Leapmotor prices B03X electric SUV from $37,990

Leapmotor has confirmed New Zealand pricing for its new B03X compact electric SUV, with the range opening at $37,990 plus on-road costs and first customer deliveries expected from late September.

The B03X, sold as the A10 in China, arrives here in two grades, Life and Design, and New Zealand is among the first markets outside China and Europe to receive the car.

The entry Life is priced at $37,990 plus on-road costs and pairs its 39.8kWh battery with a 130kW, 200Nm electric motor driving the front wheels. Range is rated at 292km on the WLTP cycle.

The Design, at $42,990 plus on-road costs, steps up to a 53kWh battery and 145kW motor, lifting range to 382km WLTP. Both grades use LFP battery chemistry, hit 100km/h in 8.6 seconds and top out at 160km/h.

DC fast charging peaks at 100kW for the Life and 133kW for the Design, with Leapmotor quoting a 30 to 80 per cent charge in around 16 minutes. Both carry an 11kW on-board AC charger.

“For a car so small, up to 145 kilowatts of power provides a very ample drive in and around any city in New Zealand,” Leapmotor New Zealand general manager Brian Carr told media at the car’s Auckland launch.

Small footprint, big boot

At 4,270mm long, 1,810mm wide and 1,635mm tall, the B03X sits firmly in the compact SUV class, but Leapmotor is leaning hard on packaging as its party trick. The 2,605mm wheelbase and flat-floor construction, a product of the brand’s cell-to-chassis design, deliver 947mm of rear legroom and a claimed 10-metre turning circle.

Boot space is a headline number too. The main compartment holds 405 litres, with a further 105-litre “Giga box” hidden beneath a floating floor for a combined 510 litres. Leapmotor counts 33 storage solutions throughout the cabin, and the rear bench base flips up, Honda Jazz style, for carrying taller items. Carr laughed off a suggestion from the floor that Honda might have something to say about Leapmotor calling the feature “magic seats”.

Standard kit

Every B03X gets a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster running Leap OS 4.0, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded 4G connectivity, over-the-air updates and built-in apps including Spotify and YouTube. A voice assistant, three drive modes (Comfort, Standard and Sport) and a trip planner with charging station suggestions are also standard.

Safety equipment includes seven airbags and a 21-function suite of driver assistance features running on 14 sensors and cameras, delivering Level 2 capability. Rain-sensing wipers, LED headlights, roof rails and semi-hidden door handles round out the Life specification, which rides on 18-inch wheels with fabric upholstery inside.

The Design adds eco-leather upholstery, a six-way electric driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, auto-folding mirrors, front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, ambient lighting and a 12-speaker audio system in place of the Life’s six speakers.

Six colours are offered: Berry Blue, Acorn Brown, Tundra Grey, Seaweed Green, Galaxy Silver and Rime Beige. Design buyers can choose between Currant Black and Oat Gray eco-leather interiors.

How it stacks up

The B03X lands in an increasingly crowded corner of the market. Its $37,990 starting price puts it directly against the Geely EX2 Inspire at the same money, though the Geely is a smaller hatchback with a 47.14kWh battery and 345km of range. BYD’s Atto 2, the closest thing to a direct rival on body style and size, starts at $40,990 for the Dynamic with a 51kWh battery and 345km WLTP, meaning the base B03X undercuts it by $3,000 while giving away 53km of range. MG’s 4 Urban hatchback starts at $38,990 and GAC’s Aion UT at $39,990.

At the top of the range, the $42,990 B03X Design’s 382km rating outruns the Atto 2 Dynamic while still coming in below BYD’s $45,990 Atto 2 Premium.

Dealers ready

The B03X joins a Leapmotor line-up that has grown quickly in New Zealand, sitting alongside the C10 and B10 SUVs and the B05 hatchback, which also begins customer deliveries around the start of October. Leapmotor backs the range with a six-year warranty.

The car also arrives as the brand expands its retail footprint. Leapmotor is distributed in New Zealand by Auto Distribution New Zealand (ADNZ), part of the Armstrong Group. Auto Distribution Holdings chief executive Simon Rutherford told the launch that Leapmotor’s dealer network will grow to 12 outlets from 1 September, up from the four it started with.

“That’s not enough to give you market coverage,” Rutherford said of the original network. “With those 12 dealers, 80 per cent of the market will be covered.”

Gaps remain in West Auckland, Dunedin and Northland, which Rutherford said the brand will continue to target.

“We go back to what we said at the start, which is excellence within reach,” Carr said. “A substantial car within reach. This B03X continues in that lane.”