Leapmotor B03X News

Chinese brand Leapmotor will soon have bragging rights with confirmation that its new small SUV will be the cheapest electric SUV available in Australia.The B03X will kick off from about $30,000 drive-away when it lands in the fourth quarter of this year and it will be offered in two model grades.Full pricing and Australian specification won’t be revealed until closer to launch but this indicative pricing is a warning shot to its mostly Chinese rivals that Leapmotor is about to ramp up.The B03X is slightly shorter in length, but roughly the same width and height as a BYD Atto 2 and Jaecoo J5 EV.Currently the BYD kicks off from $31,990 before on-road costs, while the Jaecoo is $36,990 drive-away.Other potential rivals include the Chery E5 ($37,990 d/a) and the new GWM Ora 5 (from $33,990 d/a), while other small electric SUVs like the MG S6, Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV3 all start from in the $40,000 bracket.Leapmotor’s other small SUV, the larger B10, kicks off from $37,888 before on-road costs, leaving plenty of space for the B03X as an entry point to the Stellantis-backed carmaker’s line-up.Buyers might also look at small electric hatchbacks like the Geely EX2, BYD Atto 1 and Dolphin, which all undercut the B03X SUV.From launch the B03X is EV only, but Leapmotor International Vice President Commercial Operations Europe Danilo Annese, told Australian journalists the brand has not ruled developing a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or range extender electric vehicle (REEV) version of the B03X, if there is sufficient global demand.Annese said a number of European countries have requested a hybrid version, adding there were no limitations on the new front-wheel-drive B platform.He said the company could justify the investment if demand came from outside Europe.“Potentially, yes. It's not a measure. We hope that the countries outside Europe will be in the position to justify an investment. This is what we really look forward. If Brazil, if Australia, if Mexico will be on the projected size to justify an investment, why not?“So it does not exclude that we will look into that and try to bring something on a decent timescale. I don't know how long,” he said.Leapmotor offers both battery electric and REEV versions of the C10 mid-size SUV and B10 small SUV, but the incoming B05 hatch is EV only.A further development of the platform is expected with Leapmotor confirming at the B03X launch that it would reveal the international version of the B03 at this year’s Paris motor show in October.Dubbed A05 in China, the B03 is a light b-segment hatchback related to the B03X that will sit under the B05 hatch in its international line-up.However, CarsGuide understands the B03 is unlikely to make it to Australia given the challenges of the light hatch segment.