Future of Leapmotor: Chinese brand to unleash B10 and B03X SUVs, plus B05 hatch

China’s Leapmotor will roll out rivals for the Volkswagen Golf, T-Cross and ID. Polo, as it pushes into Europe’s hatchback heartland in the next 12 months.  

The budget importer, a sister brand to Peugeot, Citroën and other Stellantis group operations, plans to grow from 60,000 European sales to more than 100,000 in 2026, as it doubles its two-EV line-up with a pair of new models and a range-extender hybrid powertrain. “We will introduce three new products by the middle of the year,” Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin told Auto Express in an exclusive interview. 

Up first: B10 hybrid – set for European production

First onto the UK market is the B10 SUV, a “plug-in hybrid EV with range-extended technology,” said Xin. The 4.5m-long B10 and its larger, C10 SUV sibling are breaking new ground as the first of an anticipated wave of Chinese range-extenders (RExs), using a small petrol engine to generate power when its battery gets below nine per cent charge. 

In the C10, this tech is good for a 602-mile WLTP range. The B10 REx has an 18.8kWh battery with 50 miles of range, which is then topped up by the 1.5-litre petrol engine for a total capability of 559 miles. The pure-electric B10 costs £31,495 – expect the REx, with its expensive twin drivetrain, to cost similar money.

The VW Tiguan-rivalling B10 is also set for European production. Leapmotor briefly assembled the T03 city car at a Stellantis plant in Poland, but the Chinese government blocked the initiative in retaliation for Poland voting in favour of additional EU tariffs on Chinese cars. Spain, however, abstained from the vote, which looks set to win it a more permanent residency for the mid-sized SUV.  

“Stellantis has manufacturing plants in more than 30 countries around the world. We will localise the B10 in one of our plants in Spain,” said the boss. “We believe there's a huge opportunity for us to localise that model in Europe.” An official Stellantis statement confirmed that the initiative is under consideration, assuming investment conditions are met. 

Industrialising the B10, currently Leapmotor’s best-selling car, makes sense, but could more follow? “If things go well and we have good opportunities, and we can increase scale by localising, and it makes business sense,” explained Xin.

Rollout continues with two smaller cars in 2026

One car ticking a few of Xin’s boxes is the B10’s sister car, the B05. It’s a C-segment hatchback to take on the Golf, previewed at the 2025 Munich Motor Show. Measuring 4,430mm, the B05 is longer than the VW, with its electric architecture also boosting interior space. Sharing its platform and 67kWh battery gives the B05 a circa 260-mile range. The B05 could conceivably be offered with range-extender tech, but nothing has been confirmed.

The final piece is Leapmotor’s first-half-year new model rush is the B03X. It’s a four-metre-long pure-electric crossover, given SUV vibes courtesy of plastic body protection and a raised ride height. Its supermini sister car, the B03, is scheduled to arrive by spring 2027, to take on VW’s ID. Polo.  

Two years, five cars, key bases covered 

Leapmotor International only launched in Europe in September 2024, but passed the 800 retailers and service points in just over a year. The UK is now up to 73 outlets and is gunning for 100 by the end of 2026.

Leapmotor’s no-holds-barred new model offensive has helped convince investors to sign up, reckoned the boss. “By being part of the Stellantis family, [they] don’t need to worry that Leapmotor is going to disappear tomorrow, we’re here for the long run,” Xin said. “That’s number one for trust and credibility.”

He continued: “I will have full coverage on all the segments, A, B, C and D. And if you look at the B and C-segments, these really are the core segments for the European market and have significant volume opportunities. With this strong product portfolio, we believe we’re able to support our continuous expansion in Europe.”

Boss talk: our parent company gives us an edge

Leapmotor International differs from BYD and Chery by being a joint venture, co-funded by 1.5billion Euros of Stellantis cash for a 51 per cent stake. Xin himself is a Stellantis stalwart, having worked for both PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat-Chrysler.    

“Every single unit we sell and every single Euro we make, we are fully consolidated into the Stellantis book. I always say to my team: ‘we are a start-up with two good parents. The Chinese parent provides innovative technologies and products at competitive cost. And Stellantis is able to give me a strong, powerful European network’,” he said.

Leapmotor is able to tap its European parent for administrative functions such as IT and customer management software, parts warehousing and logistics. Xin is confident parts can be with service centres within a day or two to minimise vehicle downtime. 

More product initiatives – potentially powered by Stellantis

With Leapmotor poised to tap into Stellantis’s European factory network, could it also use its platforms? “It would bring more scale,” said the boss, although he counseled that the cars must be strongly differentiated.

And with Leapmotor reliant on EV and hybrid power, could it broaden its powertrain offer with access to staples such as Stellantis’s 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo engine? “If it’s possible, if it’s needed,” Xin explained. “That’s one of the beauties of this deal. What you mention is one of the potential opportunities to be explored between Leapmotor and Stellantis.”

This would give Leapmotor the chance to attack the non-EV market, because its small cars are currently only engineered for electric power, and REx powertrains are reserved for bigger cars. 

“For instance, REx will come in bigger cars, because you need space for an engine and big batteries, and you drive longer distances. So B10 and C10 both have hybrid EV technology plus pure BEV. For the other vehicles we are focusing on pure BEV technologies, but it doesn't rule out in the future that we will introduce other alternative powertrains into those cars as well, depending on how fast this energy transition is going to happen outside of China.”

Even with just the two powertrains, Xin believes his brand is set for decent growth. “For most of 2025, we had only two models, but we managed to register more than 35,000 units, with actual sales topping 60,000. And Leapmotor globally has announced a one million volume target for 2026. My objective is Europe should contribute more than 10 per cent of that volume.”

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