Leapmotor B03X 2027 News

The days of China playing catch-up with the rest of the automotive world are over.  Some of the oldest brands in the car industry are now able to learn from Chinese brands, as they look to become more competitive on price and with the latest generation of electric vehicles. One of the companies at the centre of this new dynamic is Stellantis, the multinational group that combines Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen, Maserati, Jeep, Opel and more under the one umbrella. Since 2023, Stellantis has had a stake in Chinese brand Leapmotor and has begun selling its vehicles in global markets - including Australia. The initial offering, the C10 SUV, was met with less-than-glowing reviews and since then the two sides of the joint-venture have begun to work more closely together. Stellantis is teaching Leapmotor how to build cars more appealing to European and Australian customers, but Leapmotor is also able to teach its own lessons, too. That’s according to Francesco Giacalone, Leapmotor International Head of Product and Marketing, who said the information and learnings flow both ways between Europe and China. “ For what concern Leapmotor, what we are seeing is that there are, in this moment, more and more interactions in terms of vehicle customisation,” Giacalone said. “So there are Stellantis teams of chassis, dynamic performance that are constantly visiting Leapmotor to help to improve the Leapmotor products for the overseas markets. "They are as a Stellantis team acquiring experience about how Leapmotor develop the products and in concrete terms, helping Leapmotor to be more efficient and fit to the customer in overseas markets. "At the same time, they are learning component by component what can be picked from Leapmotor as let's say low-hanging fruits or a bit more complex to integrate in the Stellantis architecture.” The launch of the more European-focused B05 hatchback and the new B03X compact SUV are signs of the European and Chinese sides of the business working together to shape a more globally friendly offering.  The B05 is due to arrive in Australian showrooms before the end of 2026. Pricing has already been announced, with the all-electric hatchback set to start from $35,990 drive-away for the base car, while the long-range variant will start at $39,990 drive-away. That means it won’t be the cheapest EV on sale in its segment, the GWM Ora 5 starts at just $33,990 drive-away, but it does feature a 160kW/240Nm electric motor, rear-wheel drive layout and the tuning was largely done in Europe with the help of Stellantis - combining the best of both sides of the partnership. While Giacalone didn’t reveal exactly what cars Leapmotor has planned for the Australian market, he did hint at offering cars tailored to our tastes, and even indicated a ute is under investigation. So expect more examples of affordable, European-tuned but Chinese-built cars, like the B05 and B03X to become increasingly common in the coming years.

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.