2027 Leapmotor B03X review

The Leapmotor B03X could be the car that transforms the Chinese brand from being an Australian curiosity into something capable of generating serious volume.

Known as the A10 in China but yet to be officially confirmed for Australian release, it is a 4.27-metre long (light-size) electric SUV positioned below the Leapmotor B10 small SUV and B05 hatch.

Australian Government certification documents have already revealed two local powertrain combinations are approved for local roads, however, so its arrival here is effectively a matter of when, rather than if.

Our first drive took place on roads around Marbella and Malaga in southern Spain, covering urban traffic, open motorways and winding mountain roads in temperatures reaching about 35 degrees. The vehicle tested was the higher-specification international Design model, fitted with the larger 53kWh battery and 145kW front-mounted electric motor.

Final Australian pricing, model grades and standard equipment levels have not been announced. The indication at the international launch was around $30,000 for the smaller-battery version and approximately $33,000 for the larger-battery variant, but those numbers remain indicative and Leapmotor did not specify whether they would be list or drive-away prices.

That caveat matters, but so does the underlying vehicle. The B03X feels more expensive than those projected prices suggest, and not just because there is a large screen bolted to the dashboard.

From the outside, it is a clean and genuinely likeable design. The proportions are upright without being boxy, the wheel-arches give it enough visual substance, and the contrasting roof helps break up what is otherwise a fairly simple shape.

Leapmotor says the front and rear lighting signatures are intended to resemble a smile. It sounds a little forced in a presentation, but it works far better in the metal.

It is deliberately not an aggressive or polarising design, and that makes sense. A small family EV needs to appeal to a broad audience, not look as though it has arrived from a science-fiction film demanding the household Wi-Fi password.

As mentioned above, Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed but, according Leapmotor International executives at the launch, you could expect to pay around $30,000 for the entry-level variant with a 39.8kWh battery, and about $33,000 for a version with the larger 53kWh battery.

It remains unclear whether those are list prices (excluding statutory on-road costs) or national drive-away figures.

So you can treat those figures as guidance rather than a promise. The final Australian range could also use different grade names and equipment combinations from the Life and Design structure in Europe.

If Leapmotor lands close to those numbers, the B03X will sit in a very competitive position. For reference, the B10 is priced from $38,990 drive-away, while the B05 is priced from $35,990 drive-away.

More importantly, when it comes to its pint-size electric SUV competitors, the BYD Atto 2 currently starts at $31,990 before on-road costs, while the smaller Geely EX2 hatch is priced from $26,490 plus ORCs.