Leapmotor B05 vs Volkswagen Golf

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.

Like the generations that preceded it, the current VW Golf 8.5 is a high-quality, comfortable and efficient small car. Add in good looks, space-efficiency, thoughtful practicality as well as class-competitive safety and you have the makings of a compelling package. The potential sticking point is this entry-level 110TSI Life’s value proposition in terms of included features relative to its purchase price and ongoing cost of ownership.  

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.

The team at VW’s Design Centre in Wolfsburg grapples with the same challenge when it comes to evolving the Golf as their contemporaries down the autobahn at Porsche face with the 911.

Over successive generations it must remain instantly recognisable as a Golf but move on to a more contemporary look and feel.

And although it’s always a subjective call I’d argue the current ‘8.5’ generation Golf answers the brief nicely.

Its neat, tightly wrapped exterior aligns with the classic Golf profile while including enough detail elements like the angular tail-lights and broad C-pillar to pass the badge removal test. Take away the VW roundels and this car is still clearly a Golf.

Neat touches include illuminated door handle recesses and broad-spoke alloy wheels that lift the visual tone.

Inside, the same juggling act stands up with sizeable screens for instruments and media balanced by a typically teutonic dash, door and console layout (with soft-touch surfaces at key points). Conservative but ultra-functional and easy to live with.

One niggle is haptic slider controls for audio volume and ventilation adjustment below the media screen rather than physical dials (although a steering wheel volume rocker switch helps). 

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.

At close to 4.3 metres long, less than 1.8m wide and under 1.5m tall with a 2631mm wheelbase the Golf sits at the more compact end of the small-car spectrum.

But there’s plenty of head and shoulder room up front with relatively large doors making entry and egress easy.

Storage is plentiful with bins in the doors large enough to swallow large bottles, a decent glove box, an open tray in the dash for the front passenger and twin cupholders in the centre console (one able to hide away for extra general storage), a wireless device charging bay and a coin or pen slot next to the gear selector. 

Special mention goes to the padded lid on the storage box between the front seats, which in modern VW style, can ratchet up through three positions and extend out to make its side hustle as an armrest even more valuable.

Move to the back and, understandably, there’s adequate rather than copious amounts of space, roughly on a par with others in the class.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I have decent leg and headroom and there’s enough width for three (friendly) full-size adults on a short journey but it’s best for two.

There are generous door bins, again with room for large bottles, map pockets on the front seatbacks, two (and a half) cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and an oddments slot under twin adjustable vents at the rear of the front centre console.

Power and connectivity runs to dual USB-C jacks and a 12-volt socket up front, with another two USB-Cs in the back and a 12V in the boot.

Speaking of which, the boot measures 374 litres (VDA) with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright expanding to 1230L with it folded.   

Interestingly, the Golf’s Corolla nemesis offers only 217 litres of boot space with all seats up. But the flagship ZR grows to 333L because it ditches a physical spare tyre for a repair/inflator kit.

Something the Golf, to VW’s credit, doesn’t do, with a space-saver spare under the boot floor. Numerous load anchors and bag hooks in there are a big plus.

The fact you’re able to tow a 1.5-tonne braked trailer (690kg unbraked) rounds out a solid practicality package. 

We may have been swamped by the SUV wave over the past couple of decades but the small hatch hasn’t disappeared and at $39,290, before on-road costs, the Golf 110TSI Life lines up against a main quintet of quality internal-combustion alternatives.

Sitting at around the same money (all prices before on-road costs) are the Hyundai i30 Premium 2.0P ($39,500), Kia K4 Sport+ Hatch ($39,090), Mazda3 G25 GT Vision ($40,410), Subaru Impreza 2.0S ($40,990) and Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid ($39,100).

It’s the Corolla that dominates the category overall, currently outselling the Golf by a ratio of 6.5 to one (5208 vs 799 units - YTD 2026).

And in this instance, the entry-level Golf aligns with the top-spec (non-GR) Corolla ZR which would appear to place it firmly behind the eight ball in terms of value. But does it?

Aside from the performance and safety tech we’ll get to shortly the Golf 110TSI Life’s standard specification includes auto LED headlights, rear fog lights, surround lighting (projected from the door mirrors), 17-inch alloy rims, single-zone climate control, a 10.2-inch instrument display, a 10.3-inch central multimedia screen, six-speaker audio (with digital radio), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, ‘GoConnect’ connected services, LED ambient lighting, heated and power-folding exterior mirrors, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and rain-sensing wipers.

Not exactly poverty spec, but for context the Corolla ZR matches all that and picks up 18-inch alloys, high grade LED headlights, front fog lamps, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate, leather and synthetic suede seat trim (compared to the Golf’s cloth), a 12.3-inch instrument display, eight-speaker JBL audio and more.

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.

As its name implies the Golf 110TSI Life is powered by a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sending 110kW (there it is) and 250Nm to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel.

It’s an all-alloy unit featuring direct-injection and an air-to-water turbo intercooler with variations of it used in other VW models as well as numerous Audis, Cupras and Skodas.

VW doesn’t quote a zero to 100km/h time for the standard Golf but you can expect a number in the mid-eight second bracket.  

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.

The Golf’s official fuel consumption figure for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.3L/100km, the 1.4L turbo four emitting 143g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of mainly city and suburban running with some freeway sections thrown in, we recorded an on-test average of 7.4L/100km. That’s still a respectable number in the context of the category.

Brim the 50-litre tank with minimum 95 RON premium fuel and using our real-world figure you can expect a driving range in excess of 670km.

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.

The Golf is a comfortable, refined and dynamically capable small hatch.

Suspension is strut front, four-link rear and combined with the 17-inch rims shod with comfy 225/45 Nexen N Fera Sport rubber the 110TSI Life manages to soak up typical suburban and highway bumps and dips well. Especially impressive for a small car with such a short wheelbase.

And despite the fact they’re trimmed in humble cloth, the front seats are super comfy and supportive.

An impressively slick 0.275 drag coefficient makes sense when you experience the modest wind noise at highway speeds.

The steering is vehicle speed and input-sensitive and road feel is outstanding. Slipping into ‘Sport’ mode and pushing through some twisting corners it feels like this humble 110TSI is a hot hatch in hiding.

The eight-speed auto transmission is smooth and taking control for more urgent shifts via the steering wheel paddles adds to the enjoyment when you’re in the mood or the need arises.

You’d never know the engine is turbocharged, with the 1.4-litre four-cylinder delivering its power in satisfyingly linear fashion, even at slow speed from low revs.

You can expect zero to 100km/h acceleration in the mid-eight second bracket with 250Nm of pulling power easily enough for confident urban lane changes and 110kW of power on tap for secure highway overtaking.

No surprise brakes are discs all around, vented at the front, and given the car weighs in at a trim 1345kg stopping power is strong and consistent.

Under the heading of general observations, the media system is quick and intuitive to use, all around vision is good despite the characteristically chunky C-pillar and although an 11.1-metre turning circle is a bit above the class average, parking is easy.  

The Golf was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2022, scoring particularly well in terms of adult and child occupant protection. 

Active (crash-avoidance) tech includes a suite of ‘IQ.Drive’ features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, park assist, front and rear proximity sensors, a reversing camera, driver fatigue monitoring and more.

Worth noting if you want the rear cross-traffic alert and exit warning you’ll need to step up to the Style grade ($44,350, before on-road costs).  

If, despite all of the above, a crash is unavoidable there are nine airbags onboard - front, front side, front centre, rear side and side curtain.

For child seats there are three top tether points across the rear seat with ISOFIX anchors in the two outer positions.

That’s all on the pace for the category.

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.

Volkswagen Australia covers the Golf with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is on par with other mainstream brands like Ford, Mazda and Toyota, but behind a dozen others including Hyundai, Kia and Skoda at seven years/unlimited km with the likes of Honda at eight and MG, Mitsubishi and Nissan at 10 years conditional.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months/15,000km and three-, four- and five-year pre-paid service ‘Care Plans’ are available, with the latter for the Golf 110TSI Life locked in at $2940, which splits out to a relatively steep $588 per workshop visit. Pay-as-you-go ‘Assured Service Pricing’ works out at $621 per service.

For reference, a comparably priced Toyota Corolla ZR hatch will set you back a flat $250 per service for each of the first five years. 

There are more than 100 Volkswagen dealers across the country covering all states and territories including main rural and regional areas.