Leapmotor B05: Affordable Chinese EV takes on VW ID.3 but comes with a catch

[Redaktion]

With the new Leapmotor B05, a major budget contender is entering the German EV market. In the first drive report, the compact C-segment model stands out with generous equipment and rear-wheel drive at an aggressive price, but it also has some software shortcomings.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Leapmotor-B05-Affordable-Chinese-EV-takes-on-VW-ID-3-but-comes-with-a-catch.1323006.0.html

[heffeque]

So... a bit less storage, and software needs improving (which can be done over the air in the coming months).
Other than that, it's better than the VW in every meaningful way (motor, battery, security, comfort, extras...).

Welp... VW's name will surely be strong on some markets (like Germany), but other markets couldn't care less (like Spain, where people bought Chinese cars at almost a 20% rate in May 2026... or Uruguay, where BYD is now the #1 car manufacturer, and Geely is #3), so Leapmotor seams to have a real winner in these markets.

Can't wait to see BYD's answer (the 2nd Gen of Blade batteries) in Europe.