New Leapmotor B03 to jump into the ring with the Renault 5
Chinese-market Leapmotor A05 gives us a new look at upcoming B03 supermini
Leapmotor has revealed fresh details about its upcoming B03 - an all-electric supermini targeting the likes of the Renault 5 and Volkswagen’s forthcoming ID. Polo.
While Leapmotor is majority owned by Stellantis (who also own Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and many other brands), the latest information on the B03 comes from the company’s home market of China where the B03 will be sold as the A05.
In that country the A05 will offer a choice of 39.8kWh and 53kWh batteries with ranges of 251 miles and 316 miles respectively - though these are under the more lenient CLTC testing regime rather than the WLTP used in Europe.
Leapmotor hasn’t confirmed what battery size the B03 will be offered with in the UK when it arrives here, which is likely not until 2027. Charging speeds haven’t been revealed either, although we know a 30 to 80 per cent top up will take 16 minutes.
We also know the B03 will have a choice of two electric motors in China. There’s a 94 or 121bhp motor mounted on the front axle with the latter providing a 10.5-second 0-62mph time. This is in the same region as the VW Group’s superminis; the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval line-ups start off with a 114bhp car, but also include far more sporty versions with up to 222bhp.
Leapmotor International boss Tianshu Xin previously told Auto Express the B03 won’t be getting Leapmotor’s range-extender hybrid drivetrain: this is reserved for bigger cars in the C-segment and above, such as the B05 hatchback (a VW Golf rival) and the B10 SUV.
Where the Leapmotor B03 should impress is interior space. It’s relatively tall (1560mm high) and has a long, 2,605mm wheelbase which, combined with high-mounted rear seats, should unlock plenty of legroom. There’s even a fold-up base of the rear bench - similar to the ‘magic seats’ of the original Honda Jazz.
Like we’ve seen on Leapmotor’s Dacia Spring rival, the tiny T03, equipment should be strong, too. Technology listed in the Chinese leak includes surround cameras and a LiDAR sensor to feed the driver-assistance systems. We also know the Chinese-spec A05 will get an 8.8-inch driver’s display with a huge 14.6-inch central touchscreen powered by the latest Snapdragon processor.
As for design, the B03 is a slightly shortened and lowered version of the B03X. It loses the X’s SUV plastic wheelarch protection and rolls on smaller wheels in China (16-inch designs compared with the X’s 18-inch alloys in Europe), but the design and structure up to the rear pillars appear to be identical.
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