When Leapmotor unveiled its new B05 in Europe in the spring of 2026, the Chinese brand made one point very clear: this compact electric rear-wheel-drive vehicle was not developed exclusively for the Chinese market. Its handling has been specifically tailored to European expectations thanks to the work of its engineers Stellantis. This commitment could go even further with the upcoming B05 Ultra, the sporty version of the model.
For while the standard B05 has already been fine-tuned in collaboration with Stellantis’s chassis teams, European executives at the brand are now hinting that the upcoming Ultra variant will undergo even more extensive development, directly linked to the Balocco test center, the historic testing ground for Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
A B05 already modified by Italian engineers
For several months now, Leapmotor has made no secret of the contribution made by Italian teams to the development of its European models. The B05 currently on sale in Europe features a rear-wheel-drive layout, a 50/50 weight distribution, and a chassis co-developed with the global experts at Stellantis.
At the European launch event held a few days ago in Germany, the brand placed particular emphasis on the work done to meet the expectations of European drivers. The McPherson front suspension, multi-link rear suspension, and specific tuning were designed to offer greater precision and responsiveness than the versions intended for the Chinese market. This strategy is not new. As early as 2025, Leapmotor International executives were already explaining that All models intended for the European market went through the Balocco test center in order to be suited to the roads and tastes of Europe.
The upcoming B05 Ultra won't be just another Chinese knockoff
But it is a recent statement from Leapmotor’s European executives that is currently drawing attention. When asked about the arrival of the B05 Ultra—which is already on sale in China with an output increased to 180 kW (245 hp) and 320 Nm of torque— Danilo Annese, head of sales operations at Leapmotor Europe, explained that the European version would likely not be a simple replica of the Chinese model.
According to him, the brand wants to go beyond a simple body kit or a slight increase in power. The European teams are currently discussing a version developed specifically for our market. The message is clear: the future European B05 Ultra will have to deliver a true sports car experience, rather than merely offering a more aggressive look.
The most interesting detail, however, concerns where this transformation is taking place. According to Leapmotor officials, the current European B05 has already undergone extensive modifications by Alfa Romeo at the Balocco test track. Engineers have not only modified the chassis settings but also revised certain suspension mounting points to lower the center of gravity. The result is reportedly different enough that the brand’s executives describe the European version as a model entirely distinct from its Chinese counterpart. This same approach is now expected to be applied to the future B05 Ultra—and even more so.
As a reminder, Balocco is far from being just a test track. Located between Turin and Milan, this circuit has seen several generations of Alfa Romeo sports cars, Maseratis, and numerous models from the Stellantis group. It is here that the dynamic settings of many vehicles are fine-tuned before they go on sale.
An electric sports car inspired by the Alfa Romeo philosophy?
Behind this project lies a very specific goal: to create a sporty electric compact car capable of winning over even the most demanding European drivers. Alexis Cieslewicz, Product Marketing Manager at Leapmotor Europe, has also sent a fairly direct message to the competition. Referring to certain very powerful electric sports cars, he explains that he is seeking, above all, a balance between power and handling.
Without naming many competitors, he did, however, cite the MG4 XPower as an example, arguing that high power output is not enough if the handling isn’t up to par. This statement speaks volumes about the direction the B05 Ultra project is taking. Rather than simply chasing horsepower, Leapmotor seems intent on leveraging Alfa Romeo’s expertise in chassis engineering and dynamic balance.
In short, if you’re looking for a car similar to an electric Alfa Romeo Giulietta, this upcoming Leapmotor B05 Ultra—with 245 hp, rear-wheel drive, a 50/50 weight distribution, and tuned on the Balocco circuit—is a strong contender.
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In short, if you want to kill off Alfa Romeo, hand over its teams’ expertise and infrastructure to a Chinese brand, and then market it as an Italian brand. Yet another triumph for management.
Stellantis is a nightmare. A real nightmare…
Don't you get it? It's all over for European brands!! What have all these brands done for jobs? They've been moving production overseas for a long time, long before the Chinese came along.
Dav is right.
Stellantis is the lifeline; without the merger, FCA—which was essentially an empty shell—would no longer exist in Europe.
Only budget airlines in Brazil and American brands seem to have survived… and even then!?
It’s true that it’s a decline… but it started back in 2020; FCA was already in trouble before that—thanks, Marchionne.
Aren't you tired of telling one lie after another? The only real failure is PSA, which lost all its markets and was worthless, which is why taxpayers were fleeced, Dofgeng lost his money, and dealers were totally ripped off—so Lysandre / SGL (they’ve totally exposed you, Sylvain), you’re the only one who believes that. Especially with all of PSA’s legendary reliability issues! As you say, you spout the same old spiel on every site, but people aren’t fooled!
Marchionne not only saved Chrysler but also boosted sales of FIAT, Abarth, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.
That clown Tavares, whom you’ve always admired everywhere, has ruined Citroën, destroyed what little was left of Peugeot—which is now bankrupt yet again—and supposedly created a brand that you touted everywhere as “premium,” but which is actually the biggest automotive fiasco.
PSA was worthless, and it makes sense that the Chinese would still end up with it for a symbolic €1, given all the money Dongfeng lost.
The only empty shell that got down on its knees begging FCA to save them was PSA, and it took the French government to step in—because PSA was turned down twice, as they preferred Renault, which is a thousand times better than the French Lada, Peugeot.
No, he’s wrong—the Giulia or 33 effect worked, and PSA is the one left holding the bag, because they were the ones who came crying to FCA, which turned them down twice. And if this happened,it’s only because the French government pushed hard to prevent PSA from falling into Chinese hands for a pittance that it isn’t even worth.
The famous «empty shell» that will save Stellantis« reputation with engines that are finally reliable has thus developed the GSE engines that power Peugeots in South America, the GME 2.0 engines—which are far superior to the PureTech 1.6—and the Nettuno. It also features the Giorgio evo platform, which is superior to the entire combined output of Peugeot. It markets an 800V electric platform and equips the 500e with the »one-pedal” driving mode that Peugeot is still dreaming of (the e308 doesn’t even have auto-hold).
No, it's over for PSA—no one wants it anymore, and it's not even worth a symbolic €1!
SGL/Lysandre/Sylvain, cut it out with your racism and your deep-seated hatred of Italy, because from what I understand, that’s why people on certain websites have had enough of these kinds of comments—which, on top of everything else, are completely bogus, and you know it.
Here’s the new Alfa Romeo: with a different grille, a few bodywork tweaks, and a new dashboard—meet the new Giulietta.
That said, it might be a good car—or even a very good one.
They're taking what little we have left—and closing down factories to boot
Actually, the new Giulietta will be based on the STLA One platform, but then again, if they’d wanted to, it could have served as the basis for a Giulietta.
That's right!
On the other hand, I wonder whether there’s really any point in reviving a compact sedan, other than to please Alfa Romeo fans. I’ve heard that the compact sedan market is in decline.
It may be on the decline compared to SUVs, but in Europe there are still buyers for the Clio, Audi A3, Golf, and so on.
If they standardize everything while trying to maintain distinct identities for each model—tailored to different customer segments or countries—it could work in theory. Yes, in theory.
This reduces the risk, especially if STLA One is based on Leap Motor platforms
The STLA One is more of an evolution of the STLA Small. And given their "cell-to-chassis" approach, it’s clear that it draws inspiration from Chinese platforms.
That’s what we’ve been hearing for the past 10 years. As a result, the VAG Group has just officially unveiled a new Polo, a Cupra Raval, and likely an Audi A1 based on the same platform.
The Audi A1 is dead, the Polo’s lifespan was already predicted to be short, and VAG has officially announced it will continue the ridiculous race for the highest sales figures—even though it’s practically driven the company to the brink of bankruptcy—and Audi/Porsche have decided to close factories 🏭 and lay off 5,000 workers… but other than that, everything’s fine???
One could debate VAG’s strategy, but BMW has also announced that it is bringing back the 1 Series.
Yes and no, because BMW owns Mini, and that's exactly the problem: BMW lost valuable customers when the 1 Series switched from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, and that's a shame.
If you’re feeling cynical, you might almost prefer this Chinese platform as the default, but we shouldn’t give them any ideas. Maybe they’ll have the sense to make the STLA One platform the default, but I’ve given up hope.
The worst part is that it's not impossible that this platform is better ^^
For cars of all makes and models, front-wheel drive is preferable… especially for those equipped with gasoline engines.
You don't really think family cars come with a powertrain tunnel, do you!?
This Leapmotor doesn't look too bad, does it!?
Doesn't Leapmotor belong to Stellantis to some extent?
It’s definitely true that the Chinese platform is better than PSA’s, and to think that front-wheel drive is better than rear-wheel drive with a 50/50 weight distribution—PSA has never even come close to that in its entire history! LOL
It's time for the government to step back and for FCA to sell this albatross to the Chinese, but they're not crazy—they'll say no!
The fact that Land Rover is willing to use a Chery platform for its future Defender leaves me cold, but a Chinese platform under an Alfa would be the final nail in the coffin for Stellantis. Industrial synergies would be completely undermined, with PureTech being scrapped, leaving only electric motors.
No, I don't agree, because this platform theoretically has everything it needs to succeed and is extremely innovative.
Now that the BMW 1 Series is no longer rear-wheel drive, how many compact cars like that are left? None—and Alfa couldn't even be bothered to release the new Giulietta based on the Giorgio!!!😡🤬😡
Now we have the chance to get it the way it should have been released since the end of the 33 QV—that means more than «30 YEARS!!!!!!!!! », honestly, that’s ridiculous, and I just can’t get it out of my head that the 145/155, 147/156, Giulietta/159 are great FIATs/LANCIAs but by no means Alfas—and I’m not even going to mention the SUD and the Arna because that’s where it really takes the cake!🤬
Lysander, in a way, you're not wrong, because when you look at the driving test and the driving lessons, you can see that there's a severe lack of «real basics!»
In everyday driving, front-wheel drive is nice, especially on flat roads, but in the mountains it’s the opposite—especially on snow—because once the front end loses traction… it’s all over.
The worm is in the fruit!! When will we see Chinese platforms under the hood of future Alfas? The bets are on…
These could easily serve as the basis for the new Guilletta and/or Delta…
In whose honor?
Or is it to better prepare people for a Chinese-built Alfa Romeo?
Stellantis keeps making bad decisions…
Now we have the chance to get it the way it should have been released since the end of the 33 QV—that means more than «30 YEARS!!!!!!!!! », honestly, that’s ridiculous, and I just can’t get it out of my head that the 145/155, 147/156, Giulietta/159 are great FIATs/LANCIAs but by no means Alfas—and I’m not even going to mention the Sud and the Arna because those two are just the icing on the cake!🤬
Potté, how many decades have we been waiting for a real compact car from Alfa??!!!! I'll tell you—since 1971, which means 55 years!!! No, seriously, more than half a century.
I wasn't even born yet when customers were waiting in vain, and now that I'm 48, a truly compact Alfa (aside from the sublime 33 Series 3 QV, which sold out quickly) has become nothing short of a pipe dream, whereas BMW and Mercedes got started back in the... '90s!!!!!!!
Better Chinese cars than PSA—at least you don't have to deal with weekly recalls and engines so terrible they'd make Lada laugh!
That’s true, even if it’s hard to admit. Could the sinister Tavares have been right!?
When you see an electric Alfa Junior Veloce (sports car) priced at nearly €50,000 for a realistic range of around 250–300 km (!!!!), I’m starting to get used to the idea that the Group won’t have much choice but to rely on Chinese brands! Unthinkable just 10 years ago…
The Junior is a total flop—proof of that is that sales are already starting to drop!
When you see how this Leap and a PSA are designed… I’d go with the Chinese one in a heartbeat.
Scudric, stop it!
The Tonale, during the same period, is even worse!
The Junior is saving the brand—the numbers speak for themselves.
«I’m heading straight back with the Chinese girl»—no surprise there!
Yeah, because between a PSA junk car that isn't even worth a dime and this awesome concept car… I'd take the Chinese one any day!
You’re the one who needs to stop with your lies and your constant, visceral hatred—especially when you’re just spinning a yarn. Your Junior is worthless and nobody wants him anymore, so no, he didn’t save anything—he actually destroyed the brand’s image… isn’t that right, Sylvain, even if you refuse to admit it, or SGL if you prefer (I’ve heard about you before).
All the numbers tell a different story, because sales are plummeting after just a year, and it’s pathetic. Go worry about DS, that pipe dream, Citroën, that slacker, and Peugeot, that scam artist, because you can say whatever you want—people have figured it out and don’t want them anymore! It’s over, done, curtains—and without the French government, it wouldn’t have existed for years!!!!
I've laid out all the numbers for you year after year, and no matter how much you try to talk your way out of it, the numbers show that you're constantly lying (pathologically?).
«The B05 currently available on our continent features a rear-wheel-drive layout and a 50/50 weight distribution!»
Sorry, but that sounds more serious
Why are these guys at Alfa Romeo wasting their time on a run-of-the-mill Chinese product? Hardly any new Alfa Romeo models are being introduced, yet these engineers have time for a potential 21st Arna. Alfa Romeo needs new cars fast. Their priority should be their own lineup. It seems that too many people at Alfa Romeo—and above all at Stellantis—have no idea what to do with the timeless gem that is Alfa Romeo.
The brand’s problem has always been its «leaders,» and even more so today.
I think Stellantis will eventually be broken up. The United States, on the one hand, seems to be maintaining its identity—or at least trying to. In Europe, it will be more complicated. FCA was «supposed» to acquire PSA’s «know-how.» There was a misrepresentation of the deal. Now everything has become too intertwined.
We're seeing Leap Motor gradually take center stage.
Haha, PSA's expertise.
Technically speaking, what was PSA doing that FCA couldn't do?
Scudric,
So why didn’t it get the same treatment as the 208, and especially the 308, 3008, and 5008… not even the 508, which was a commercial failure!
Shall we continue the list?
Yes, the 500 and 500 Abarth were a huge success, but the 600, built by PSA, was a flop.
The FCA Ypsilon was a huge success, but the Stellantis version was a failure.
The Tonale is still selling, but the Junior is out of stock!
The Pandina is selling like hotcakes; as for the Grande Panda, we’ll see how it does when it comes out.
The 308 is a huge success—will the 3008 and 5008 be huge successes too?
Was the DS a huge success?
Are Citroëns a huge success?
Mddddddrrr
Are you living in another world or something? You're all alone, for heaven's sake.
Renault is the only viable carmaker left in France, along with Alpine and Dacia; the rest have been dead and buried for years!!
The 208 GTi is already being touted everywhere as a failure and a total humiliation!
What does PSA know? How to ruin a brand in exactly 60 seconds? Because in that regard, they’re clearly the undisputed champions.
We need to put an end to this disaster and sell Alfa Romeo (and Maserati) to the Chinese! Take Volvo, for example—among others—which, as far as I can tell, produces quality vehicles and offers Polestar models for EVs. And I think they’re actually pretty nice-looking! The Chinese have the ability to develop complete and coherent model lines, unlike Stellantis and many others in Europe! And the photos are very nice. Much better than the Junior!
Italian automakers cannot develop and create new platforms and powertrains on their own. There isn’t enough volume or profit margin. That is why we have not renewed or have delayed the renewal of Alfa or Maserati models. PSA was supposed to help, just as the American side was. Going it alone without sufficient resources is suicide.
For now, the Italians have platforms that are much more sophisticated and prestigious than the French ones, which are still in the Stone Age!
When were these platforms launched?
For example, is there one that’s designed specifically for electric power and is as revolutionary as a Tesla?
PSA has developed modular platforms that allow for the endless replication of models at a lower cost, thereby ensuring the survival of existing brands.
After all, it’s not exactly Versailles—I know that well
If you're talking about the various STLA models, it wasn't «PSA» that created them. They're basically just the successors to the CMP, EMP2, and Giorgio platforms.
PSA hasn't done anything except cause trouble.
STLA Small and STLA Medium are PSA platforms. STLA Large and STLA Frame are new and were developed by the North American team. Giorgio is currently only used by Maserati… Now, it’s 2026—six years have passed—and eventually we’ll have to start talking about Stellantis instead of PSA or FCA.
As far as I know, the Cherokee uses the Giorgio.
But let them keep their PSA platforms, because nobody wants them
And the numbers prove it a little more every day!
Modular platforms????
Under PSA, they were by no means modular, and while they have become so under Stellantis, you can say what you like, but they’re nothing revolutionary like Tesla’s, and all the models built on that platform are a disaster: Abarth, Alfa, DS, Lancia, and Opel are living proof of that!
It’s all well and good to tell Potté to talk about Stellantis, but strangely enough, there’s nothing for SGL/Lysandre/Sylvain, who are driving us crazy with PSA.
France and its double standards!!
No, the Giorgio platform is also used by Alfa and Maserati, and the Cherokee does indeed use the 3.0-liter version, not the 2.0-liter version from Maserati.
It’s not the platform’s launch date that matters, but its effectiveness… and right now, aside from Alpinr and Renault in France… there’s no one else!
Selling Peugeots at such high prices when they don't sell clearly proves that it's nothing but a scam.
P.S.: Is it really okay to have Potté talk about Stellantis but let SGL/Lysandre badmouth FCA?
Is that where we're at? Two different sets of standards—typically French????!!!!
Americans and Italians don’t need the French to survive, but the French do need them—and Renault has understood that very well.
No, you just need to limit the number of units sold each year and raise prices and improve customer service.
These prices are justified, especially when compared to premium or ultra-premium models. Brands like BMW and Mercedes have a lineup that covers the entire market.
This is not the case with Alfa Romeo or Maserati.
Sorry, but BMW is in the red with its HDG products and is having serious financial trouble; Audi is pulling out; VAG is cutting costs; and Mercedes is mired in financial problems stemming from its recurring electronic issues!
Second, these prices are justified by a deliberate limitation on the number of units produced, exceptional customer service, and products that are constantly being innovated.
Only Alfa, Aston, Ferrari, Maserati, or McLaren can afford to do so; no others can—except for Lexus, which fully intends to do so.
Given the inflated prices of PSA vehicles, it’s clear there’s a problem, since customers are walking away—they’re worth €15,000 at most.
Anything over 1,500 kg isn't a sports car anyway, no matter how many horsepower it has. Did you know that a fully loaded truck with 650 horsepower also has a 50:50 weight distribution and rear-wheel drive?
But whatever. The main thing is to market disposable electronics as ‘sporty.’ It’s all electronically controlled anyway, so I might as well just sit at home on a simulator.
It’s true that electric cars are disposable; I’ve noticed that a Compact electric car that cost 47,000 euros new two years ago is now worth about 20,000 euros on the used market. We’re just leasing them. We’re using a service with detachment, unlike a charming little convertible coupe that we want to love for a lifetime.
And the worst part is that all the interior screens are completely obsolete after 10 years at most… it really is the quintessential disposable car, and that goes for every brand in the world… in short, it really, really doesn’t appeal to me at all.
If Alfa releases a compact car on this platform with a 2.0 GME engine, I'll go test drive it right away.
Citroën and Lancia need the same thing, too.