Leapmotor B05 review

Exterior & design of the 2026 Leapmotor B05

• Generic styling unlikely to offend
• Gets 19-inch wheels as standard
• Panoramic glass roof in top model

Much like the other models that it offers, Leapmotor hasn't tried to produce anything too divisive or polarising with the B05's exterior design.

It has some stylish features, including a low front end with an illuminated section that links the LED headlights. These carry the company's signature lighting design of offset horizontal bars that function as daytime running lights, while the headlight's outline has more than a passing resemblance to the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf's.

The bumper has a sporty shape and includes an active air shutter at the centre to open and close as required, with small air curtains on the outer edges. Its appearance doesn't alter between trim specifications, though 19-inch wheels are the only size offered.

In side profile the B05 follows the modern-day hatchback playbook with smooth lines. The doors don't get any fussy contouring to the bodywork, though some may find the flush-fitting door handles a bit fiddly to use.

Moving towards the rear, the haunches swell slightly to give the car more curves. Unfortunately, you don't get a rear wiper on the B05 - as it's not seen as necessary in Leapmotor's domestic Chinese market - but the company is planning to engineer a solution to add one as part of a future model update.

The back of the car includes a ribbed lower bumper section in contrasting glass black to give it the appearance of a larger aerodynamic diffuser. A Leapmotor wordmark spans the boot lid as does a light bar linking the rear lights.

The B05 is one of the largest cars in its class, both in length and width. It's not so large as to be an issue, though, and its width does translate to more elbow room inside.

Dimensions of the 2026 Leapmotor B05

Length:

4,430mm

Width:

1,880mm

Height:

1,520mm

Wheelbase:

2,735mm

Paint colours for the 2026 Leapmotor B05

The most eye-catching colour is Lightning Yellow, though it looks much paler in person than it does in these photographs. Starry Night Blue is a colour we've seen already on other Leapmotors. Buyers can also choose between Metallic Black, Galaxy Silver and Windy Grey.

Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2026 Leapmotor B05

• Two big digital displays
• Good space for rear passengers
• Plenty of storage throughout

The Leapmotor B05 is very much a cabin for today's digital world, with virtually all operations conducted via the central touchscreen. This pared-back approach to design will please those who like a more minimal appearance, while there are plenty of storage areas around the interior.

Subtle ambient lighting lifts what is otherwise a mostly monochromatic interior, with either dark or light grey upholstery options.

Getting comfortable in the driver's seat

Even though Leapmotor uses a cell-to-chassis design for the battery, the interior floor height is a touch on the high side. This means there is less distance between the floor and seat base than is ideal.

Both front seats are electrically adjustable and there's a good range of movement. A manually adjustable steering column also provides a generous range of adjustment for reach and rake, so most drivers will find it easy to find a comfortable driving position. Both front seats are also heated, as is the steering wheel.

The upholstery is available in two colour options and is an artificial leather in the Design model which has a soft touch and feels well made. Other surfaces throughout the cabin have a nice finish and overall fit is good, too.

The steering wheel has a slightly flat bottom and is a good size, with a two-spoke design that features a simple arrangement for the multifunction controls. Tactile scroll wheels are remarkably similar to the setup that Tesla uses, and these allow for adjustments by scrolling up and down or pressing left to right. The outer corners of these areas enable other functions.

That steering wheel switchgear is almost the only physical controls inside the B05, other than the drive selector stalk on the right of the steering column and a left stalk for wipers and lighting.

Outward visibility from the driver's seat is quite good, helped by A-pillars that aren't too thick and are raked back at a shallow angle. The rear window isn't especially large, so as a result there isn't a great view out even when there are no back-seat passengers in the way.

There is a camera system, but the image resolution is low by today's standards.

Infotainment and technology

Leapmotor going all-in on a digital interior sounds modern, but the screen sizes matter. The 8.8-inch digital instrumentation sounds impressive, but the reality is that its far wider than it is tall, resulting in smaller font sizes that some may find tricky to read at a glance. It does add 'next turn' navigation information on the right side of the display but overall, this could be executed better.

The central 14.6-inch touchscreen fills up the dashboard space, and the native infotainment system offers a lot. You do have to use the screen for the climate control, and these are visible on the base of the screen, though we'd prefer proper physical buttons for such controls.

Within the 'OS 4.0 Plus' operating system, Leapmotor had taken a smartphone-like approach to its layout and functionality, including the menu systems. It is reasonably intuitive to use, and users can also avail of smartphone mirroring for Android and Apple devices.

A 50W wireless phone charging pad is on top of the centre console and activates quickly. Additionally, there are USB-A and USB-C charge ports in the front and in the rear.

As you might expect, the B05 is a fully connected car, and owners can control numerous functions remotely via a dedicated smartphone app. These include remote climate control, battery pre-conditioning and scheduled charging, vehicle access and remote central locking and vehicle location status.

To help make journeys smoother, destinations can be sent to the car's navigation in advance and additional comforts such as activating the heated seats, opening or closing the windows and sunroof shade can also be done through the app.

Practicality around the cabin

You can fit plenty of odds and ends throughout the B05's cabin, with an open storage area beneath the centre console's floating bridge, the top of which is home to the wireless charging pad and two cupholders. The centre armrest lifts to reveal a storage bin, and there are usefully sized door bins that can easily take drinks bottles.

Rear-seat passenger space

The level of space offered to passengers in the rear is one area that sets the Leapmotor B05 apart from many of its rivals. As with the front, the floor level is a touch on the high side, but it's flat all the way across the rear and legroom is very good. For further comfort, the rear backrests can be reclined by up to 27 degrees.

Being one of the wider cars in the segment means there is more space inside and while the centre seat is less comfortable than the outer two, fitting three adults into the rear is a realistic possibility in the B05. If that middle seat isn't being used, there is a fold-down armrest that contains two built-in cupholders.

Adding to the sense of space in the rear is a vast panoramic glass roof. An electrically operated blind retracts to fill the cabin with light.

Fitting child seats to the Leapmotor B05

There are two ISOFIX points in the outer rear seats of the Leapmotor B05 and its rear doors open to a generous enough aperture to make access relatively easy. There's is a bit more room than other cars across the seats, so in some cases the middle position could still be used when there is a child seat fitted in the outer seat.

Boot space in the Leapmotor B05

With only 345 litres of boot space available in the Leapmotor B05, it lags most of its rivals in the segment. That said, the boot aperture is generous so if you do have bulky items to load it's not too difficult. There is a storage area beneath the boot floor, which lifts, but it is very shallow.

The rear seats have a 60:40 split and can be manually folded to create more cargo space which totals 1,400 litres.

Towing with the Leapmotor B05

It is not possible to do any towing with the Leapmotor B05.

Safety in the Leapmotor B05

Assessed as part of the then-new Euro NCAP tests in 2026, the Leapmotor B05 scored a full five-star result, with sub-category scores of 66 per cent for Safe Driving, 77 per cent for Crash Avoidance, 92 pre cent for Crash Protection and 89 per cent for Post Crash Safety.

A combination of seven airbags (front, side, curtain and central) help protect occupants as does a vast suite of safety and driver assistance systems.

Performance of the 2026 Leapmotor B05

• Two battery options
• Balanced driving experience
• Ride comfort is good

The Leapmotor B05 is available with the choice of two battery capacities, each paired with a 218hp electric motor to drive the rear wheels through a single-speed automatic transmission.

The motor also generates 240Nm of torque, which makes it feel brisk if not outright fast. From a standing start the B05 with the smaller battery will accelerate to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds, with a time of 6.7 seconds quoted for the car with the larger battery. The B05 tips the scales at 1,775kg with the smaller battery and 1,837kg with the larger capacity battery. We're not sure how the heavier model is faster accelerating, but those are Leapmotor's figures.

There is a good chassis setup in the B05, comprising of a MacPherson strut front setup and a multilink arrangement on the rear axle. The suspension is passive and can't be adjusted within the driving modes, though other parameters can be altered.

Driving the Leapmotor B05 in Germany

Words by Dave Humphreys on 15 June 2026

The B05 is a little generic in its styling and the same could also be said for how it drives. Saying that, there are plenty of things that it does well: the road noise in the cabin in generally kept to an acceptable level as one would expect from an electric car and the suspension setup is fairly balanced, soaking up the harsher stuff whilst retaining enough composure in the bends.

Keener drivers can adjust aspects of how the car performs, including the steering, though the actual difference between the driving modes is - for the most part - negligible and not worth the effort of digging through the menu system to find them.

The steering feel in its default setting is ok anyway and with a good weight balance from front to rear the handling is fine, if slightly lacking in enthusiasm. The B05 isn't the type of car to encourage you to try to have more fun with it, which, considering its rear-wheel-drive layout. is a touch disappointing.

Still, it does flow well with the road and delivers its best performance when cruising at medium to high speeds. Around town the audible drone from the pedestrian warning becomes tiresome and will soon have you turning up the stereo volume to drown it out.

One thing that's harder to ignore is the overly sensitive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that in our time with the car almost constantly tugged and pulled at the steering wheel or beeped to suggest that we weren't paying attention to the road (even though we were). Leapmotor has form when it comes to irritating ADAS and while these settings can be turned off or muted, they shouldn't have to be.

It's not that we're anti-safety - far from it - but these systems simply aren't performing as well as they should do, nor are they as well calibrated as rival offerings, so there's plenty of room for improvement.

Other aspects of the drive, such as adjustable energy recuperation is acceptable, though Leapmotor stops short of providing a true one-pedal driving mode.

Range, battery, charging and running costs of the 2026 Leapmotor B05

• Choice of LFP batteries
• WLTP range is up to 485km
• Max DC charging to 174kW

There is the choice of two battery options for the Leapmotor B05, though with relatively little difference between the two we expect most buyers will opt for the higher capacity as it gets a slightly longer range.

That said, it still falls well short of what the Kia EV4 and Cupra Born offer, but they are both more expensive cars, so it's better to compare the B05 to the Opel Astra Electric and Peugeot E-308.

Battery options and official range

In both versions of the B05, Leapmotor uses LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) chemistry for its batteries and these come in 56.2kWh and 67.1kWh capacities, providing official driving ranges of 401 kilometres and 485 kilometres, respectively.

Real-world range and efficiency of the Leapmotor B05

Our time with the car was spent over two days driving the 67.1kWh version which officially has an energy consumption figure of 15.9kWh/100km.

We achieved a figure that was better than that, with 13.5kWh/100km on the first day which mostly consisted of single-carriageway roads of various sizes. The second day included more urban driving for a total of 13.1kWh/100km.

We didn't get to do any motorway driving, which we suspect would increase that consumption figure. Nevertheless, it should be easy to get close to the official range figure with mostly urban driving in the B05.

Charging up the Leapmotor B05

The B05 has an 11kW AC charge rate as standard and on DC power it has a peak charging rate of 174kW. The latter results in a 10 to 80 per cent charge taking 24 minutes in the case of the larger battery.

Servicing the Leapmotor B05

The B05 requires servicing every 20,000 kilometres or once a year, whichever comes first.

Leapmotor B05 warranty

Leapmotor Ireland offers a six-year unlimited mileage warranty on all its vehicles, with a separate eight-year/160,000km battery guarantee on its electric cars.

Irish pricing & rivals to the 2026 Leapmotor B05

• Pricing start below €29,000
• Good warranty cover
• Two trim levels, two batteries

Keeping things simple, there are just three versions of the Leapmotor B05 sold in Ireland. Priced from €28,998 including the VRT rebate and SEAI grant is the entry-level B05 Style with the 56.2kWh battery pack.

The Style specification includes 19-inch alloys, auto headlights, 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charger, digital key tech, climate control, vehicle-to-load (V2L) and a 360-degree camera system.

At €31,487, the B05 Style can be had with the 67.1kWh battery and that's the only battery offered in the B05 Design, priced at €32,984.

Design spec adds a panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, ambient lighting, rear privacy glass, automatic wipers, an upgraded sound system and automatically folding door mirrors.

Verdict - should you buy the 2026 Leapmotor B05?

The Leapmotor B05 is a welcome addition to the hatchback segment, even if it is limited to electric power. Its performance is sufficient if not class-leading though we were impressed by its efficiency.

Additionally, the B05's ride comfort and handling are good, and road noise is kept to an acceptably low level, but the incessant interference by the overly sensitive drive assistance systems is an irritating aspect that detracts from the overall experience.