's the difference?

Chinese newcomer GAC couldn’t have timed the arrival of its Aion UT in Australia any better.

At the time of writing, we were in the midst of another Middle East-related fuel crisis, and more buyers than ever before were considering switching to their first electric car.

It’s a good thing there hasn’t ever been a better time to buy one, especially with price tags getting lower and lower thanks to keen new players like GAC.

The Aion UT, which is a vaguely Corolla-sized hatchback is now one of the most affordable new EVs on the market, and aims to outfox its primary rivals, like the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora.

But, as you may have figured out by now, newcomer brands can come with their fair share of quirks. So, is the Aion UT the affordable hatchback it needs to be? We went to its Australian launch to find out.

Launching a new Chinese car company is easy, right? You just introduce an all-new brand, make the cars affordable and the sales just roll in. Right?

No, not right. Australians may be more open-minded to new brands than ever before, but we are still discerning and aren’t just suckered in by a cheap price tag.

Leapmotor has learnt this lesson already, with its first model, the C10 electric mid-size SUV suffering poor critical reviews thanks to its disappointing drive and over-active safety systems. As a result it has struggled to make a real impact in the sales race.

The subsequent B10 small SUV was an improvement and now the brand is launching its first hatchback, the B05. It promises to be something different, because it’s the first Leapmotor model to be shaped for the European market and not China.

That’s because Leapmotor International is actually a joint-venture between Chinese carmaker Leapmotor and US-Euro juggernaut, Stellantis (the conglomerate that includes Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Peugeot, Opel, Jeep and more).

So the B05 is, in theory, the best of both worlds - fine-tuned in Italy and built in China. Which should mean it drives like a European car but doesn’t carry a European car price.

But does it live up to these lofty ambitions? Read on to find out.