Leapmotor B05 vs Hyundai I20

What's the difference?

Now I know how my school teachers felt. There is a lot of potential in the Leapmotor B05, but the brand needs to study harder and apply itself in some key areas to really put in its best performance. 

There is so much potential, there is definitely a good car underneath it, and the brand also deserves credit for the improved interior design. 

But there is also some important work to do to make it really enjoyable and a more relaxing drive. Given the rate of improvement from the C10 to the B05, there is every indication that Leapmotor could soon find itself becoming more popular in Australia.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The i20 N hatch is so much fun, and not in a special occasion kind of way. It’s an affordable, compact performance car that’ll put a smile on your face no matter where or when you drive it. The Fiesta ST and Polo GTI have a worthy new playmate. I love it!

While the B05 was very much driven by the European side of the Leapmotor International operation because of its preference for hatchbacks, there’s no doubt it has a distinctive family look to sit nicely alongside the B10 and C10 SUVs.

The company says it has a ‘coupe silhouette’ and a ‘wide-body stance’ to give it a sporty look, which also helps it cut through the air better and help with range. While it’s very much a conventional five-door hatch, it does look well proportioned and inoffensive, which is a good place for Leapmotor to find itself in these early days in Australia.

But to help it stand out and make sure you don’t think this is a plain, vanilla hatchback, it comes in the distinctive Lightning Yellow paint as standard. It’s a bold move, but this is the hero colour used in all marketing material, and clearly Leapmotor hopes the yellow will help give the B05 some cut-through.

And as a bonus, if you don’t want a yellow car, it costs $990 more - even for plain white.

Inside it’s relatively simple - for better and worse.

One of the criticisms of the C10 I had was the extreme simplicity of the cabin. Every surface was seemingly covered in the same terracotta colour trim and it lacked definition, and that made it feel cheap.

For the B05 there are more varied trim elements - around the cupholders, door trims and dashboard - which make for a more interesting and polished design.

From an ergonomic perspective, the seating position lacked enough adjustment for me to get really comfortable, in particular the under thigh support, so there are some design areas where Leapmotor can improve.

However, overall the finish and the design of the cabin is another step forward for the brand.

Hyundai’s current WRC challenger may be a coupe but this angry little five-door hatch absolutely looks the part.

We’re assured the N is the only current-generation i20 we’ll see in the Aussie market, and it runs with a relatively low (101mm) ground clearance, a grille pattern inspired by a chequered flag, black mirror shells, and menacing, angular LED headlights.

The ‘Satin Grey’ 18-inch alloys are unique to this car, as are the side skirts, raised rear spoiler, darkened LED tail-lights, a ‘sort-of’ diffuser under the rear bumper and a single fat exhaust exiting on the right-hand side.

There are three standard paint options - ‘Polar White’, ‘Sleek Silver’, and N’s signature shade of ‘Performance Blue’ (as per our test car) as well as two premium shades - ‘Dragon Red’, and ‘Phantom Black’ (+$495). A contrasting Phantom Black roof adds $1000.

Inside, the N-branded sports seats, trimmed in black cloth, featuring integrated headrests and blue contrast stitching, are unique to the i20 N. There’s a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, handbrake lever and gear knob, as well as metal finishers on the pedals.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and same-sized multimedia screen look slick, and ambient lighting heightens the hi-tech mood.

Technology is clearly a key selling point for Leapmotor, with a lot of its marketing presentation focused on a younger demographic.

It certainly has a clean and straightforward interior, but that’s what’s expected of most modern cars, but in particular the Chinese. There are the two screens for all information and entertainment, but almost no buttons or switchgear.

It means you need to either rely on the voice command, which can be hit and miss, or navigate the multimedia screen menus or remember what each of the multi-purpose buttons and dials on the steering wheel do.

In short, it’s not a particularly user-friendly car to drive, especially when you’re new and learning its controls.

But there is some interesting technology. Starting with the digital key and NFC card, which completely replaces a traditional key fob. It’s not going to please everyone, as unlike typical keyless ignitions that work on proximity, to turn on the B05 you need to place the NFC card in the smartphone charging tray, you can’t just leave it in your pocket.

Alternatively you can set up a pin code that you enter on the multimedia screen to get the car started. You can also share that pin code, and a digital key via the Leapmotor app, that allows your partner, kids or friends to drive the car if you’re not there to hand over the NFC card.

You can even geo-fence it, setting a radius on the app so you can get an alert if the kids or friends stray too far.

The B05 also comes with an e-SIM and its own data plan - 2GB per month - with Leapmotor footing the bill for at least the first three years. However, there are no clear plans for what happens after that date. It means you can run apps, such as the included Spotify and TikTok, through the multimedia screen without connecting your phone.

Another technological selling point is the ‘Automated Routines’, which can be programmed into the car. So, for example, if the ambient temperature reaches a certain degree, it can automatically turn the air-conditioning to a preselected temp.

As for the space, it’s a well-packaged car, with good room front and rear. You’ll get two adults or teenagers, and three smaller kids, in the back. Rear seat occupants in the Design get a centre armrest with cupholders (no such luck for Style buyers) and there are air-con vents, a USB-A and USB-C port as well as a small pull-out storage spot that can double as a tissue dispenser.

As for the boot, it measures 357L, with the space to expand to 1205L if you drop the rear seats. However, there is no spare tyre, only a puncture repair kit if you find yourself with a flat.

Although it’s just 4.1m long, the i20N is impressively space efficient with decent room up front and a surprising amount of head and legroom in the back.

Sitting behind the driver's seat, set for my 183cm position, I had plenty of head and legroom, although, understandably, three people across the back will need to be kids or understanding adults, on a short journey.

And there are plenty of storage and power options, including the wireless device charge pad in front of the gear lever, which doubles as an oddments tray when not in use, two cupholders in the front centre console, door bins with room for large bottles, a modest glove box and a lidded cubby/armrest between the front seats.

No armrest or air vents in the back, but there are map pockets on the front seat backs, and again, bins in the doors with room for bottles

There is a media USB-A socket and another for charging, as well as a 12V outlet in the front, and another USB-A power socket in the back. Hyundai suggests the latter could be handy for powering track day cameras. Great idea!

Boot space is impressive for such a compact hatch. With the rear seats upright there’s 310 litres (VDA) available. Fold the 60/40 split-folding rear backrest and no less than 1123 litres opens up.

A dual-height floor can be flat for long stuff, or deep for tall stuff, there are bag hooks provided, four tie down anchors, and a luggage net included. The spare is a space saver.

At $32,490, before on-road costs, the i20 N is to all intents and purposes the same price as Ford’s Fiesta ST ($32,290), and the VW Polo GTI ($32,890).

It’s offered in one spec only, and aside from the standard safety and performance tech, this new hot Hunday boasts a solid standard features list, including: climate control, LED headlights, tail-lights, daytime running lights and fog lights, 18-inch alloys, Bose audio with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and digital radio, cruise control, nav (with live traffic updates), rear privacy glass, keyless entry and start (as well as remote start), sports front seats, the leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, handbrake lever and gear knob, alloy-faced pedals, auto rain-sensing wipers, power-folding exterior mirrors, plus 15W Qi wireless smartphone charging.

There’s more, like the 10.25-inch ‘N Supervision’ digital instrument cluster, plus a same-size multimedia touchscreen in the centre of the dash, a track maps feature (Sydney Motorsport Park is already in there), as well as an acceleration timer, g-force meter, plus power, engine temperature, turbo boost, brake pressure and throttle gauges. 

You get the idea, and it goes toe-to-toe with the Fiesta ST and Polo GTI.

The B05 is powered by a 160kW and 240Nm electric motor which, unlike most hatches these days, drives the rear wheels. That obviously has a major impact on its dynamic performance, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

That power is enough for the B05 to accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, using it's launch control function. Which is good without being particularly rapid, but this is not a hot hatch, so you shouldn’t expect punchy performance.

The i20 N is powered by a turbo intercooled 1.6 litre four-cylinder petrol engine, driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen-type mechanical limited slip differential.

The all-alloy (G4FP) engine features high-pressure direct-injection and an overboost function, producing 150kW from 5500-6000rpm, and 275Nm from 1750-4500rpm (rising to 304Nm on overboost at max throttle from 2000-4000rpm).

And the engine’s mechanical ‘Continuously Variable Valve Duration’ set-up is something of a breakthrough. In fact, Hyundai claims it as a world’s first for a production engine.

Not timing, not lift, but variable duration of valve opening (managed independently of timing and lift), to strike the optimal balance between power and economy across the rev range.

While the Style and Design have the same motor, the two different trim levels get different batteries.

The Style features a 56.2kWh lithium phosphate battery (LFP) which provides up to 410km of driving range, according to the WLTP test cycle. While the Design gets a larger 67.1kWh LFP battery that extends the range to a theoretical 482km.

Maximum charging is 156kW and 174kW DC for the two models, respectively. This means the Design can charge from 30-80 per cent in approximately 18 minutes.

Hyundai’s official fuel economy figure for the i20 N, on the ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban cycle, is 6.9L/100km, the 1.6-litre four emitting 157g/km of C02 in the process.

Stop/start is standard, and we saw a dash-indicated average of 7.1L/100km over several hundred km of city, B-road and freeway running on the occasionally ‘spirited’  launch drive.

You’ll need 40 litres of ‘standard’ 91 RON unleaded to brim the tank, which translates to a range of 580km using the official figure and 563 kays using our launch test drive number.

This very much depends on how the safety systems are behaving, because it dramatically changes how you experience the B05.

Getting the positives in first, as part of the European focus of the B05 it was tested and had its handling tuned at the Balocco proving ground in Italy, which is where Alfa Romeo has tuned its cars for decades.

This underlines the Stellantis influence on the B05, because hatchbacks are not popular in China so it is very much focused on the European audience. Which should be more inline with traditional Australian tastes.

The combination of this European influence with the rear-wheel-drive layout means the B05 can be a genuine pleasure to drive, even on the winding mountain and flowing country roads we experienced it on.

To be blunt, the roads we drove in the B05 would have been insufferable in the C10 I experienced from Leapmotor in the past.

There are three different settings for the acceleration, steering and regenerative braking, so you can tailor it between sporty and comfort modes, depending on the conditions and your preference.

It’s by no means perfect, the steering could be improved to make it more direct and responsive, but for what is a hatchback and not a hot hatch, the B05 impresses. The rear-wheel-drive layout helps it feel balanced and responsive in a way front-wheel-drive hatches simply aren’t.

Unfortunately, this improved dynamic experience is largely spoiled by the poorly calibrated and integrated active safety features. The primary culprit is the lane keeping assist, which tugs at the wheel and sounds an alarm anytime you even get close to a lane marking.

Even if you try turning it off it keeps turning itself back on unless you also turn off the driver attention monitoring system. Putting aside the obvious dangers and pointlessness of turning safety systems off, it is clear that Leapmotor still has a lot of work to do with calibrating this kind of technology.

Even though the Stellantis side of the operation did the ride and handling tuning, the Chinese-based team at Leapmotor still did the safety calibration. Perhaps drawing on the experience from the likes of Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Opel, etc would be beneficial in making sure the driving experience isn’t spoiled by intrusive safety technology.

Unusually for a manual car, the i20 N features a launch control system (with an adjustable rpm setting), which we found fiddly to get working, but with or without it, Hyundai claims a snappy 0-100km/h time of 6.7sec.

And it’s such a pleasure to steer a car with a slick-shifting manual gearbox. The six-speed unit features a rev-matching function accessed via the press of a racy red button on the steering wheel. 

Buf for those who prefer an old-school, double-shuffle, heal-and-toe tap dance across the pedals, the relationship between the brake and accelerator is perfect. 

And if you’re keen on Walter Rohrl-style left-foot braking, to help steady the car or steer it in fast cornering, the ESC is switchable through to Sport mode or completely off, allowing fuss-free simultaneous brake and throttle application.

There’s even a shift-timing indicator near the top of the instrument cluster, with colour bars closing in on each other as the tacho needle pushes towards the rev limiter. Fun.

Engine and exhaust noise is a combination of a raspy induction note and adjustable crackle and pop out the back, courtesy of a mechanical flap in the exhaust system, adjustable through three settings in N mode.

Traditionalists may not be thrilled by the addition of in-cabin synthetic enhancement of all of the above, but the net effect is thoroughly enjoyable.

It’s worth remembering in this context N stands for Namyang, Hyundai’s sprawling proving ground south of Seoul where the car was developed, and the Nürburgring where this go-fast i20 was fine-tuned.

The body has been specifically reinforced at 12 key points, along with additional welds, and “bolt-in underbody structures” to make the i20 N stiffer and more responsive.

The strut front, coupled (dual) torsion beam rear suspension has also been set up with increased (neg) camber and a revised anti-roll bar at the front, as well as specific springs, shocks and bushings.

A compact, mechanical LSD is added to the mix, and grippy 215/40 x 18 Pirelli P-Zero rubber was produced specifically for the car and is stamped ‘HN’ for Hyundai N. Impressive.

The end result is outstanding. Low-speed ride is firm, with suburban bumps and lumps making their presence felt, but that’s what you’re signing on for in a hot hatch at this price point.

This car feels balanced and well buttoned down. Power delivery is agreeably linear and at a fraction over 1.2 tonnes the i20 N is light, responsive and nimble. Mid-range urge is strong.

Steering feel is good, with assistance from a column-mounted motor taking nothing away from an intimate connection with the front tyres.

The sports front seats proved grippy and comfortable over long stints behind the wheel, and playing with the multiple N drive modes tweaking the engine, ESC, exhaust, and steering just adds to the involvement. There are twin N switches on the wheel for quick access to custom set-ups.   

And that Torsen LSD is brilliant. I tried my best to provoke a spinning inside front wheel on the exit of tight corners, but the i20 N just puts its power down without so much as a chirp, as it rockets towards the next bend.

The brakes are 320mm vented at the front and 262mm solid at the rear. Calipers are single piston, but they’ve been beefed up and fitted with high-friction pads. The master cylinder is bigger than the standard i20 and the front rotors are cooled by lower control arm mounted air guides blowing through vented knuckles.

The launch i20 N fleet of around half a dozen cars copped an hours long hot lap pounding at Wakefield Park Raceway, near Goulburn NSW without drama. They’re well up to the task. 

One niggle is a large turning circle. The data sheet says 10.5m but it feels like the car is carving a wide arc in U-turns or three-point turns.

A 2580mm wheelbase between the bumpers of a 4075mm car is substantial, and the steering’s relatively low gearing (2.2 turns lock-to-lock) no doubt has a lot to do with it. The price you pay for quick turn-in.

Although it hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, the headline on active safety tech in the i20N is the inclusion of ‘Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist’, which is Hyundai-speak for AEB (city and urban speed with pedestrian detection).

And from there it’s assist city, with ‘Lane Keeping Assist’, ‘Lane Following Assist’, ‘High Beam Assist’, and ‘Intelligent Speed Limit Assist.’

Followed by all the warnings: ‘Blind Spot Collision Warning’, ‘Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning’, ‘Driver Attention Warning’, and ‘Parking Distance Warning’ (front and rear).

The i20 N also features a tyre pressure monitoring system and a reversing camera. But if, despite all that, a crash is unavoidable there are six airbags on-board - driver and front passenger front and side (thorax), and side curtain - as well as three top tether points and two ISOFIX locations across the back row for child seats.

Leapmotor offers a respectable, but by no means segment leading, six-year/150,000km warranty plus an eight-year/160,000km battery warranty as well as eight years roadside assistance and eight years of capped-price servicing.

As for how much that servicing will cost you over the eight years, it works out at a cost of $2980. A minor service costs $215 but the major ones are up to $470, and they are due every second year.

While we’re discussing ownership, one of the reasons for the brand’s slow growth in Australia is the fact it has a limited number of places where you can actually buy one. Leapmotor only has 25 dealers and service centres in Australia (at the time of publication), and while there are plans to expand, it does leave it lagging behind many of its competitors.

Hyundai covers the i20 N with a five year/unlimited km warranty, and the ‘iCare’ program includes a ‘Lifetime Service Plan’, as well as 12 months 24/7 roadside assist and an annual sat nav map update (the latter two renewed free-of-charge each year, up to 10 years, if the car is serviced at an authorised Hyundai dealer).

Maintenance is scheduled every 12-months/10,000km (whichever comes first) and there’s a pre-paid option which means you can lock in prices and/or fold service costs into your finance package.

Owners also have access to the ‘myHyundai’ online portal providing details on the car’s operation and features as well special offers and customer support.

Service for the i20 N will set you back $309 for each of the first five years, which is competitive for a hot hatch in this part of the market.