The company’s engineers are supposedly already working on improving the steering via a software update that should have been rolled out by the time this car lands in the UK. However, we’ll have to wait to see whether or not this makes things any better. 

There’s also very little grip in this car or from its low rolling-resistance Yokohama BluEarth-GT tyres, with the rear end feeling extremely, almost worryingly, loose on twisty roads. It's possible some different rubber could solve this problem. 

Leapmotor’s ADAS systems are still in need of serious improvement. The lane-keep assist, in particular, is still easily panicked and constantly tugging at the steering wheel. More annoying is that if you turn it off, the system will reactivate the second the car thinks you’re getting too close to a white line, even if you’re really not. 

Finally, there’s the overly soft ride that results in the B03X leaning considerably in bends and bobbing about as you drive on the motorway, never able to settle down. At least the 194bhp on tap is enough to get up to motorway speed easily. 

The B03X’s 237-mile range isn’t bad, but less than the best in its class. However, during our testing we managed to average an incredible 5.5mi/kWh, and at that rate we’d be able to cover nearly 300 miles on a single charge. We must caveat that by noting we tested this car in up to 35 degree heat in southern Spain, and hardly ever went above 60mph. So while this is an encouraging indication of what the Leapmotor can do, we’re curious to see how efficient it is during a typical British commute. 

The B03X will go on sale in the UK in October, with prices set to start from just under £27,000 after the brand’s own £1,500 ‘E-Grant’ has been deducted. That would put it in the same ballpark as a mid-range Skoda Epiq, Renault 4 or Citroen C3 Aircross.  

There’s only going to be the one powertrain and one specification available, loaded with plenty of kit including heated seats, a 360-degree surround-view camera system and an energy-saving heat pump. 

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