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Not everybody wants an SUV. You only have to look at the sales success of Europe’s best-selling car, the Dacia Sandero, to see that there is still plenty of appetite for a straightforward hatchback with a sensible price. The Leapmotor B05 is aimed at exactly that sort of buyer, just with an electric motor, a big battery and quite a lot more technology than you might expect for the money.
It arrives as Leapmotor continues to build its UK presence under the Stellantis umbrella, joining the T03 city car and the B10 and C10 SUVs. The B05 is a more conventional-looking proposition than any of those cars: a five-door family hatchback that sits in the same broad part of the market as other electric alternatives to the traditional Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Kia Ceed-shaped family car.
It is a decent-looking thing, too, in a Kia Ceed sort of way. There are smooth surfaces, slim lights, a neat full-width rear light bar, flush-fitting door handles, frameless doors and a fairly wide stance. It is clean and contemporary rather than attention-seeking, although it is perhaps a little too anonymous to turn many heads.
That is no bad thing for plenty of buyers. The B05’s job is to offer a lot of electric car for under £30,000, with a claimed 300-mile range, rear-wheel drive, a large panoramic roof, a substantial standard equipment list and a single, simple specification. The big question is whether the appealing price is enough to overcome a few less convincing details.
How we tested
I drove the Leapmotor B05 as part of German Car of the Year judging on a mix of roads from fast Autobahn to small country villages, assessing its ride comfort, refinement, performance, steering, rear-seat space, boot, technology and everyday usability.
I drove the Leapmotor B05 in Germany where it was a contender for the German Car of the Year awards (Steve Fowler)
Independent rating: 7/10
- Pros: Strong value, generous equipment, roomy rear seats, 300-mile claimed range, quick charging, panoramic roof
- Cons: Dull cabin colour schemes, small boot, awkward key system, overly light steering, no rear wiper
Leapmotor B05 specs
- Price from: £28,995
- Battery size: 67.1kWh
- Maximum claimed range: 300miles
- Miles per kWh: 4.5
- Charging : up to 174kW DC - 30 to 80 per cent charge in 17 minutes
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
The B05 uses a 67.1kWh battery, powering a rear-mounted electric motor with 215bhp and 240Nm of torque. Leapmotor claims up to 300 miles of range, which works out at around 4.5 miles/kWh.
The Leapmotor B05 is a smart, if slightly anonymous, small family hatchback (Steve Fowler)
That is a strong headline figure for a family hatchback at this price, although the usual caveats apply. Range will depend on temperature, where you drive, motorway speeds, how much A/C is being used to overcome the big panoramic roof baking the cabin in sunshine – along with how many people you have on board, or how much stuff you have loaded into the boot.
Rapid charging is another B05 strength on paper. It can charge at up to 174kW, with a 30 to 80 per cent charge claimed to take 17 minutes on a suitable rapid charger. There is also an 11kW AC onboard charger for home and destination charging.
Performance is more than adequate. The B05 gets from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds, has a top speed of 106mph and even includes Launch Control. It feels brisk enough in everyday driving, with the sort of instant electric response that makes joining a motorway, overtaking slower traffic and slipping through gaps in town pleasantly easy.
There are Comfort, Standard and Sport driving modes, while the rear-wheel-drive layout, 50:50 weight distribution and multi-link rear suspension sound promising. In reality, the B05 drives no more than okay. There is decent grip at the front end, and it feels stable enough, but the steering is very light and a little rubbery. It doesn’t have much weight or a natural feel, while the self-centring can be rather eager.
It would be better if the steering had a little more consistency and confidence about it, especially as the rest of the car is clearly trying to position itself as a more engaging alternative to the usual front-wheel-drive electric hatchback. It would also help if the lane departure assistance was less keen to intervene.
One of the biggest failings of the Leapmotor B05 is a lack of rear wiper (Steve Fowler)
Ride comfort is reasonable, although it sits on the firmer side of comfortabe. That firmness never quite disappears, but it is not especially problematic unless you hit a large pothole, when no car is likely to come out of it feeling particularly pleased with itself. Around town and on smoother roads, the B05 is generally calm, while the electric motor remains quiet. There is some wind noise at motorway speeds, though, which takes the edge off what is otherwise good refinement.
Interior, practicality and boot space
The B05 is 4,430mm long, 1,880mm wide and 1,520mm tall, while the car has a 2,735mm wheelbase. That gives it the footprint of a proper family hatchback rather than a slightly large supermini pretending to be one.
Rear space is impressive in the Leapmotor B05 with rear passengers able to enjoy the big panoramic sunroof (Steve Fowler)
Rear-seat space is one of the B05’s better qualities. There’s excellent legroom in the back, and the rear seat is wide enough for adult passengers to feel reasonably comfortable. There is also decent space around the shoulders, while rear passengers get air vents and adjustable seatback recline.
There is one slight catch. If the front-seat driver or passenger has their seat set very low, there is not much room for this behind to slide their feet underneath. That makes the rear space feel a little less flexible than the headline legroom might suggest, especially for taller passengers.
The B05 has good visibility over the driver’s shoulder, which helps when changing lanes or reversing. The rear screen is rather shallow, though, and there’s no rear wiper. That feels like an odd omission on a family hatchback that will spend plenty of time on British roads, where a clean rear screen is never something to take for granted.
The boot is another area where the B05 is merely adequate rather than outstanding. There are 345 litres with the rear seats up and 1,400 litres with them folded, using a 60:40 split. Those figures sound respectable enough, but the boot itself feels small in practice. The charging cables and tyre-repair kit live in there, with no useful underfloor storage for either, so they take up space you might otherwise want for bags, coats or the increasingly large pile of things that seem to follow children around.
The Leapmotor B05's boot isn't huge, while there's no dedicated space to store the charging cables (Steve Fowler)
There are 25 storage areas around the cabin, including door bins, centre-console storage, cupholders and a lidded armrest. The floating centre console looks neat and incorporates a cooled 50W wireless phone charger, while the front seats can be reclined to create a lounge-style space when parked.
Technology, stereo and infotainment
If you have spent any time in the Leapmotor B10 SUV, the B05’s dashboard will feel familiar. There is a large 14.6-inch central touchscreen, an 8.8-inch digital driver display and a steering wheel that, at first glance, looks as though somebody may have fitted it upside down.
There are big, clear displays in the Leapmotor B05, but the steering wheel looks like it's been put on upside down (Steve Fowler)
The screen is large, sharp and packed with functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as are navigation with live traffic and charging information, a voice assistant, over-the-air updates and a number of built-in entertainment apps including Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, YouTube and TikTok.
Leapmotor’s operating system can run split-screen interface, plus there’s a number of personalisation options and parked-car modes. There is a Pet Mode that can keep the air conditioning running for a defined period, Camping Mode, Cleaning Mode and a setting that keeps the car powered up when the driver briefly steps away.
The B05 also gets a 12-speaker audio system, which can be adjusted with different sound fields for the whole cabin, front seats or rear seats – it’s a triumph of settings over sound, though. There are USB ports in the front and rear, plus that wireless charging pad between the front seats.
The cabin looks like it should be quite smart. There are soft-touch areas, padded door sections, a large panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting and some attractive trim details ahead of the passenger. The problem with my test car was its unremittingly dull grey interior. There are a few illuminated sections around the air vents that try to brighten things up, but the overall effect is very grey and rather joyless.
It is a shame, because the layout itself is neat enough and the B05 has a strong equipment list. A less gloomy interior colour would make it feel considerably more appealing. Light Grey is standard, while Shadow Grey is available at no extra cost, although neither sounds like an obvious route to a cabin full of personality.
The key system is another detail that feels unnecessarily complicated. You can unlock the B05 through the Leapmotor app, or by placing an NFC card key against a specific point on the driver’s door mirror. To start the car with that card, you then place it on the wireless charging pad. There are simpler solutions; sometimes a conventional key is still rather useful.
There are charging points aplenty and a great panoramic roof in the Leapmotor B05 (Steve Fowler)
The B05 also has 21 driver-assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control, lane-centring assistance, blind-spot detection, autonomous emergency braking, front and rear collision warnings, rear cross-traffic braking, driver-attention monitoring and a system that warns against opening doors into passing cyclists and other traffic.
Prices and running costs
The Leapmotor B05 is one of the better looking small family hatchbacks you can buy right now (Steve Fowler)
The Leapmotor B05 costs £28,995 for retail customers, including the company’s £1,500 Leap-Grant. The full on-the-road price is £30,495, while company-car drivers face a 4 per cent benefit-in-kind rate for the 2026/27 tax year.
There is only one trim level, so buyers do not have to spend hours comparing equipment lists. Every B05 gets 19-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats and steering wheel, electrically adjustable front seats, automatic air conditioning, LED lights, rear privacy glass, frameless doors, a panoramic sunroof, 14.6-inch touchscreen, 12-speaker stereo and a long list of safety kit.
Leapmotor is also offering a four-year PCP deal with zero per cent APR, £999 customer deposit and payments of £299 a month. The B05 has a four-year, 60,000-mile vehicle warranty, while the battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.
The verdict: Leapmotor B05
The Leapmotor B05 is a well-equipped, keenly priced electric hatchback with useful range and decent space – if all that is what’s most important to you, you’ll like it. But it could do with a bit more character inside and a more natural driving feel.
Leapmotor B05 rivals
FAQs
How long does it take to charge?
The Leapmotor B05 can charge from 30 to 80 per cent in around 17 minutes using a suitable rapid charger, thanks to maximum DC charging of up to 174kW. It has an 11kW AC onboard charger.
How much does the Leapmotor B05 cost - is it worth it?
The Leapmotor B05 costs £28,995 for retail customers once the £1,500 Leap-Grant has been applied. It has a 300-mile claimed range, rear-wheel drive, a 67.1kWh battery, rapid charging and a very generous standard equipment list. If you can live with the dull interior, there’s no arguing that this is impressive value.
Does Leapmotor replace batteries for free?
Leapmotor covers the B05 battery with an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty. The car itself has a separate four-year, 60,000-mile warranty.
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