Leapmotor is developing an export-focused edition of its sportier B05 Ultra electric hatch, though executives note it may not mirror the Chinese-spec car exactly.

At the global media unveiling of the standard B05 in Germany, Leapmotor International commercial operations head for Europe Danilo Annese explained that discussions continue on the final specification for the performance model.

"We are discussing with Leap China. I am not sure that it will be exactly the one you see in China, in the sense that if it is Ultra, it needs to be Ultra, in our view," Mr Annese stated.

"Because you have a body pack, and you have other things, so we are working on the other things now to see what we can have as a package, and once we are ready, then we will bring the car in. Normally, the guys are fast, so I expect if things are going well, that will be mid next year."

This timeline suggests a possible European arrival around mid-2027, although Mr Annese clarified his remarks focused mainly on Europe rather than Australia.

"We can have a further deep dive with the experts that are more global than me later on, exactly. It is not the same homologation, it is not exactly the same of everything," he said.

The standard Leapmotor B05 is already slated for Australia, with the electric hatch sized like a Volkswagen Golf expected in the second half of 2026.

In international Design trim, the B05 features a rear-mounted electric motor with 160kW and 240Nm, powered by a 67.1kWh battery. It offers a claimed WLTP range of 482km, a 0-100km/h sprint in 6.7 seconds, and peak DC charging at 168kW.

The Chinese-market B05 Ultra, sold locally as the Lafa 5 Ultra, arrived earlier this year with bolder styling, a 180kW/255Nm rear motor, and a 0-100km/h time as quick as 5.9 seconds.

Leapmotor cautions that simply shipping the existing version may fall short of expectations.

Europe product marketing manager Alexis Cieslewicz noted strong interest in the Ultra beyond China, yet further assessment is required ahead of any launch.

"Since the Ultra has been presented in China, there is 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."

Mr Annese was clearer on a late-next-year timeframe and the need to satisfy demands from European and Australian buyers alike.

"So it is coming 2027 but not at the beginning, let us say, because the more you raise the bar on performance on any customer, not just European one, but also the Australian one, is demanding, this is why the Chinese Ultra does not play the game. So either we play in a certain way, we try, or we do not," he said.

Asked if an export B05 Ultra might gain extra power over the Chinese model, Mr Annese said it remains possible though unconfirmed.

"When I look to the power, it could be more, okay? I do not know, but it could be more," he said.

Mr Annese stressed that the export Ultra under discussion is not simply the Chinese car, and Leapmotor aims to exceed a basic styling package.

"We are discussing that this is not that car, it is not the Chinese car, that is mainly a body kit, and we want to do it a little bit better than that," he said.

The standard B05 already benefited from a dedicated European development effort, co-created with Stellantis chassis specialists and calibrated for local driving preferences.

The B05 uses rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight balance, MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, with the Design grade fitted with 19-inch wheels.

Leapmotor is leveraging this European program to differentiate its overseas vehicles from domestic Chinese versions.

The company has yet to confirm if the B05 Ultra will form the basis of a dedicated performance sub-brand.

When asked if Ultra might evolve into something akin to a Hyundai N-style performance division, Mr Cieslewicz replied: "No, I think it is a version of B05."

"At the moment there are no talks of specific sub brand," added Mr Annese. "We want to be quite linear in the brand offer of Leapmotor."

The regular B05 is expected to rival models such as the MG 4 upon its Australian arrival, while the Ultra would target the MG4 XPower.

Australian pricing and specifications remain undecided, but the B05 will sit below the B10 small SUV in the local range.