Leapmotor has confirmed that its new electric supermini, the B03, will touch down in the UK next year with a range of up to 242 miles.
The Chinese firm's Renault 5 and Volkswagen ID Polo rival, already on sale in China as the Leapmotor A05, is a smaller and lower-slung sibling to the recently launched B03X, and will sit between that car and the tiny T03, with an expected starting price in the low £20,000s.
It measures 4175mm long and 1790mm wide, and when it lands in UK dealers early next year it will be offered with a 53kWh battery said to be good for a range of 242 miles – competitive against its French and German rivals.
Bolstering its urban credentials, the B03 has a turning circle of just 9.8 metres - almost as small as a Dacia Spring's.
That battery sends its reserves to a 194bhp motor on the front axle that produces 148lb ft of torque, and gets the B03 from 0-62mph in 7.6sec. Leapmotor says that with a maximum charging speed of 133kW, the B03 can go from 10-80% capacity in just 21 minutes.
Leapmotor's sixth UK-bound model takes a similar approach inside to its range-mates, with a minimalist cabin centred on a 14.6in central touchscreen that serves as the primary control interface – with physical buttons and switches largely absent.
Unusually for a small car, the B03 has a front passenger seat that folds completely flat to make space for long loads, while the driver's seat reclines almost horizontally in the other direction so the driver can lay down during charge stops.
The rear seat base flips up, too, to make space for bulkier items like bikes to be stored upright across the car. That's in addition to the 30 storage spaces that are dotted throughout the interior, and a 405-litre boot with an extra 90 litres of hidden storage beneath the carpet.
The supermini will be offered in just one trim in the UK, with 17in alloys, a 360deg camera, automatic air-con, LED lights, heated seats and steering wheel, and synthetic leather trim equipped as standard.
Official pricing will be confirmed nearer to the B03's launch early next year.