Leapmotor B05 targets the whole $35,000–$40,000 market, not just electric hatchbacks

Price positioning beyond the hatchback segment

Leapmotor Australia is pitching its new B05 electric hatchback against every vehicle in the $35,000–$40,000 price range in the Australian market, not just rivals in the small car segment. Speaking with media at the B05's local launch, GoAuto reports that Leapmotor Australia head Andy Hoang argued buyers now start with a budget rather than a body style: "People go, 'How much can I spend?' And because all the cars now overlap, it's really about in that price range, what can you afford?" GoAuto notes that the $35,000 to $40,000 window spans entry-level variants of medium SUVs such as the GWM Haval H6 and Geely Starray EM-i, sedans like the Toyota Camry and Mazda3, hybrid small SUVs including the Toyota Corolla Cross and Hyundai Kona Hybrid, and even variants of Leapmotor's own B10. ¹

Hoang also described a dual purpose for the car. According to GoAuto's report of his launch comments, he said volume is one objective, "but the other bit is to have that brand halo to break through", pointing to customer feedback about the design prompting interest in the brand and even steering some shoppers towards its larger SUVs. GoAuto adds that the sentiment is not unique to Leapmotor: Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris told GoAuto at a September Lepas event that consumers choose vehicles by need, design and budget rather than by segment, ahead of the Chery-group Lepas L2 hatch landing in Australia by early 2028. ¹

Pricing, grades and offer conditions

The B05 arrived in dealerships from late August 2026 in two grades. Stellantis' Australian press release for Leapmotor lists drive-away pricing of $35,990 for the Style and $39,990 for the Design Long Range, against manufacturers' list prices of $35,888 and $39,888 excluding on-road costs. The launch release stated the drive-away offer covered new B05s in Lightning Yellow purchased and delivered between 1 July and 30 September, or while stocks last, including 12 months registration, CTP, stamp duty and dealer delivery, with other colours and options at additional cost and a $990 premium paint charge. That offer was restricted to participating Leapmotor dealers and excluded government, fleet and rental buyers. ³

Leapmotor's own Australian model page currently advertises the B05 "from $35,990 drive away" under an "End Of Year Sale", with terms describing the offer as available on new B05 models in Lightning Yellow purchased and delivered between 1 July and 31 December or while stocks last, and excluding government and rental buyers. That end date differs from the 30 September window stated in the July launch release; the company reserves the right to change, withdraw or extend the offer in both versions, so buyers should confirm current conditions with a dealer. ²³

Powertrain, range and equipment

Both variants use a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 160 kW and 240 Nm, with rear-wheel drive, a claimed 50:50 weight distribution and launch control. Per Stellantis' release, the Style carries a 56.2 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with up to 401 km of WLTP range and a 0–100 km/h time of 7.5 seconds, while the Design Long Range's 67.1 kWh pack extends range to 482 km and cuts the sprint to 6.7 seconds. Both support 11 kW AC charging and DC fast charging, at up to 156 kW for the Style and 174 kW for the Design Long Range, with 30–80 per cent charges in roughly 16 and 18 minutes respectively under favourable conditions. ²³

Standard equipment across the range includes a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and 8.8-inch driver display running Leap OS 4.0 Plus on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, over-the-air updates, a 360-degree camera with integrated dashcam, a heat pump, frameless doors and 19-inch alloys. The Design Long Range adds TechnoLeather upholstery certified by OEKO-TEX, power-adjustable and heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a fixed panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade, a 12-speaker audio system, ambient lighting and rear privacy glass. Stellantis lists cargo capacity of up to 1,205 litres with the rear seats folded and 25 storage compartments. ³²

Ownership terms comprise an eight-year/160,000 km high-voltage battery warranty, a six-year/150,000 km vehicle warranty, eight years of capped-price servicing and eight years of roadside assistance, per the Stellantis announcement. CarExpert's specification data, drawn from JATO Dynamics, records a 1,700 kg kerb weight for the Style, 750 kg braked towing capacity, 154 mm ground clearance and 12-month/20,000 km service intervals. ³⁷

Five-star ANCAP result and availability

The B05 has already secured a five-star ANCAP safety rating following local testing under ANCAP's 2026–2028 criteria, according to Stellantis' September announcement. It recorded a 92 per cent crash protection score, with particularly strong performances in side impact protection, lane departure collision avoidance and whiplash protection, and the rating applies to all B05 variants in Australia and New Zealand. ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg said the B05 was "among the first models assessed against ANCAP's new criteria, setting a strong early standard for five-star safety". ⁴

Standard safety hardware per Stellantis includes autonomous emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, emergency lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, driver monitoring and child presence detection, within a seven-airbag setup and 21 driver-assistance functions supported by 14 cameras and sensors. The same announcement confirms the B05 is available at 24 Leapmotor dealerships across Australia. ⁴³

What the reviewers say

Independent impressions of the European-tuned car are broadly positive. The NRMA's Open Road review describes the B05 bound for Australia as "very, very different" to a softer Chinese-market example the reviewer drove earlier, crediting chassis and suspension rework at Alfa Romeo's Balocco proving ground, including relocated suspension mounting points, for a car it found stable, comfortable and far more cohesive, though "a warm rather than hot hatch". The NRMA also noted the cabin's roominess, the lack of physical controls, and the absence of a physical key fob at the time of review. ⁸

CarExpert's review rates the B05 "Very Good", calling it far more polished than expected with excellent ride and cabin refinement, a quiet cabin and a genuinely premium-feeling interior, alongside fast, slick infotainment. Its listed criticisms are intrusive driver-assistance beeping and speedometer placement. Note the NRMA review, written before full local specification was released, quotes cargo figures of 345 litres with seats up and 1,400 litres folded, while CarExpert's JATO-based specification pages list 357 litres and 1,205 litres respectively for the Australian-market car. ⁶⁸⁷

Competitive context

The B05 is Leapmotor's third Australian model after the B10 and C10 SUVs and its first non-SUV here, entering a crowded sub-$40,000 electric hatch field. GoAuto's launch report places it against the MG4 EV Urban ($29,990–$32,990 drive-away at the time of writing), the GAC Aion UT ($31,990–$35,990 before on-road costs) and the BYD Dolphin ($29,990–$36,990 plus on-road costs), while also targeting buyers of mainstream petrol hatchbacks such as the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. ¹⁵