Stellantis-Backed Leapmotor Prepares Volkswagen ID.3 Rival: The Lafa 5
Leapmotor,โฃ the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer now partneredโค with Stellantis, is poised to enter the competitive compact electric hatchback segmentโ with itsโค new โฃmodel, โฃthe Lafa 5. The vehicle will โขbe unveiled at the IAA Mobility Motorโ Show in Munich, beginning September 8, 2025, and is directly aimed at challenging established players like the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born,โ Peugeot E-308, and Opel Astra Electric.
This launch marks a meaningfulโค expansion for Leapmotorโข in theโข European market, following its entry into the region in 2024 with the T03โ city car (approximately 265km WLTP range) and C10 family โคSUV (420km โWLTP range). the electricโ crossover B10 (up to 430km WLTP range) will also debut at the Munich show and becomeโฃ instantly available in theโ EU.
Teaser images reveal โa sporty design โtargeting aโค younger demographic, featuring distinctive LED daytime running lights and full-width rear lightsโข echoing a boxed theme.โข Aโค heavily โขsculpted โhood contributes to a more aggressiveโฃ and modern aesthetic.
the โคLafa โ5 is built on the โLeap โ3.5 โplatform, โshared with the B10 crossover. This platform supports electric motors delivering up to โค218 hp and utilizes aโ 67.1โ kWh battery,enabling โฃthe โขB10 to achieve a range of up to 600 kilometers on a single charge. Notably, chassis advancement โฃfor the B10 involved engineersโ from Maserati, suggesting โa similar focus on driving quality may be expected in the Lafa 5.
Leapmotor International, a joint venture established โin 2024, reflects the partnership structure: โคStellantis holds a 51% stake, while ChinaSโ Leapmotor ownsโค the remaining 49%.