Leapmotor B05 Reviews

China’s Leapmotor is reportedly set to reveal a new model at this year’s IAA Mobility show in Munich which runs from September 9-14, 2025.As reported by Autocar, this new Leapmotor model will be a Volkswagen Golf-sized electric hatchback called the B05.This will give the Chinese carmaker a rival to the likes of the Cupra Born and MG4.The Leapmotor B05 is reportedly based on the same 'Leap 3.5' platform as the B10 small SUV and the B01 small sedan.This means the B05 will likely be rear-wheel drive with electric powertrains and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs that operate on an 800V electrical architecture.It also wouldn’t be surprising if a range-extender (REEV) powertrain option becomes available for the B05 down the track as it was recently confirmed for the B10.The exterior design of the Leapmotor B05 will reportedly be inspired by the B10. It’ll have an aerodynamic silhouette, as well as full-width light bars front and rear.Inside, a 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system is expected, like the B10.At this stage pricing for the Leapmotor B10 hasn’t been confirmed, but Autocar indicates it could be under £30,000 (A$62,700) in the UK.For context, the most affordable Leapmotor in Australia currently is the C10 Style REEV at $43,888, before on-road costs.The smaller B10, which is due to launch locally later this year, will likely undercut this price.This forthcoming B05 electric hatch will reportedly spawn a lower-riding sibling called the A05, which would likely be a closer rival to the likes of the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora.The B10 small SUV will also form as a base for the forthcoming entry-level crossover, dubbed the A10.No further details about the Leapmotor A05 and A10 have been confirmed yet.Leapmotor was founded in 2015 and it currently has seven vehicles in its line-up globally, ranging from tiny city cars to large seven-seat SUVs.Stellantis owns a 21 per cent share in Leapmotor and a 51 per cent slice in Leapmotor International that conducts all activity for the brand outside China.Distribution in Australia is currently through Stellantis’ Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep dealer network.

The Leapmotor C10 may be getting yet another new variant, with a high-powered all-wheel-drive version announced by parent company Stellantis.

When is an EV no longer an EV? Leapmotor's new C10 REEV gains a petrol engine that acts purely as a generator, like the defunct Holden Volt and BMW i3 REx. It goes up against fierce plug-in hybrid rivals like the BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, Jaecoo J7 SHS and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Stellantis looks to establish a battery-swapping rivalry with Nio which could make EVs much more convenient.

Whoever said ‘you can never have too much choice’ clearly never saw the Australian new car market in 2025. The country is being inundated with not only new models, but seemingly new brands every month.In 2025 alone we’ve had the introduction of Cadillac, Deepal, Geely, GMC, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, Omoda and Xpeng to our roads. These join other relatively new arrivals which include (but aren’t limited to) BYD, Chery, Chevrolet, Cupra, JAC and Zeekr, with more reportedly on the way.While competition is great, and certainly there are many very likeable cars from most of these brands, I’m starting to feel like we’ve reached breaking point in Australia. We buy just over one million new cars each year, and that number won’t rise sharply anytime soon, so each new brand only splits the market into even smaller pieces.When you factor in Toyota accounts for around 20 per cent of the market each year, and that too doesn’t look like changing anytime soon, then you have nearly 70 brands fighting over 80 per cent of what’s left. While there’s certainly some major positives to this booming industry, namely the increased competition, especially the brands from China, have slowed down the dramatic price rises we’ve seen post-pandemic. The market was already headed that way before 2020, with many brands working out it makes better financial sense to sell fewer cars but at a higher profit than it does to sell lots of cars for less margin. Without question, a major factor in the growth of Chinese cars in Australia is thanks to the highly competitive pricing strategy brands like MG, GWM, BYD and others have engaged in.These new brands do give choice, but the downside of so much choice is it makes it harder for you, the new car customer, to know what to buy. Obviously we do our best here at CarsGuide to keep you informed, but frankly there are so many new brands - both those with history and reputation and those without - that buying is simply getting more and more complicated.One of the biggest challenges with new brands, as in brands with no history in developed car markets, is that a new model that seems solid and good value now may age terribly and give you no-end of problems. Or, alternatively, it could be great and problem-free - but it’s an expensive gamble to find out.But the cold, hard fact remains, the new car market is only so big and unless all brands not named Toyota prepare for a smaller market share, then not all will survive in all likelihood. In recent years Holden has gone, so too has Chrysler and Citroen, and there are seemingly several more hanging on with shrinking sales numbers. That will almost certainly leave customers facing an uncertain future for parts, servicing, etc, not to mention it will likely tank resale value. So, yes, choice is great, but too much choice can ultimately make life harder for everyone involved. Because at what point do we stop - 80 brands? 100? It may sound silly but at the rate some of these newer brands are multiplying with spin-offs and sister-brands, there appears to be no end in sight - and that’s not necessarily good news…

Hybrids, specifically plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), are selling stronger than they ever have in Australia, and China’s Leapmotor is expecting to cash in on this trend with its newest model.

It’s EOFY time again!

There are more and more Chinese car brands entering the Australian new car market seemingly every day.

Despite only being a year old and launching in Australia earlier this year, Leapmotor has upgraded its C10 electric (EV) and range-extender plug-in hybrid (REEV) SUV in China.Dubbed the 2026 Leapmotor C10, it has now been priced for the Chinese market, where it starts from 122,800 RMB (A$26,500) for both the EV and REEV.For context, the Leapmotor C10 range currently opens at $43,888 before on-roads for the C10 REEV Style.This sharp Chinese pricing for the updated model means the C10 range could potentially receive a price cut in Australia to compete with other cut-price electric and plug-in hybrid SUVs like the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV, Chery Omoda E5 and Geely EX5.A Stellantis Australia spokesperson said the brand hasn’t confirmed specifications and pricing, among other further details on the 2026 Leapmotor C10 just yet.A highlight of this update is the C10 EV receives an 800V electrical architecture, up from the 400V of the pre-update model.This has allowed Leapmotor to fit a more powerful electric motor. The C10 EV is now powered by a 220kW electric motor, up from 170kW. This has reduced the 0-100km/h sprint time from 7.3 seconds to 5.9 seconds.It’s worth noting the global version of the C10 EV, which is what we get in Australia, currently is powered by a 160kW/320Nm electric motor and is claimed to be able to sprint from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds.The 800V architecture has also helped improve charging speeds. As part of this, Leapmotor has fitted a larger 74.9kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is up from 69.9kWh.Leapmotor claims the updated C10 EV can now travel 605km on a battery charge, according to lenient CLTC testing standards. Its battery can also be charged from 30 to 80 per cent in 16 minutes.Despite all the changes to the C10 EV, the C10 REEV’s powertrain remains unchanged. It retains its 158kW electric motor and 28.4kWh battery, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine acting as a generator for the battery.Other highlight changes for the 2026 Leapmotor C10 range, as reported by Car News China, include a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P processor for the multimedia system, a new purple exterior paint colour, powered door handles and a 50W wireless charger.At this stage it appears this update doesn’t include Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.As previously reported, the Leapmotor C10’s architecture isn’t currently compatible with this popular technology and it cannot be retrofitted.However, Leapmotor is aware that Apple CarPlay and Android are important to Australian buyers.The reason it was omitted is because its founder Zhu Jiangming had an ambition to model Tesla, which notably also doesn’t offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.Leapmotor has confirmed, however, its forthcoming B10 small SUV is being marketed as a “globally developed” model and will carry the technology thanks to its newer architecture.According to the brand, it’s working on an alternative wireless solution for the C10 to be rolled out in the second half of 2025 through an over-the-air update that will allow for screen-mirroring functionality, although he didn’t go into detail on how this technology would look.

Will the Geely Starship 7 be the brand’s second model for Australia? Essentially a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the company’s EX5 EV released in the beginning of this year, the five-seater mid-sized SUV could arrive before the end of 2025, opening up the brand to a much wider audience. If given the green light, it would directly target the popular BYD Sealion 6 and Mitsubishi