Leapmotor South Africa is yet to confirm an official date, price and model specification.
With the local market launch of the B10 taking place this week, Leapmotor South Africa has officially confirmed the arrival of a third model via a series of teaser images on its website.
Likely to debut either this year or in 2027, the B05 could become the Stellantis-backed brand’s first EV as both its other models, the C10 and B10, both have range-extending electric powertrains.
Revealed last year in China as the most sporting Leapmotor model under the Lafa 5 moniker, the B05 shares the Leap 3.5 platform with its sibling, but in a decidedly sportier hatchback bodystyle, though confusingly in China, it is referred to as a sport sedan.
Built at Leapmotor’s Jinhua plant, and soon at the Zaragosa factory in Spain for Europe, the teaser image on the Leapmotor South Africa website only mentions the B05 has having rear-wheel drive, a 50/50 weight distribution and the promise of delivering “thrilling control and confidence at every curve”.
B05 is referred to as a sports sedan in China despite being a five-door hatch. Picture: Leapmotor
Dimensionally, the B05 amounts to the following:
Length
: 4 490mm
Wheelbase
: 2 735mm
Height
: 1 510mm
Width
: 1 880mm
Its dynamics supposedly tuned at Alfa Romeo’s Balocco proving grounds, according to Stellantis, the B05 offers 345-litres of luggage space, which expands to 1 000-litres with the rear seats folded flat.
Using McPherson struts at the front and a multi-link suspension setup at the rear, which incorporates the electric motor, power for the B05 comes from two battery pack options with a different sized cells.
In its most basic 515 Plus form, the B05 has a 56.2-kWh battery that powers a 132kW/175Nm electric motor.
The result is a top speed of 160km/h, 0-100km/h in 8.7 seconds and a range, as its name points out, of 515km based on China’s CLTC cycle.
Equipped with the same battery, the step-up 515 Pro and Max versions output 160kW/240Nm, which results in a top speed of 170km/h and 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds. The claimed CLTC range is unchanged at 515km.
Taking prominence inside the traditional minimalist interior and a 15.6-inch infotainment system. Picture: Leapmotor
Upping the ante are the so-called 605 Pro and Max derivatives, which utilises a 67.1-kWh battery pack.
While outputs are identical to that of the 515 Pro and Max, the 605 will get from 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds, before hitting the same 170km/h top speed. As per its name, it will do 605km based on the CLTC cycle.
In both instances, the battery pack supports DC charging up to 174kW, which will require a respective waiting time of between 18 and 19 minutes from 30-80%.
Using the on-board 11 kW AC charger, though, increases the wait to four hours two minutes and five hours and six minutes respectively.
Introduced in April at the Beijing Motor Show, the B05 range is completed by the performance Ultra variants claimed to be China’s first fully-electric hot hatch.
B05 Ultra has been touted as Leapmotor’s Golf GTI rival. Picture: Leapmotor China
Offered in two variants, both develop 180kW/255Nm, but with the 56.2-kWh battery for the 500 Ultra and the 67.1-kWh unit for the Ultra 600.
While both will do 170km/h, the 500 will get from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds and the 600 in 6.2 seconds. Again, as per their names, the former has a range of 500km and the latter 600km based on the CLTC format.
Ultra variants are significantly sportier in appearance than the normal B05. Picture: Leapmotor China
Slightly lower to the ground than the “normal” B05 variants, the Ultra pair will require 18 and 19 minutes wait respectively using a DC charger, and between nine hours seven minutes and 10 hours three minutes in combination with the on-board 11 kW AC charger.
Priced in China from 90 800 yuan for the 515 Plus to 124 800 yuan for the 600 Ultra, which amounts to R215 136 and R295 694 when directly converted and without taxes, the B05’s could fill the position between the flagship B10 priced at R549 900 and the entry-level C10 stickered at R774 900.
As it stands, though, official specification and price will only be announced once a launch date is approved.
