Leapmotor is continuing its rapid expansion in Ireland with the arrival of the new B05, an all-electric C-segment hatchback that could prove to be one of the young brand’s most important models yet. Officially launched at Gowan Auto’s headquarters in Citywest this recently, the B05 enters one of the busiest parts of the Irish new car market with a particularly eye-catching starting price of €28,998, including the SEAI grant and VRT rebate. We also managed to get behind the wheel at the Irish launch, taking the B05 from Citywest out towards Blessington on the N81 before turning onto some of the more challenging backroads around Slade Road and Saggart. It was a relatively brief first encounter, but enough to suggest there is considerably more to the B05 than an attractive price tag. Perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay the B05 after our short drive is just how pleasant it is to travel in. There is an impressive sense of space inside, while opening the large panoramic roof floods the cabin with light and adds considerably to the feeling of roominess.
Refinement also impressed! The B05 is incredibly quiet on the move, even by electric car standards, and around the mix of roads on our test route it felt comfortable, composed and easy to drive. Heading away from Citywest on the faster N81 gave us a chance to experience its cruising refinement, while the tighter roads back through Slade Road towards Saggart provided a brief opportunity to get a feel for the chassis. The B05 uses a rear-wheel-drive layout with a claimed 50:50 weight distribution, while its suspension has been developed with input from Stellantis’ global chassis team and specifically tuned for European roads. There are MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear. With 160kW, equivalent to 218hp, and 240Nm of torque, performance is also more than adequate. Leapmotor quotes 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds, although outright acceleration isn’t really what stood out during our drive. Instead, it was the B05’s relaxed and refined character that made the strongest initial impression.
There was, however, one frustration. The lane departure warning proved rather intrusive on some of the narrower roads and, despite switching it off, the system appeared to re-arm itself while we were driving. This may simply have been related to the driver profile or vehicle settings on our particular test car, but with limited time behind the wheel we weren’t able to investigate it further. It is something we’ll revisit when we get the B05 for a longer road test. That aside, our first encounter was largely positive! Irish customers have a choice of two battery capacities and two trim levels across three versions. The range opens with the B05 Style fitted with a 56.2kWh battery, offering a WLTP range of up to 401km and a starting price of €28,998. A larger 67.1kWh battery increases the claimed range to 485km and costs €31,487 in Style specification.
The B05 Design uses the same 67.1kWh battery and 485km range but adds additional equipment, bringing the price to €32,984. Prices include the SEAI grant and VRT rebate but exclude metallic paint and delivery charges. Standard specification is generous from the outset. Style models get 19-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels, frameless doors, automatic LED headlights, a 14.6-inch central touchscreen and an 8.8-inch digital instrument display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, alongside wireless phone charging, digital and NFC keys, automatic climate control, Vehicle-to-Load functionality, over-the-air software updates and a 360-degree parking camera. Seven airbags and a suite of 21 driver assistance systems are also standard.
Stepping up to Design brings the panoramic roof we enjoyed on our drive, complete with an electric sunshade, as well as eco-leather upholstery, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, folding mirrors, rear privacy glass, rain sensors and a 12-speaker audio system. At 4,430mm long and 1,880mm wide, the B05 is substantially more than a budget city EV. Its 2,735mm wheelbase contributes to the generous passenger accommodation we noticed during our drive, while boot capacity is 345 litres, increasing to 1,400 litres with the rear seats folded. Styling is also quite distinctive. The low roofline gives the B05 a more coupé-like appearance than Leapmotor’s B10 and C10 SUVs, complemented by frameless doors, concealed handles and a blade-style lighting signature. A drag coefficient of 0.26 should also help efficiency at higher speeds.
Both battery versions employ Leapmotor’s Cell-to-Chassis technology, integrating the battery into the structure of the vehicle. Leapmotor says the approach improves efficiency, reduces weight and allows more effective use of the available cabin space. Charging figures look competitive too. A 30 to 80 per cent DC rapid charge takes approximately 16 minutes with the 56.2kWh battery and 17 minutes with the larger 67.1kWh unit. Using a 7.5kW home charger, the same charge takes around three hours and 44 minutes and four hours and 24 minutes respectively. The cabin is built around Leapmotor’s latest Leap OS 4.0 Plus operating system, while owners can use the accompanying app to remotely control climate settings, schedule charging, check vehicle status and access digital key functionality.
The B05 is already the fourth Leapmotor to arrive in Ireland since the brand launched here in October 2025. It joins the T03 city car, B10 compact SUV and larger C10, with the Irish dealer network now extending to ten franchise locations across eight counties. Two more cars are already on the way. The B03X compact SUV is scheduled to arrive during the final quarter of 2026, while the smaller B03 hatchback is expected in the first quarter of 2027. That will give Leapmotor a six-model Irish line-up within roughly 18 months of entering the market. Backing that rapid expansion is Gowan Auto, while the B05 comes with a six-year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty and an eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty.
We’ll reserve a definitive judgement until we’ve spent considerably more time with the B05 on Irish roads, but first impressions are strong. It’s spacious, exceptionally quiet, bright and airy inside and, on our short drive, proved a genuinely pleasant car in which to cover ground. We’d like the opportunity to delve further into the driver assistance settings and, in particular, establish whether that persistent lane departure intervention can be more permanently tamed. But the bigger story here is the price. At €28,998, the Leapmotor B05 offers a lot of electric car for the money. Even the entry-level model has more than 200hp, over 400km of claimed range and an extensive standard equipment list, while a little over €31,000 gets you the larger battery and a quoted 485km. The electric C-segment is becoming increasingly crowded, which makes standing out more difficult than ever. After our first taste of the B05, however, we’d suggest this is one newcomer that buyers would be mad not to at least consider before making their decision.
