Leapmotor electric hot hatch confirmed for 2027 NZ launch

Watch out, Volkswagen Golf GTi?

The local arm of Chinese carmaker Leapmotor has confirmed that the brand’s first hot hatch — the B05 Ultra — is set to arrive in local showrooms next year. 

Speaking at this week’s local launch of the B03X, Auto Distributors New Zealand general manager Brian Carr said that the rear-wheel drive pure electric hatchback will arrive here in the second half of 2027. 

Exact specifications for the hotted up EV are unknown. The model has already debuted in China (where it is badged as the Lafa 5 Ultra), but there is expectation that the global variant will get more punch.

Speaking to CarExpert Australia in June, Leapmotor Europe product marketing manager Alexis Cieslewicz said that the global version of the Ultra will receive some “further development”. 

“Since the Ultra has been presented in China, there’s a lot of interest, not only in Europe or some other countries, for example, and so we are evaluating the possibility to also bring it to Europe,” he said.

“But the point is that the Chinese version maybe is not perfect for European market, it needs some fine tuning and needs some further development, so we need to have more time for evaluation of bringing this car in Europe.”

Leapmotor head of commercial operations for Europe, Danilo Annese, was perhaps slightly more direct. “We are discussing that this is, is not that car, it’s not the Chinese car, that’s mainly a body kit, and we want to do it a little bit better than that,” he said.

The standard B05 that recently touched down in New Zealand extracts 160kW of power and 240Nm of torque from a rear-mounted electric motor, resulting in a claimed 0–100kph time of 6.7 seconds. 

China’s B05 Ultra also comes with a single rear-mounted motor, but power and torque are lifted to 180kW and 255Nm. Its 0–100kph time is shaved down, too, to 5.9 seconds. Wouldn’t you know it, that’s the same acceleration sprint time as a Volkswagen Golf GTi. 

Apart from more power, the B05 Ultra comes with a more aggressive bodykit, including side skirts, a rear diffuser, and rear spoiler. Inside, it gets bucket seats up front, suede upholstery with leather appointments, and a suede headliner.