Leapmotor B05, the Chinese threat to European hegemony, passes through Zaragoza

The C segment, corresponding to compact cars like the Golf, the León, the Astra or the 308, among others, has historically been the one that has accumulated the most sales in Europe. Until now, it has been a market segment reserved for the major European manufacturers, but the advance of electrification and new vehicles from China are challenging European hegemony in this segment.Leapmotor is a Chinese manufacturer that has a strategic alliance with the Stellantis group, the parent company of many French, Italian, and North American brands. In fact, the Stellantis group and Leapmotor signed an agreement in 2023 for joint venture to form a company with 51% of the capital reserved for Stellantis and the remaining 49% for Leapmotor to manufacture and sell models of the Chinese brand outside the Asian giant's market. This has allowed some historic factories of the Stellantis group, such as the one in Figueruelas in Zaragoza, to be remodeled to manufacture vehicles from the Chinese brand. The roadmap agreed by Leapmotor and Stellantis at the Aragonese plant involves manufacturing an urban electric SUV called B-10 and a C-segment SUV under the Opel brand that will take advantage of the Chinese brand's platform and technology, and which would be added to the current Lancia Ypsilon and Peugeot 208.Leapmotor B05, an electric car with many arguments The new B05 is a vehicle that on paper should fit perfectly with the habits, customs, and preferences of European buyers. This Chinese electric car will have a starting price of 26,100 euros, which with institutional aid and current promotional discounts would allow the final price of the product to be below 20,000 euros, a very attractive psychological barrier for buyers on the Old Continent.