Leapmotor may still feel like a new name to some New Zealand buyers, but the brand is moving quickly. With the B10 already on sale, a growing dealer network, and two more compact electric models now joining the local conversation, Leapmotor is clearly aiming to become far more visible on Kiwi roads.
At today’s launch presentation, Leapmotor New Zealand outlined its next steps: the compact B03X SUV, the B05 electric hatchback, an expanded dealer network, and a stronger warranty package. It was also a chance to get behind the wheel of a pre-production B03X Design, finished in the hero Seaweed Green colour.
New Zealand is among the first markets outside China and Europe to receive the B03X, a front-wheel-drive compact SUV that sits below the B10 and brings the brand into a far more accessible part of the EV market.
Leapmotor’s New Zealand push
Leapmotor says its local footprint is growing quickly, with a “proper dealer network” from 1 September expanding to 12 outlets and giving the brand around 80 percent market coverage from Auckland to Christchurch. The company has also recently lifted its vehicle warranty from four years to six years, adding another layer of reassurance for buyers still getting to know the brand.
The timing matters. Leapmotor quoted strong global EV sales momentum for the first half of 2026, and said July saw 78 Leapmotor vehicles sold in New Zealand. With four models either on sale or arriving soon, the brand is no longer just testing the water here.
2026 Leapmotor B03X: compact SUV packaging tricks
The B03X is a compact front-wheel-drive electric SUV measuring around 4.2 metres long and 1,810mm wide, with a quoted 10-metre turning circle. It uses Leapmotor’s cell-to-chassis design, integrating the battery pack into the vehicle structure to help lower the centre of gravity and improve torsional stiffness.
The biggest surprise is the packaging. Boot space is 405 litres before you count the underfloor “Giga box”, which adds another 105 litres for a total of 510 litres. Fold the seats and total capacity rises to 1,605 litres, while the cabin also includes 33 storage solutions and rear “magic seats” that can flip up to carry taller items.
Inside, the B03X follows the modern minimal-EV template with a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster running Leap OS 4.0. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, along with built-in satellite navigation, over-the-air updates, app support including Spotify, Tidal, YouTube and TikTok, and 21 advanced driver-assistance features.
2026 Leapmotor B03X: models and pricing
The B03X range starts with the Life at $37,990 plus on-road costs. It gets a 39.8kWh battery, a 130kW/200Nm motor, and a WLTP range of 292km. The Design is priced at $42,990 plus on-road costs and steps up to a 53kWh battery, 145kW motor, and 382km WLTP range. Both versions are front-wheel drive, both quote an 8.6-second 0–100km/h time, and both have an 11kW onboard charger.
DC fast charging is rated at up to 100kW in the Life and 133kW in the Design, with a claimed 30–80 percent charge time of around 16 minutes. The Design also adds equipment including an electric driver’s seat, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, 360-degree camera, 18-inch alloys, 12-speaker audio, and eco-leather trim options in black or Oat Grey.
2026 Leapmotor B05: the hatch with hot-hatch intent
Leapmotor also used the event to talk about the B05 electric hatchback, which is due for customer deliveries by the end of September or early October. Leapmotor is calling it a “hot hatch”, helped by rear-wheel drive, a 160kW motor, 19-inch alloys, frameless doors, a panoramic roof, 12-speaker audio, a 14.6-inch central display, and NFC card access.
The B05 will be offered in Life and Design grades. It is around 4.4 metres long and 1,880mm wide, with a 345-litre boot. Battery options are 56kWh and 67kWh, with quoted WLTP ranges of 401km and 482km respectively. A more serious hot-hatch version is expected in the second half of 2027.
Pricing for the B05 starts at $43,990 plus on-road costs for the Life, with the Design priced at $47,990 plus on-road costs. That positions it neatly beneath the B10 SUV while still offering a longer-range, more driver-focused alternative for buyers who do not need SUV packaging.
2026 Leapmotor B03X: First drive
We picked up a top-spec Design model, finished in Seaweed Green and looking awesome in the flesh. The colour just suits this design.
Walking around the car, we note the ‘Haha’ taillights, and also some random placements of happy faces around the body – on the windscreen, for example.
The Giga box in the boot is enormous, and looks capable of holding a lot of the stuff you never actually need in your car. Interestingly, the whole Giga box tub is made of plastic, and you can see this easily underneath the car.
There are more of the happy faces inside the cabin too, we can see that Leapmotor is trying to make the car a little funky and fun, and it is a bit cool to stumble on another one of the graphics when you spot it.
Getting inside, the doors close with a solid thunk, and other than the centre console, a lot of the surfaces are a nice, soft touch, and pleasing to your fingers. As is now normal for 2026, fit and finish is excellent at a first look.
We were told during the presentations that there are “almost constant” updates coming over the air to the car, and that’s good to know. I say that as I wish they’d do an update for the electric window switches. Like Geely models, they are reversed, so you press the button forward to put the window down. It takes a while to get used to it. Hopefully Leapmotor can fix this with an OTA update, or at least have it as an option to switch it around in the infotainment system.
But still, that’s a small gripe. Overall the car drives well, with a punchy bit of acceleration off the mark. The accelerator pedal does have a lot of travel, though.
One other small thing to note is the brake pedal; it’s quite spongy and the two of us switching over as driver and passenger noticed this.
Seat comfort feels excellent, with nicely soft padding underneath. Being the Design model, that meant heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, both appreciated on a cold Auckland day.
As passenger, things are good. Visibility is great, and ‘our’ car had the ivory headliner instead of black, and it did feel light and airy inside. As promised, for the size of the B03X, interior space is very good, and rear legroom above average for the class of this SUV. The magic seats work well – not quite as upright as Honda can make them, but still a huge benefit compared to cars that don’t have this feature.
On first acquaintance, the B03X makes a strong case as a compact EV that is more practical than its footprint suggests. It feels well assembled, usefully spacious, and suitably punchy around town (bearing in mind we were in the more powerful model). The spongy brake pedal and oddly reversed window switch action stand out, but they do not overwhelm what is otherwise a positive first impression.
Leapmotor’s challenge now is brand recognition, but with sharper pricing, a broader dealer network, a six-year warranty, and genuinely interesting products like the B03X and B05, it has given itself a much better chance of being noticed.
