Leapmotor Australia flags B05 Ultra, three-row SUVs and a ute as wishlist items, with no launch confirmed

A request, not a launch commitment

Leapmotor Australia has put its hand up for the B05 Ultra, the hotter version of its newly launched electric hatchback, but the vehicle is not confirmed for this market. Speaking to GoAuto at the Australian launch of the standard B05, local head Andy Hoang said the Ultra is "something that we have requested, we have put our hand up for it", adding that the local arm must still work out "the when and how we bring it over here and what that looks like". GoAuto's report makes clear that the B05 Ultra, along with a three-row SUV and a ute, remains an expression of interest rather than a confirmed product plan. ¹²

Mr Hoang told GoAuto that sporty models help differentiate Leapmotor among electric vehicle brands and create a halo effect across the range, citing the C10 AWD Sports+ Special Edition launched in Australia earlier this year as an example of that approach. ¹²

What the B05 Ultra is, and what an export version might be

As detailed by GoAuto, the B05 Ultra was unveiled at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in April as a sportier version of the B05 electric hatchback, sold in China as the Lafa 5. It gains 20kW and 15Nm over the standard car for total outputs of 180kW and 255Nm, along with a dedicated chassis package comprising performance shock absorbers, short springs, reinforced anti-roll bars and a sports tune, Hankook performance tyres, aerodynamic upgrades including a front splitter, rear diffuser, rear wing and side skirts, gunmetal grey badging and sports seats. ¹²

Whether Australia would receive the Chinese car unchanged is already in question. CarExpert, reporting from the international media launch of the standard B05 in Germany, quotes Leapmotor International's head of commercial operations for Europe, Danilo Annese, as saying the export Ultra "is not the Chinese car, that's mainly a body kit, and we want to do it a little bit better than that", and that more power than the Chinese version's 180kW "could be" on the table, though nothing is confirmed. ⁵

On timing, CarExpert reports Mr Annese expects a European Ultra launch "if things are going well ... mid next year", pointing to around the middle of 2027, while stressing those comments concerned Europe and that homologation and packaging would differ by market. Leapmotor Europe product marketing manager Alexis Cieslewicz told CarExpert the Ultra had generated significant interest outside China but needed further evaluation before any European launch. ⁵

CarExpert also reports Leapmotor has ruled out Ultra becoming a standalone performance sub-brand for now, with Mr Cieslewicz describing it as "a version of B05" and Mr Annese saying there are no talks of a specific sub-brand. ⁵

Three-row SUVs and a ute on the wishlist

Beyond the Ultra, Mr Hoang told GoAuto: "We'd love to have a seven-seater in the C16 or D19. We'd love to have a ute", pointing to three-row SUVs and pick-up models as segments Leapmotor does not currently contest in Australia. Neither the C16, the D19 nor a ute is officially locked in for a local launch, according to GoAuto. ¹²

GoAuto details the two SUVs as sold in China: the C16, offered in five- or six-seat configuration as a battery electric vehicle with a 230kW/360Nm rear motor, 81.9kWh battery and 630km CLTC range, or as a range extender pairing a 1.5-litre engine with a 38.9kWh battery for 185km electric and 1000km total WLTC range; and the flagship D19, in six- or seven-seat form, with EREV variants offering 285-370km electric range and BEV variants producing up to 540kW/740Nm with 620-720km CLTC range. It notes a Leapmotor three-row SUV could face rivals including the BYD Sealion 8 and Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid. ¹²

On a ute, GoAuto observes Leapmotor has no pick-up anywhere in its international line-up, though Stellantis brands Jeep and Ram do, and that an electrified Leapmotor ute would compete with the BYD Shark 6, Ford Ranger Hybrid, Toyota HiLux BEV, MG U9 EV and GWM Cannon and Cannon Alpha PHEV. Open Road similarly quotes Mr Hoang saying "there's a ute segment out there that we've been talking to China about", and that a ute ranks higher on the priority list than the people mover Leapmotor already sells in China. ¹⁴

The standard B05's job in Australia

The vehicle that anchors all of this, the standard B05, was the subject of a separate GoAuto report from the local launch. Priced between $35,990 and $39,990 drive-away for the entry Style and Design Long Range variants, the hatch is being pitched not just against electric rivals such as the MG4, GAC Aion UT and BYD Dolphin, but against everything in the $35,000-$40,000 bracket, from medium SUVs like the GWM Haval H6 to the Toyota Camry and Corolla Cross. "People go, 'How much can I spend?'", Mr Hoang told GoAuto, arguing customers now shop by budget rather than segment. ³

CarExpert adds independent context on the standard car's hardware: in international Design specification it uses a rear-mounted 160kW/240Nm motor with a 67.1kWh battery, a claimed 482km WLTP range, 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds and up to 168kW DC charging, and it was co-developed with Stellantis' global chassis team for European expectations. CarExpert notes final Australian pricing and specifications had not been confirmed at that earlier point, and that the B05 sits below the B10 in the local line-up. ⁵

A measured growth strategy behind the wishlist

The wishlist comes amid questions about which new Chinese brands will endure in Australia. Open Road reports Leapmotor has sold barely 1000 vehicles locally this year, well behind BYD, GWM, Chery and MG, but quotes Mr Hoang insisting the brand is taking a sustainable, long-term approach: "Our investment here in Australia is for the long term. So it's not just about sales now." He told Open Road the brand would avoid aggressive price cutting because it "kills the residual of all the customers that have already been loyal to you". ⁴

On supply, CarExpert reporting carried by 7NEWS quotes Mr Hoang saying Leapmotor is not overloaded with stock and that, as part of Stellantis, it runs a rigid monthly forecasting and ordering process: "we put our orders in for what we want – it's not the other way around". The same report notes Leapmotor has delivered 1168 vehicles in Australia year to date, up 158.4 per cent, against 666,539 deliveries globally, up 68.5 per cent, with only around 17 per cent of sales coming from outside China. ⁶

Dealership expansion continues regardless. Open Road reports Leapmotor is on track to reach 25 outlets nationally in the coming months and is striving for close to 40, which Mr Hoang described as a balance between expanding quickly and ensuring customer experience. ⁴