Leapmotor B03X 2026 review | A practical small EV in need of dynamic polish

The B03X is a compact electric SUV that sits beneath the Leapmotor B10 in the brand's UK range. At 4.27 metres long and 1.8 metres wide, it goes up against cars such as the Ford Puma Gen-E, Renault 4, Vauxhall Frontera Electric, Citroen e-C3 Aircross and Kia EV2. There's just one powertrain: a 53kWh LFP battery paired with a 194bhp electric motor driving the front wheels, which is good for 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds and an official range of up to 237 miles.

So that’s the car, but what about the brand? Leapmotor is a Chinese car maker that was launched in 2015 and arrived in the UK in 2025, where it has since been fast growing its lineup. Unlike other Chinese brands, Leapmotor’s European operation is tied in with Stellantis, the car-making giant that also owns Citroen, Vauxhall, Opel, DS, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and others. That connection should help to give buyers confidence in the longevity of the brand, while the fast growing UK dealer network means Leapmotor is also well-placed when it comes not only to sales, but also vehicle maintenance and after-sales care.

The B03X starts from just under £27,000 once Leapmotor has applied its own EV grant. As such, its entry price is actually higher than most of its rival brands charge for their own small electric crossovers. Leapmotor’s counter here is that the B03X is also much better equipped: in fact the only available optional extra is the exterior paint colour.

The B03X’s boot measures 405 litres with the adjustable boot floor dropped to its lowest setting (you can also raise it to create a flat loading lip). That figure is reasonably competitive against models such as the Renault 4 (420 litres) and Vauxhall Frontera Electric (460 liters). However, it is boosted by an additional 105-litre underfloor storage area where the spare wheel well would usually be. This plastic (and therefore washable) compartment is clearly inspired by the Ford Puma’s ‘Megabox’, and is a genuinely useful feature. There's no additional 'frunk' or storage area under the bonnet.

The innovation (or perhaps imitation would be a better word) continues in the back seats, which feature seat bases that lift up in the manner of Honda's Magic Seats. This adds flexibility for taller or bulkier items such as plants or furniture. With the seat bases back in place, both legroom and headroom are excellent, and put most of this car’s rivals to shame. At 5ft 11in I could easily sit behind myself with legroom to spare. And so while there’s no adjustment in the rear seats (they don’t slide or recline), it would be churlish to complain given the sheer space on offer.

For larger loads, the seat bases drop in a 60-40 split, and you can even fold the backrest of the passenger seat flat to carry long loads – ideal for those tip runs.

Space in the front is equally impressive. There’s lots of headroom, and a good range of adjustment in the steering wheel and (six-way powered) driver’s seat to ensure a comfortable driving position. Plenty of storage spaces are dotted throughout the interior, including a large tray under the centre console, a cubby under the armrest, two cupholders, and a conventional glovebox.

Not only that, but the quality of materials, fit and finish in the interior are really impressive. The B03X's interior might not have the charm of a Renault 4, but it feels classier than a Puma Gen-E, Frontera Electric, or a Suzuki e-Vitara. It’s not all serious and sensible either: Leapmotor has dotted a few of its ‘Leapy’ mascot logos around the cabin to inject a bit of fun.

There's only one motor and battery combination to consider. The 194bhp unit drives the front wheels and gets the B03X from 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds. Performance, in other words, that is entirely appropriate for a family crossover of this type. Leapmotor offers three levels of regenerative braking, each of which bleeds in smoothly. There’s no one-pedal driving mode, however, and (as with most of the car’s controls), adjusting the level of brake regen requires going into the central touchscreen, which we found to be rather distracting when driving.

Leapmotor’s stated ambition for the B03X is that it should be easy to drive. First impressions on this front are good enough. You simply climb in, engage drive via a stalk that protrudes from the steering column, press the accelerator, and you’re away. The power delivery at low speeds feels linear, the ride is soft (albeit you hear a few thunks from the suspension), and the light steering, tight 10-metre turning circle and good visibility make the B03X simplicity itself to operate.

It won’t be long, however, until you come across some frustrations and limitations. First, the B03X's active safety systems (of which Leapmotor says there are more than 20) chide you for straying even a fraction over the speed limit, or too close to a white line. There’s another beep every time the speed limit changes, and another if you look away from the road to adjust something - say the brake regen - on the touchscreen.

Perhaps pre-empting reviewers' reaction to this, the Leapmotor team spent the first 10 minutes of our media briefing explaining how to disengage these alerts by using a pre-set driver profile it had created. But even this isn’t straightforward. First, you need to be at a standstill with the car in Park. Then you need to find the relevant menu by tapping a small icon on the top left of the screen. Then you need to tap the desired profile. And then you double tap a button on the steering wheel to confirm that, yes, you really do want a beep-free driving experience. I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd said to also press up, down, left, right, A+B+C+Start before setting off (Sega Mega Drive/Sonic the Hedgehog reference there for anybody over the age of 40).

With the beeps and bongs disengaged, you are free to concentrate properly on the driving experience... which is also a bit of a problem. Because at anything more than half throttle and even with the stability control engaged, the B03X struggles to put its power down without spinning its front wheels. This was on brand new Yokohama tyres and on bone-dry Spanish roads, so goodness knows what it’s be like on a wet winter Wednesday with part-worn tyres.

Not only that, but the ride that seemed soft and forgiving at low speeds becomes rather loose and uncontrolled once you’re doing more than 40mph. Coupled with steering that is very light, slow to respond and has as much feeling as Doctor Robotnik, and it makes the B03X feel unfortunately clumsy to drive.

Its range of up to 237 miles from a charge is though competitive for the class, and it peak charging speed of 133kW is genuinely impressive. Leapmotor reckons that on a suitable rapid charger you can expect to take on a 10-80% charge in a little over 20 minutes.

When it comes to equipment and technology, Leapmotor's approach for the B03X (and its range in general) is to forgo different trims and just offer everything as standard. In fact, the only option that can be added to the B03X is a different exterior paint colour. Everything else comes at no additional cost, from the heated seats and steering wheel, to the efficiency boosting heat pump, LED headlights, and six-way power-adjustable driver's seat. There's also a 360-degree parking camera, wireless phone charging, a 12-speaker sound system and 64-colour ambient lighting.

An 8.8-inch driver’s display takes the place of conventional dials, and is joined by a main 14.6-inch infotainment screen through which most of the controls are accessed. The graphics, menus and general setup of the main screen are modeled on a smartphone, and there’s no denying that it looks good and responds quickly. The inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android auto is also welcome. The problem is that you need to go into the screen to change even basic functions. This includes the in-car temperature, the driving modes, the door mirrors, and much more besides.

The only physical buttons are for the electric windows, the hazard lights, and a smattering on the steering wheel. Some of these can be configured as shortcuts (double tapping one, for example, brings up the door mirror adjustment), while others control the volume of the radio or change the information on the digital driver’s display.

Once various electric car grants have been taken into account, the Leapmotor’s starting price is higher (by several thousand pounds) than most of its core rivals. While there’s no denying the car’s excellent practicality, nor that Leapmotor throws in lots of standard equipment, this pricing tactic still looks problematic. It’ll be worth keeping an eye out for finance deals, though, because this is an area where Leapmotor has been very strong.

Leapmotor quotes a WLTP range of up to 237 miles from the 53kWh battery, which is equivalent to around 4.5 miles per kWh, making this an efficient EV.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, or road tax) for electric cars now follows the same structure as combustion vehicles: an inexpensive first-year rate that’s then the standard annual rate from year two. The B03X also sits well under the £40,000 threshold that would trigger the extra "expensive car" VED supplement, as do all of its named rivals, so nothing to worry about there.

Leapmotor is still a new name in the UK, and neither the B03X nor any of its other current models have featured yet in reliability surveys. Independent ownership data, then, is lacking.

What buyers do get is a warranty that beats the UK industry standard: four years or 60,000 miles on the car, plus a separate eight years or 100,000 miles on the battery. That car warranty is a year longer than the three-year/60,000-mile cover offered by Ford, Vauxhall and Citroen, and beats the time limit on Jeep's three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty too, while the battery cover is in line with the rest of the class. Do be aware, however, that Kia, Hyundai, Toyota and Suzuki all offer longer warranties on their small electric crossovers.

Leapmotor's UK operation is also backed by Stellantis, giving access to an established dealer and servicing network. The brand's UK footprint is also continuing to grow, which should provide buyer reassurance that it's here for the long haul.