Leapmotor B05 review

This should be a fairly easy one, because Leapmotor is keeping things extremely simple in the UK. In Europe the B05 gets two battery sizes and a number of different trim levels to choose from, but here in Blighty we only get the largest 67.1kWh battery and a single trim with all of the kit thrown at it.

What sort of kit are we talking?

A heat pump is standard fit to improve efficiency, and all B05s on our shores will come with 19in alloy wheels, LED lighting, that massive panoramic roof and the whole gamut of active safety systems.

Inside you’re looking at eco-leather trim, heated front seats and steering wheel, automatic air conditioning and 64-colour ambient lighting.

How much does it cost, then?

The B05 costs £30,495, but at the time of writing retail customers can get £1,500 off thanks to a so-called ‘Leap-Grant’. That’s because as a Chinese-built car it doesn’t qualify for any of the UK government’s Electric Car Grant. So, in actual fact, you’ll pay £28,995, which makes it cheaper than the less rangey, less powerful Vauxhall Astra Electric (from £29,120) and the less rangey, less powerful Peugeot E-308 (from £30,995). Wonder how those companies feel about being undercut by a brand under their own umbrella?

For reference, the ID.3 starts at £30,860, while the Megane is £31,295 in its cheapest form. Heck, even the MG4 starts at £29,995.

Monthly prices for the B05 are yet to be confirmed in the UK.

Do I need to make any decisions on the configurator?

Just two, actually. There aren’t any option boxes to tick, but you will need to pick from one of five paint colours. Lightning Yellow is actually the free option, but you can pay an extra £575 for Starry Night Blue, Windy Grey, Metallic Black or Galaxy Silver. Don’t bother.

For the interior, Light Grey is standard, but you can have a darker Shadow Grey as a no-cost option.