Leapmotor B03X: The Small Electric SUV That Makes Sense for London
Leapmotor is aiming at the UK’s increasingly crowded small electric SUV market with the new B03X. With a roomy cabin, generous standard equipment and a £26,995 price tag, can this Chinese newcomer give established rivals a run for their money?
If you’re looking for a compact electric SUV, choice is no longer the issue. From the Renault 4 E-Tech and Ford Puma Gen-E to Kia’s EV2 and EV3, the small EV market is becoming one of the industry’s most hotly contested segments.
That’s why Leapmotor has jumped in with the new B03X. The rather uninspiringly named model is a B-segment electric SUV that focuses on technology, space and value rather than boastful performance figures.
If you hadn’t realised it already, Chinese manufacturers such as Leapmotor are fast becoming serious contenders in the UK car market. And with automotive giant Stellantis backing the brand, Leapmotor is clearly here to stay.
Motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay drove the B03X at its international media launch in Andalusia, Spain, to discover whether this is simply another budget-priced EV – or an electric SUV with genuine grit, character and plenty to offer.
Designed for city living
At 4.27 metres long, the B03X is almost made-to-measure for London. It’s far from commanding, yet it’s tall enough to give you the high-ish SUV seating position buyers continue to love. More importantly, it’s a breeze to manoeuvre.
The new Leapmotor’s tight 10-metre turning circle proved useful during my time at the media drive event. Parking at busy hotels and cafes between Malaga and Marbella was straightforward, while three-point turns on narrow streets were a doddle.
That’s exactly the sort of everyday user-friendliness that matters back home in the capital.
Surprisingly spacious inside
Leapmotor has shoehorned a Tardis-like amount of room into a small footprint. The cabin feels airy due to a low dashboard and an ironing-board-flat floor. Rear passengers enjoy abundant legroom for this class, while headroom is not to be sniffed at.
The interior also feels more premium than you might imagine. Soft-touch materials feature across much of the dashboard and doors, and coloured ambient lighting injects a smidgen of urbanity after the sun goes down.
A heated steering wheel and heated seats come factory-fitted – equipment that’s not necessarily needed in a Mediterranean climate, granted – but valuable in the UK at this time of year and beyond. More importantly, this kind of kit is often optional elsewhere.
For anyone inching through London traffic, Leapmotor certainly hasn’t kicked comfort to the kerb.
Tech that’s easy to live with
A 14.6-inch touchscreen dominates the dashboard, paired with an 8.8-inch digital driver’s display.
Leapmotor’s latest operating system is as intuitive as any of these units ever really get, with smartphone-like menus, split-screen capability and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
I particularly liked the clarity of both displays. The graphics are sharp, and the driver instrumentation is easy to read – even in dappled light.
Built for busy lives
Practicality is one of the B03X’s plus points. Its boot offers 405 litres of cargo capacity with the rear seats in place, plus an extra 105-litre waterproof storage cavity under the floor. It’s ideal for your gym kit, wellies or anything you’d rather keep away from the main luggage space.
If you need to carry something longer, you can fold the B03X’s rear seats and its front passenger chair flat, and you’ve got room for self-assembly furniture, or even a surfboard – not that you’ll be doing much surfing on the River Thames!
Leapmotor has also scattered 33 storage compartments around the new car’s cabin. Particularly notable is the floating centre console, which leaves useful open stowage space beneath, while the wireless charging tray holds your smartphone securely while you’re on the move.
Comfortable first, sporty second
The B03X houses a single front-mounted electric motor producing 197PS, allowing it to get from a standstill to 62mph in 8.6 seconds. This kind of poke isn’t adrenaline-altering, but it’s bang on for merging onto motorways or overtaking on slower roads.
Mind you, if you pull away enthusiastically, the front tyres can screech easily. It happened more than once during the launch route. Still, I’d attribute that to the baking Andalusian tarmac – temperatures were well into the 30s – or possibly the tyres fitted to the test car, rather than any underlying problem with the vehicle itself.
Once underway, the B03X settles into an even flow (and no, I didn’t have Pearl Jam blaring as I drove, but maybe I should’ve done), although it rolls a bit through corners, and the suspension feels quite soft, even a little spongy when pressing on.
However, that squidginess has a bright side – the ride is comfortable, soaking up ragged road surfaces readily. Around town, where the B03X is likely to spend much of its life, that relaxed suspension setup makes quite a lot of sense.
Charging fits the working week
Power comes from a 53kWh lithium iron phosphate battery offering up to 237 miles of driving.
On average, real-world range commonly drops 10% to 30% below the official figure. But because EVs flourish in stop-and-go urban traffic – where regenerative braking recoups energy – city range is much better than on motorways.
When plugging in is needed, the B03X will handle DC rapid charging at up to 133kW, taking the battery pack from 30 to 80 per cent in 16 minutes – which is enough time for a coffee and loo break on your way to or from the office. A heat pump is standard too, helping conserve range during cold snaps.
Big value, according to Leapmotor
Leapmotor’s UK boss, Damien Dally, reckons car buyers are becoming tired of digging deep for basic kit. “People want technology and equipment, but they also want value,” Dally told me during the B03X’s launch. “We’re taking the opposite approach.”
That means virtually everything in the model is bundled in, including the heated seats, heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, wireless charging, and the technology displays mentioned earlier. Adaptive cruise control and a 12-speaker audio system also come without ticking boxes in an options list.
Furthermore, Dally believes Leapmotor’s partnership with Stellantis helps answer concerns about buying from a new-ish Chinese marque. “Leapmotor is a relatively young brand, but we’re not entering the UK market alone”.
With an expanding UK retailer network and Stellantis providing aftersales support, buyers get reassurance still missing from some newer entrants.
Verdict
The B03X isn’t trying to be the coolest car in its class – or the one with the most range. Instead, Leapmotor has focused on what many city drivers need: compact dimensions, generous cabin space, loads of standard equipment and faff-free usability.
Sure, there’s some noticeable body roll through corners, and the suspension is squishy, but when it comes to urban life, the B03X has loads going for it.
It’s easier to park than falling off a greasy log, stress-free to manoeuvre along car-lined streets and comfy enough to keep your backside happy on longer journeys.
For professionals wanting an affordable electric SUV (this Leapmotor’s provisional price is £26,995) that can cope with the daily commute just as readily as a weekend away from the Big Smoke, the B03X could prove one of the more convincing new arrivals in the UK’s swelling compact EV market.