I could live with the compact Leapmotor B03X, but here’s what I’d change to make it a keeper

Leapmotor is already building an impressive portfolio of electric cars, the Leapmotor B05 being the standout experience for me so far over the tiny Leapmotor T03 and Leapmotor B10 crossover SUV. The Chinese brand has now taken the covers off this, the B03X, which I’d expected to be slightly cheaper than it actually is.

That’s because it’s up against stiff competition from the likes of the Renault 4, the Kia EV2 and the excellent Skoda Epiq. Expected to be around £27,000 (with no US sales planned), it’s not bargain basement.

It is a strong package, mind, with a decent specification and impressive levels of kit coming as standard. However, even though the design follows a similar theme and fits in with the rest of the Leapmotor fleet, the looks are a teensy-weensy bit generic. Things are better on the inside, with a quality feel to the coverings, lots of storage and generous levels of space. Simplified pricing and trim options will make it a doddle to purchase too, with only the paint colour as an extra thing to argue about.

The Leapmotor B03X is also perfectly tailored to average family car buyers. It comes with a 53kWh battery, good for around 237 miles. Performance is sprightly but standard fare and, driven sensibly, this compact crossover is easy to live with. However, there are a few niggles that will hopefully be ironed out with a few teaks here and there. The biggest issue is going to be fending off that competition, with other rivals aside from the above mentioned that include the Ford Puma Gen-E, the Vauxhall Frontera Electric and the Citroen e-C3 Aircross. The latter pair come from parent company Stellantis, just like Leapmotor…

The styling

The Leapmotor B03X looks alright on the outside and although it doesn’t have particularly memorable design lines, the overall vibes were positive. I’d have liked to have seen some zingier paint options though; with the test examples I had to choose from sporting rather muted tones. The smoothed off front and rear ands feature stylish light designs while the sides are lifted a little with contrasting black sills and window surrounds.

I’m not normally too keen on charging ports at the rear end of the front wing, but because the Leapmotor B03X is relatively compact, there shouldn’t be an issue pulling in close at charging points. The stylish alloy wheels, shod with initially impressive Yokohama tyres helped to lift the overall look a bit. Nevertheless, the Leapmotor B03X isn’t quite as exciting to look at as the obvious rivals I mentioned above.

While the exterior is a bit bland, the highlights were to be found inside. The interior was nicely done, with beefy trim mouldings that could have been lifted from something in the quirky Smart line-up. The cockpit is dominated by a chunky central console that provides plenty of arm support, sensible cupholders and additional storage too.

Leapmotor designers have tried their best to make the experience a little funkier, with squashed oval air vents and a slimline dashboard graphic that features a ‘Leapy’-type characature. The steering wheel is very minimalist save for some thumb rollers, with all of the main controls contained in the central landscape-oriented infotainment screen. I did like the squishy and very accommodating seats that also boasted what felt like very durable coverings. Not bad at all.

Naturally, for a slightly generic car, there are features that have been seen somewhere before, with a nifty lower boot box that takes its inspiration from the Ford Puma. There were also ‘magic seats’, which offered the same levels of versatility as the ones found in the Honda Jazz.

The drive

The Leapmotor B03X is a sensible, family-focused electric crossover and, as such, it’s perfectly suited to the job in hand. There was little to do in order to get underway, with a column-mounted drive stalk on the steering column and the option for adjusting door mirrors using the steering wheel rollers. The B03X is therefore very much a press and go experience. It felt quite good trundling around urban areas too with plenty of glass offering good views of the road.

It was largely quiet, comfortable and fuss-free although anyone who gets irked by persistent diver alerts will want to spend some time prior to setting off in order to silence them. This had to be done via the touchscreen and wasn’t a two second job. Par for the course in most modern cars though. Once I’d bedded myself in with the controls, I started driving the B03X a little more enthusiastically, which was where it started to feel less self-assured.

The levels of power are actually good and felt perfect for the type of car this is. However, those Yokohama tyres seemed less keen on offering the sort of grip I’d been expecting. While this isn’t a very powerful car, having weight and drive at the front meant spinning the front wheels was very easy to do. I wondered what the Leapmotor B03X would be like on our roads in the wet, because even on smooth, dry tarmac it was definitely a bit lairy using anything more than featherlight pressing of the accelerator.

Going hand-in-hand with this was the ride, which was quite soft ant probably quite well suited to taking on harsher road surfaces. The downside was that it felt quite bouncy going over things like speed humps. Going around corners and roundabouts at higher speeds delivered some roll too. I soon realised that the B03X was best driven gingerly but, to be honest, that’s not unreasonable for a car of this type. It was also quiet and performed well enough in a straight line on higher speed main roads.

The light steering was, well, really light, which combined with a great 10-metre turning circle meant the B03X was really manoeuvrable as well as being easy to park. School runs, shopping trips and Saturday sports events for anyone with kids wouldn’t be an issue. However, I’d like to see the slightly woolly feel of the steering tightened up a bit personally as it would probably make the B03X much more fun to live with.

The technology

I liked the simplicity of the Leapmotor B03X package in that everything is essentially bundled into the price. There was quite a lot on offer too, with LED headlights and heated seats plus electric adjustment for the driver’s side as well as a heat pump all included. Everyday essentials like wireless phone charging and 360-degree camera along with 64-colour ambient lighting and a reasonable 12-speaker audio system topped off the key equipment list very nicely. Meanwhile, all that lovely tech functionality was predominantly controlled via the central touchscreen.

Which was where things became a little less simplistic. Both the Leapmotor B03X dashboard screens felt quite busy and some information, especially on the 8.8in driver’s display, wasn’t always immediately easy to read. The same could be said for segments of the 14.6in infotainment screen and adjusting anything hidden deeper down in the menu system was best saved for when I’d pulled over. I quite liked the way the steering wheel controls could be used to operate shortcuts, but again, this needed to be investigated prior to heading off again.

There was a default satellite navigation system, complete with a voiceover backdrop that was certainly diligent when it came to offering advisories on proceeding straight ahead. Still, if I’m driving on unfamiliar roads in a strange country then more information is always better than less. Also offered was Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and getting this set up and running was a good option if preferred. I reckon most folks who buy this car will find the Leapmotor B03X boasts more than enough on the tech front to keep them happy.

Should you buy a Leapmotor B03X in 2026?

The Leapmotor B03X needs some fettling before it gets a full thumbs up. The ride and drive side of things are, for now, average. Driven anything more than sedately and the compact EV can feel like a bit of a handful. With that side of things tightened up, the Leapmotor B03X could be a much better car.

Elsewhere though, there is lots to like, with a nicely executed interior, good levels of space and comfort plus a plethora of tech albeit only accessible via some touchscreen antics.

While the standard package is solid, the Leapmotor B03X feels a bit pricey alongside some top-quality rivals that are also rather more memorable to look at.

Leapmotor B03X technical specifications