The Leapmotor A05 made its debut in China. It will be available in Europe as the B03 produced by Stellantis.
Leapmotor unveiled a new compact model, the A05, in China, with a length of 4.20 meters, a base version featuring 70 kW of power and a 39.8 kWh LFP battery. The car is also set to arrive in Europe as the Leapmotor B03, with production for our market planned at Stellantis’ facility in Figueruelas near Zaragoza.
On paper, this appears to be an attempt to enter the segment of affordable compact electric cars. That is, exactly where European manufacturers have promised much for years but have delivered relatively slowly.
Two variants, both with LFP batteries
The Leapmotor A05 is a hatchback with front-wheel drive. It measures 4.20 meters in length, 1.80 meters in width, and 1.56 meters in height, with a wheelbase of 2.61 meters. This is the same wheelbase as the compact electric SUV B03X, known in China as the A10.
In China, two powertrain versions are available. The cheaper version comes with a 70 kW engine and a 39.8 kWh LFP battery. The more powerful version has a 90 kW engine and a 53 kWh LFP battery. In both cases, Leapmotor uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor at the front axle.
The manufacturer highlights the practicality of the interior. There are 33 storage compartments and 91 liters of space under the trunk floor. The rear seat can be folded in various configurations, along with small tables and a pet mode. It sounds like a Chinese answer tailored to the needs of families and couriers alike.
The cabin is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip, with an 8.88-inch screen in front of the driver and a 14.6-inch central display. It also features ambient lighting in 256 colors, a 12-speaker audio system, and hands-free karaoke without a separate microphone. An optional lidar is available for more advanced driver assistance systems. At this stage, it’s more of a feature list than proof that the ADAS will be outstanding.
The price in China is low, but Europe will set its own price
The starting price of the Leapmotor A05 in China is 63,900 yuan, which is around 8,200 euros. This is very close to the Geely Xingyuan, which costs 64,805 yuan there, or about 8,300 euros. It is this model that Leapmotor aims to compete directly with.
The problem is old and well-known. The Chinese price doesn’t tell us much about Europe yet, because after adding local production, homologation, taxes, and margins, such cars can cost 2-3 times more than back home. A good reference point is therefore the Geely E2 in Germany, starting at 19,990 euros.
If Leapmotor maintains a similar positioning, the European B03 could target that price range. It would still be an interesting offer, especially if Stellantis actually starts production in Spain and doesn’t overprice it. However, no launch date in Europe has been announced yet.
The most interesting aspect of this debut isn’t the car itself, but rather its target market: a cheap electric compact instead of yet another trendy crossover. How would you price such a model in Poland to make it truly viable?
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