Electric Reviews

MG’s getting rather good at building cars that don’t feel so… cheap.For some time after Chinese state-owned manufacturer SAIC Motor took over the historically British brand, MG’s passenger cars seemed destined to be driven into the ground and replaced, but that’s not the case now.Not only has the brand’s formerly ‘cheap and barely cheerful’ MG3 become a decent hatchback, MG has started building properly good electric cars.The 2026 MG S5 EV, as much as Audi might have an issue with that name, is one of them.The small electric SUV is not only affordable when you consider what you get (as in many such cases with Chinese cars), but it’s also quite a decent drive.For $48,990 drive-away, you can have the car pictured, the top-of-the-range S5 EV Essence 62. It’s named as such because, you guessed it, it has a 62kWh battery rather than the smaller 49kWh unit also available in either this or the lower-grade Excite. That’s four grades all up, but we’re sticking at the top.That means the S5 is approaching the price of one of CarsGuide’s favourite electric cars, the Kia EV3 – even if it’s the base EV3 and the features list is somewhat shorter.The Essence 62 has a claimed WLTP rated range of 425km, which isn’t groundbreaking considering similar-sized electric SUVs have been doing this for the better part of a decade – the Hyundai Kona Electric had it beat five years ago with a similarly-sized battery.The Essence 62 also gets the same extensive list of features as the Essence 49, aside from the (90km) longer range.Inside, there’s a 10.25-inch driver display and a 12.8-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker sound system, a wireless phone charger, surround-view parking camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, V2L capability, keyless entry and start and rain-sensing window wipers.It’s a practical space inside that still retains physical controls for the climate along with buttons on the steering wheel, while the native operating system within the touchscreen is clear and easy to navigate.Its LED daytime running lights, 18-inch alloys, power tailgate, a panoramic sunroof and tinted privacy glass are all giveaways from the exterior, but they’re not my biggest point about the S5’s exterior.Yes, the big thing that very much turns me off the S5 EV is its design. MG’s design language has struck me as a little hodge-podge for a while, and the S5 feels like one of the best examples of why.It has these soft curves and lines that, in a lot of ways, are fairly restrained. There isn’t a lot of unnecessary trim or just lines for the sake of breaking things up.But then there’s the face.The DRLs and headlights create these sharp, angular eyes and an almost war-paint-like shape underneath. Why does this small, family-friendly SUV look so aggressive from the front? It’s got 125kW and 250Nm.Fortunately, it doesn’t feel aggressive from behind the wheel.Those 125kW and 250Nm are put to better use than you might think, but the delivery is progressive and still gives you that little shove as you put your foot down, which you’ll be familiar with if you’re an EV person. It doesn’t feel incredibly urgent and you won’t be spinning the rear wheels (yes, it’s rear-wheel drive!) unless it’s pouring rain… and oil, perhaps. Its steering is arguably too light and lacks communication, but it’s accurate enough and once you’re used to it becomes a bit of a non-issue.The suspension, similarly, is nothing necessarily to write home about, but it’s a big improvement on where your expectations from previous MGs might land.It can be unsettled at times, usually during fast cornering on rough roads, but you wouldn’t expect most people to be doing this in a small electric SUV anyway.It wafts a little after big bumps or undulations in the road, but collects itself quickly enough to not feel sickening as some EVs are prone to.At the same time, it’s not too stiff. Comfortable, practical, a relatively well-judged setup overall.Practicality continues post-purchase, MG’s 10-year/250,000-kilometre warranty includes the battery and you shouldn’t really be worried by that distance limitation. You do need to service with MG to keep the warranty going, though.There’s also a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2025, plus seven airbags and a long list of active driver-assistance tech that actually seems rather well-calibrated given the overbearing nature of many systems, particularly those from Chinese brands. 

Lepas might have a nasty case of sibling rivalry on its hands later this year when the small Lepas L4 joins the bigger mid-size L6 and larger-still L8.Sharing a similar footprint to the BYD Atto 3, the Lepas L4 measures in at 4415mm long, 1817mm wide, stands 1630mm tall and has a 2700mm wheelbase and is based on Chery's new LEX platform, that incorporates Chery's latest EEA 5.1 electrics.Identical to the second-generation Chinese-spec Chery Tiggo 5, that probably won't head Down Under, the L4 will be sold globally under the Chinese's car giant's fledgling Lepas badge that will one day morph into a real premium brand to rival BMW or Benz.For now, cars like the L4 will sit above any equivalent Jaecoo or Omoda models when it comes to pricing.Claimed to be tailored for European tastes, to justify an extra five per cent price premium the little L4 is said to have created a cabin with higher-grade materials.Like the L6, you'll find the same 8.8-inch digital instrument panel and a portrait-mounted 13.2-inch infotainment that features the firm's fastest and slickest software that runs powerful Snapdragon 8155 processor.Living beneath it are twin cupholders and a single 50W wireless charger.While physical controls aren't plentiful there are a useful row of shortcuts beneath the screen, plus a Chery-sourced multi-function steering wheel with proper buttons.The synthetic leather in our car and general design won't give Audi's cabin stylists sleepless nights, the little Chery feels well-built and matches rivals like the Leapmotor B10.As an added bonus, the little L4 seems to offer more space within than rivals and there's even a large 458-litre boot, boosted to 1284L with the second row dropped.If that's not enough, within there's said to be 34 different stowage compartments.In China the Chery Tiggo 5 comes with an 80kW 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol, for Australia the entry engine will be ignored and Aussies will be offered either a plug-in hybrid or all-electric power.That's the same choice as the L6 and first details suggest both cars will share identical hardware.That means the L4 EV will bag a 67kWh battery and a front-mounted electric motor that produces 150kW with a rumoured 240Nm of torque.Off the line a 0-100km/h sprint of less than 8.0 seconds should be possible.With the L4 still set to be officially homologated, early intel suggests the baby Lepas will be capable of covering 450km, again, matching the larger L6.Limited by 400-volt architecture, which is the norm for the class, the L4 will take around 26 minutes for the usual 10-to-80 per cent top-up.Helping build the anticipation for its introduction Down Under we had the briefest of spins on a small track in the pouring rain.Smooth and brisk enough off the line, even then, through a tight and twisting slalom it was easy to detect the benefits of multi-link rear suspension, while the odd bump or two we hit while hot-lapping proved the little L4 is composed as its larger sibling.Once launched, both the L4 and L6 promises to improve dynamically further. First it will undergo a Euro suspension tune and then, later on, all local models will also benefit from yet another retune, this time for our unique (read 'terrible') Australian roads.After only a couple of laps, we were done, but it's good to report the L4 did nothing to disgrace itself and feels easily agile enough to challenge the best in its class.It's impossible to guess how well equipped the L4 EV will be when it lands but in South Africa the range-topping L4s ride on 17-inch alloy wheels, get hill descent control, six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, a surround-view parking camera, adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and driver fatigue detection.LED headlamps, roof rails and a roof spoiler are all standard, while inside are six-way adjust electric heated and ventilated seats, an electric sunroof, 50W wireless charger, a six-speaker sound system and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from launch.While not confirmed, we expect the new Chery brand to match the eight-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty all Jaecoo models come with.When the Lepas L4 EV eventually lands in Australia it's expected to match close rivals like the Leapmotor B10 and be priced from around $38,000 drive-away.

Three months with the 2026 Zeekr 7X RWD have come and gone at an alarming rate.But I’ve immensely enjoyed my time with the fully electric mid-size SUV, which impresses on so many fronts.The 7X is so impressive, in fact, that it was recently awarded CarsGuide Car of the Year 2026 – Best Medium SUV Under $60K, which you can read more about here.In the first two instalments of this three-part long-term review, I covered a lot of the reasons why the 7X has been so successful since its Australian arrival last year.In the first edition I detailed its keen pricing, high specification and strong powertrain and efficiency, while the second saw me deep-dive its fetching design and genuine practicality. You can check out both in the links above.As promised, this third and final look at the 7X will be headlined by drive impressions and overall verdict.So, how does the Chinese newcomer stack up behind the wheel? Let’s find out!From the moment I picked up the ‘keys’ to the 7X RWD I was struck by how it could easily be mistaken for a European car, and not just design wise.Nearly every Chinese-branded car I’ve driven to date has been underwhelming to drive, but the 7X shows how far these marques have come in such a short period of time.In some instances these carmakers have started to catch up with the rest of the world.It no doubt helps that Zeekr can tap into the expertise of its Geely Group parent company, which also owns Sweden’s Volvo and England’s Lotus.Point being, there is a legacy element that Zeekr can make the most of, and it certainly has with the 7X.Yes, the 7X RWD on test here still delivers a relatively soft ride – which is a Chinese-brand signature as passenger comfort is front of mind – but it does so in a relatively controlled manner.The RWD goes without the air springs and adaptive dampers of its Performance sibling, yet its balance will satisfy most, with small bumps dealt with aplomb.It can become unsettled over larger imperfections, but it is more composed than its more expensive Polestar 4 cousin – and it is arguably half European!Handling-wise, the 7X separates itself from the Chinese-brand pack with stronger body control when turning into a corner at low or high speed.Being a high-riding SUV, though, physics cannot be denied, so there is some roll when tipping in the 7X, but the beauty of the RWD variant is its rear-wheel-drive dynamics.Being pushed out of a corner rather than pulled is a nicer sensation, as is oversteer in general.When it comes to the 7X’s electric power steering, it has three settings, with Comfort feeling too dead off-centre for my liking. Standard strikes the best balance when it comes to feedback, while Sport is too heavy for regular low-speed use.That said, the 7X still isn’t the most engaging model to drive in its segment, as that honour still belongs to the facelifted Tesla Model Y, which offers quicker steering and even stronger body control.Straight-line performance is another 7X RWD strong suit, with its single, rear-mounted electric motor delivering a relative high 310kW of power and a more modest 440Nm of torque.This enables a brisk 0-100km/h acceleration time of six seconds flat, which can be achieved when putting its Acceleration mode into Sport.The Standard setting is better balanced with energy consumption, so that is my pick, but you also have a Comfort option that dials down the performance too much for my liking, although it may please your passengers the most.There are two settings for the 7X’s regenerative braking, with Standard akin to engine braking in an internal-combustion model, while Sport has a noticeably higher level of deceleration, but it is still not strong enough in my books.A one-pedal drive mode is a separate option for bringing the 7X to a complete stop without the use of its actual brake pedal, but I found myself regularly using my left foot because the regenerative braking was not slowing things down quickly enough – even with some serious thought put into it.When it comes to noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, the 7X benefits from being a fully electric vehicle with near-silent operation.That said, some wind noise over the side mirrors can penetrate the cabin at highway speeds, but it can be drowned out by the RWD's excellent 10-speaker sound system.Advanced driver-assist safety systems rightly cop a lot of flack these days for being poorly tuned and obtrusive in many instances, but the 7X’s overall package is one of the better ones.The driver attention alert springs into action when required, but I personally find it to be distracting in itself, although the good news is that when you turn it off it stays off.It is a similar story with the intermittent but mostly inaccurate drowsiness alert.With those two features turned off, the only intermittent challenge is the emergency lane keeping, which is occasionally overly cautious, providing steering-wheel resistance when you try and make what it deems to be an unsafe manoeuvre – but it can be physically overpowered.The forward collision warning is also a little too sensitive for my liking, but it’s not necessarily wrong when it does spring into action, if you get what I mean.As for the less exciting stuff, the 7X is a relative breeze to park, with a lot of the credit going to its clear, detailed surround-view camera, which has a handy steering-wheel shortcut button, which is seldom seen.In my third and final month with the 7X RWD my average energy consumption was 15.6kWh/100km over 655km of driving, which was a fairly even combination of city and highway trips.This compares to the 15.2kWh/100km and 15.9kWh/100km that I achieved in months one and two, respectively, all of which combine to 15.6kWh/100km over a total distance driven of 2383km.Given the 7X RWD’s useable battery capacity of 71kWh, that equals a real-world driving range of 455km, which again is very close to its WLTP claim of 480km – that’s a big win. Acquired: January 21, 2025Distance travelled this month: 655kmOdometer: 5415kmAverage energy consumption this month: 15.6kWh/100km

There's something newer and far more advanced on the horizon, but does the BMW i4 electric liftback still have enough appeal in 2026?

Zeekr has made quite a name for itself for its range of aggressively priced premium performance SUVs.The 7X and upcoming 8X and 9X have generated quite a lot of hype. It seems though, that this Chinese brand has more to prove. It doesn’t just want to undercut established premium brands on the SUV front, it wants to appeal to rusted-on enthusiasts with its upcoming fully electric 7GT wagon.That’s right, a brand-new sporty station wagon designed to take aim at the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi S5 in 2026.Does this Euro-flavoured Chinese wagon have what it takes to impress? We briefly drove one in China to find out.First things first, what do we know about the 7GT for Australia?For one, it’s been locked-in judging by recent comments from the Australian division's boss, Frank Li. He said it was difficult to tell what order the brand’s range of cars will arrive, but with the 9X flagship SUV due before the end of 2026, it seems likely we’ll see the 7GT either very late in 2026, or early 2027.Interestingly, the 7GT (known as the 007GT in China) has a sedan variant as well (simply the 007 in its home market) although the brand hasn't said much about it, suggesting it will be a wagon-only offering in Australia.As for the price? The 7GT starts from the equivalent of around A$42,000 and tops out at around A$52,000 in China, suggesting a range of around A$55,000 - $70,000 by the time the car lands in Australia.Price wise, this could put it in a similar league to mainstream wagon offerings like the Skoda Octavia (from $66,000), Subaru WRX (from $58,490) and Cupra Leon (from $69,990).Like the 7X SUV which came before it, it will be an upgrade on those mainstream rivals by offering fully electric power with significant driving range, while also significantly undercutting premium wagons like the BMW 3 Series (from $98,800), Audi A5 (from $92,900) and Genesis G70 (from $80,265).It is unclear whether the 7X will be offered in a single high-performance specification or if Zeekr will also offer an entry-level price-leading variant.The powertrain choices in China include a rear-wheel-drive version (still offering a whopping 370kW/545Nm and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.8 seconds) or an all-wheel drive with 585kW/812Nm and 0-100km/h sprint in just 2.85 seconds (faster than a Porsche Taycan Turbo).The entry-level version of the 7GT is powered by a 75kWh battery pack offering up to 702km of driving range, with a larger 103kWh battery pack offering up to 880km of driving range (both driving ranges calculated to the more lenient CLTC measuring standard).With a 900-volt electrical architecture, the 7GT can charge ultra fast, 10 to 80 per cent in as low as 10 minutes on a compatible DC charger, according to the brand.Penned in Europe at Geely’s facilities in Gothenburg, Sweden, the 7GT gets European proportions with a split spoiler topping off the roof, and a ducktail shaping the boot line. Sadly, Australian Design Rules will prohibit the character-enhancing animated DRL clusters above the headlight strip, as is also the case for the 7X.Sitting in the 7GT and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were sitting in a Volvo or a Polestar - two other Geely-owned brands. The commitment to interior materials and cabin ergonomics has always put Zeekr a cut above its Chinese contemporaries, doubly so in the 7GT which sits nice and low and sports a rising console platform, which culminates in a large but not excessive central touchscreen.There’s even a control dial and a couple of shortcut buttons below, which can’t be said for a lot of this car’s Chinese rivals.Space is good in both the front and rear seats for me at 182cm tall, and the 7GT also has a surprisingly large boot despite its coupe-looking roofline.We only had a chance to briefly drive the 7GT on a small test circuit in a car park in China, which consisted of a 0-100km/h sprint, brake test, and a moose-test style slalom, however, I’ve also driven this car’s sedan version, the 007, on Geely’s actual racing track in Ningbo, which gave a bit more insight into its performance and limitations.Quite predictably, it’s blisteringly fast, with the kind of silent, brutal acceleration anybody who has driven a Tesla will be familiar with.As soon as you go to turn a corner though, the Euro flavour for the Zeekr again helps to set it apart. The steering in the 7GT feels much more natural, like something you’d experience in a Volvo or Polestar as opposed to the lifeless or overly electrified feeling you get from some otherwise-good EVs.Judging the suspension is difficult as the drive was on curated and perfectly flat tarmac surfaces, but riding lower than its SUV siblings, the 7GT feels comparatively slick when attacking corners and chicanes.Perhaps the biggest issue facing anything electric is weight, and while the 7GT might hide it well at commuter pace, the track sessions in the 007 were frequently slowed down after only a handful of laps to manage heat in the brakes. This is worth noting if you’re thinking about a family car that also makes short work of more expensive combustion cars at a track day.

Few brands do the whole cheap and cheerful thing better than the Chinese newcomers. Marques like Leapmotor, Geely, BYD and Chery have put such downward pressure on pricing that they’ve effectively redefined what things cost, and the old guard has been left scrambling (and often failing) to keep up. The challenge, though, is getting the balance exactly right. If you picture the scales of justice, with those little plates hanging off chains, you really want each side to be exactly even. The cheerfulness has to match the level of cheap and less of the former means more of the latter to balance the ledger. And on (admittedly brief) first impressions, the Leapmotor B03X is going to want to be cheap. It’s not that it lacks cheer entirely. It’s more that this feels like unapologetic cut-price motoring from behind the wheel, and Leapmotor would need to price it as such to make a splash in our market.In China, for example, it’s very, very affordable. The cheapest version converts to around $14,000 in Aussie dollars. That’s not going to happen in our market, but if it started in the mid-$20k bracket, those scales would be spirit-level balanced.But before we go any further than that, I should probably explain just what the hell I’m talking about, right?The B03X is Leapmotor’s small and all-electric SUV, called the A10 in China. At 4270mm long, 1810mm wide and 1635mm tall, we’re talking BYD Atto 2-sized here, which is the B03X’s clearest direct rival. In its domestic market it’s offered with two LFP battery sizes, 39.8kWh or 53kWh, with a claimed CLTC range of 403km or 505km. You need to shave some distance from both to get closer to an accurate WLTP number. I’m hypothesising here, but I’d say around 410kms from the bigger battery would be about right.DC fast charging is limited to around 130kW, but the brand says that's enough to go from 30 to 80 per cent charges in around 15mins. There's no word yet on AC charging, or how long it takes to go from empty to full.Providing the power is a front-mounted (so front-wheel drive) electric motor, and the power outputs are, well, less than impressive. You can choose between 70kW and 150Nm, presumably with the smaller and lighter battery. The most powerful version dials those figures all the way up (well, not that far up, actually) to 90kW and 150Nm.You don’t need to don a deerstalker hat to figure out what those outputs mean for acceleration. We put the B03X to a brief test on a rented track near Leapmotor’s Chinese HQ, and found flat-footed acceleration to be leisurely at best.The brand says the run to 100km/h can take up to 12 seconds, but it feels longer. Prepare to be overtaken by Lime bikes. And possibly pedestrians. That alone largely limits the B03X to the urban jungle. You'd need a sun dial to accurately measure overtaking manoeuvres on our long and dusty highways.I’m hesitant to waggle a finger too aggressively at vehicles we drive in China, as their tastes differ so much from our own. Most brands – Leapmotor included – change the ride and handling balance for export markets. And should the B03X make it to Australia, they will likely do the same, as the domestic-market version felt a little too soft and spongey through its suspension.If that’s the cheap, what’s the cheerful? You get a hell of a lot of stuff for your investment, whatever that ends up being. An electric powertrain, decent city range, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, a giant 14.6-inch central screen, a second digital driver display, clever under-seat storage, seat heating, a glass roof, a cabin without a scrap of fabric and an automatic boot.You also get Leapmotor's version of a slightly watered-down take on Tesla's Full Self Driving Supervised. The B03X will hold its speed on the freeway, change lanes and even take the right exit without your input.There's also space, and lots of it. Myself and another adult sat in the backseat of the B03X for about 30 minuntes or so, and we found we had plenty of room to get comfy. There’s also more than 600 litres of cargo space – and more than 1500L with the backseat folded flat.The B03X isn’t confirmed for an Australian launch, but it’s on the brand’s consideration list for a local debut. It just needs to get those scales to balance first.

The 2026 Mini Aceman could be the perfect Mini - not too big and not too small - and with a fully electric powertrain. But what's it like at urban duties?

Actions speak louder than words and the fact Chery has lined up a QQ3 at one of its proving grounds a stone's throw from its Wuhu HQ suggests the small hatch will be announced for our market shortly.Priced in China from the equivalent of just $A14,000, in Australia we think the QQ3 will cost the same as a BYD Atto 1 ($23,990 plus on-road costs), which is remarkable as the much-bigger Chery offers the space of a Toyota Corolla, plus a far longer range, compared to other cheap EVs.Throw in pleasing rear-wheel drive handling, brisk acceleration and class-leading in-car tech and the new Chery QQ3 has all the makings of a big hit. That's if Chery Australia chooses to import it.As it pours with rain, the poor all-electric hatch has already suffered at the hands of other journos, with multiple cone strikes having already made their mark, but the odd minor dent here and there doesn't take the shine off one of Chery's most appealing designs so far.Paying homage to the first-generation Chery QQ, that was little more than a rip-off of the pint-sized Daewoo Matiz, the new curvy QQ3 gains oval-shaped LED lamps, smooth door handles, a floating roof and slanted C-pillars.Measuring in at 4195mm long, 1811mm wide and standing 1569mm tall, the QQ3 has a relatively long 2700mm wheelbase for plenty of space within.For reference, that's 95mm shorter, 41mm wider and 1mm shorter than the BYD Dolphin, with the same wheelbase.Boot space is 375 litres, with a useful 70-litre frunk tucked up under the bonnet. Inside, there's also said to be a further 38 storage areas dotted around the light and spacious cabin, including a 35-litre compartment under the rear seats.Six exterior hues are available with further optional finishes for the roof, the youthful exterior is reflected within and the entry model Chery's cabin surprisingly comes with some advanced big car kit, despite its low price.Headline equipment includes an 8.8-inch instrument cluster and a huge 15.6-inch central multimedia screen which runs a punchy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip for faster, smoother reactions.The tech includes an AI-powered voice assistant and standard Apple CarPlay. As an added bonus, our car also came with ventilated and heated front seats and vehicle-to-load charging (V2L), with the latter able to top up domestic appliances like laptops or e-bikes.In China, two powertrains are available – one with 58kW and 90Nm of torque and another with 90kW and 115Nm of torque.Battery options include a 29.48kWh and a 41.28kWh powerpack, with even the baby powerpack delivering 310km of range. The bigger battery, meanwhile, sees the QQ3 drive up to 420km, but both of those figures are on the more lenient Chinese CLTC test cycle, so expect a big drop off when evaluated using the more stringent WLTP testing.Plug into a DC fast charger and Chery says the QQ3 takes 16.5 minutes for a 30-to-80 per cent top up, with no claim for the more common 10-to-80 per cent charge.Further big car tech includes an optional adaptive cruise that follows the navigation, lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, plus auto parking and 360-degree surround view.We didn't get to experience either, as we only had an extremely limited time behind the wheel, but can report that off the line the 90kW version offers plenty of performance, while a tight and twisty course reveals the rear-drive QQ3 offers enough agility to be fun on a country road.Grip levels and braking performance were impressive, considering the wet conditions.

Has Hyundai turned its 'ugly duckling' into a beautiful swan? The all-new Hyundai Ioniq 6 N gives the brand's polarising electric sedan a high-powered makeover. Featuring supercar levels of performance and a raft of groundbreaking technology, the Ioniq 6 N is a technical masterpiece. But is it an exciting and engaging performance car to drive? We test it on road and track to find out.

To describe the Leapmotor B05 as different to the Chinese newcomer’s other vehicles to date would be as obvious as describing night as different to day, or delicious beer as different to those powdered grass clippings sometimes referred to as matcha.The point is, it’s different. Very different.While Leapmotor products to date have focused on practicality and price as their raison d'être, the B05 is in fact not an SUV, is not overtly practical, and it has a sharper eye on performance than any model to have come before it.That’s the sales pitch for this electric hot(ish) hatch, anyway, which produces a Cupra Born-worrying 180kW and 320Nm in the flagship Ultra variant we’ve tested in China. Well, worrying for now. Cupra has its own flagship Born, the VZ, and it makes 240kW.Other important stuff? It’s rear-wheel drive, it promises a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and Leapmotor has handed it to its European counterparts at Stellantis for its ride tuning.It runs an 800v architecture, which means fast charging, and there’s a choice of 56.2kWh or 67.1kWh batteries delivering a range of 500km or 600km under (the more lenient) CLTC testing.All of which sounds pretty good, no? There is a lesser version, which makes 160kW, but the Ultra is the one we’ve tested, albeit briefly, so far.So, let’s start with the key stuff, while the BO5 is confirmed for the end of the year, the Ultra is more likely to follow suit as a model-refreshing flagship.“With the Ultra version, there is probably some brand positioning, brand statement that could work for us. So, we are seriously considering it everywhere,” the brand told us.The other important caveat before we get into the drive experience is that the one we’ve tested isn’t all that indicative of the one we’ll get in Australia. We would get the European version, which Leapmotor says is very different. And not just in the way it’s tuned, but even in the positioning of the suspension components.“We have, after some assessments done in November, lowered the hook point of the suspension arms on the rear, and lowered the centre of gravity, and the car has totally changed behaviour. So if you drive a BO5 in Europe versus BO5 for China, it’s totally different," the brand says.So, with all of that in mind, let’s see what we’re dealing with. And first things first, the B05 doesn’t look like any Leapmotor product to have come before it. While the B10 and C10 SUVs have copped some criticism for what people say are bland looks, that’s not a claim you could level at the B05, which looks sleek and swept-back and properly sporty.I think it's one of the best-looking cars to come out of China in a hot minute, and should be the blueprint for Leapmotor's broader design language. I also think flip-flops are suitable everywhere but a funeral, so feel free to take my fashion advice with a grain of salt. But I like it, and so did my colleagues.That’s especially true of the Ultra, which gets a bigger front splitter and rear wing, while its grey-look 19-inch alloys are linked by gloss-black side skirting.Inside, there are sportier-feeling fabric seats up front which offer heating, cooling and a massage function, while a 14.6-inch central screen and an 8.8-inch driver display handles all your entertainment and driving data needs.So, to the drive. I need you to keep two important thoughts front and centre here. The first is what we covered above — this is the traditional Chinese recipe, not the European a la carte, and so it is different in feel to the one that will land in Australia.The second is that our ‘drive’ was limited to a rented circuit not far from Leapmotor HQ in China. Our time behind the wheel, and the track itself was as dull and straight as a Young Liberals convention. There might have been a corner there somewhere, but I couldn’t find it.What I can tell you, though — even with limited wheel time — is that this is the most convincing Leapmotor product I’ve driven to date.The power delivery is smooth and plentiful — if never truly exhilarating, and slightly slower feeling than its 5.9s sprint to 100km/h claim — and the whole car feels more buttoned down and polished than the C10 and B10.The steering is direct, too, and while the ride was a little too spongey, and body roll a little too intrusive through a short slalom course, I’m willing to hold my judgement until I drive the car we’ll actually be getting. It should also be cheap. Local costs are yet to be confirmed, but pricing in China is sharp. The entry-level 160kW B05 starts there at the equivalent of $AUD25,000. Don't expect anywhere near that pricing here, but I would be shocked if it wasn't among the cheapest warmed-over hatch offerings.The signs here are good, and it seems the combination of Chinese battery and manufacturing know-how and European ride and handling experience (which is the whole point of the Leapmotor International business, which is 51 per cent owned by Stellantis) looks like it’s about to bear fruit.