The distinction between cars and SUVs is now meaningless, says Chinese brand

Industry sales data may split passenger cars from SUVs, but the lines have become increasingly blurred – and Chinese brand Leapmotor says buyers no longer make the distinction.

“I think the market’s changed quite a bit. People don't go ‘I want an SUV, a hatch or an off-roader’ anymore,” Leapmotor Australia boss Andy Hoang told Australian media including CarExpert.

“People go ‘how much can I spend?’ And because all the cars now overlap, it’s really about in that price range, what can you afford?”

Referring specifically to his brand’s B05 electric hatchback, Mr Hoang said: “If this car is between $35,000 and $40,000, it’ll be every competitor that’s in there, that customers go ‘well what can I afford?’

“We really believe in that price range, this car stands out. First because it’s yellow, and secondly because it’s a hatch.”

By this logic, Leapmotor therefore believes its B05 – priced from $35,888 to $39,888 before on-roads – will compete not only against similarly priced electric hatchbacks like the BYD Dolphin, MG 4 EV Urban, GAC Aion UT and Geely EX2, but also vehicles marketed as SUVs such as the GWM Ora 5, BYD Atto 2 and Jaecoo J5 EV – even Leapmotor’s own B10.

Notably, none of those SUVs even offer all-wheel drive.

The term SUV long ago started being applied to vehicles without all- or four-wheel drive, as well as vehicles that arguably lack traditional SUV design cues. The bare minimum required for the SUV designation nowadays appears to be a slightly higher ride height than a traditional passenger car.

Sometimes there are even vehicles varyingly described as a hatchback or an SUV – the Renault Megane E-Tech, for example, is classified in industry sales data as an SUV, but Renault Australia refers to it as a hatch.

Other edge cases include the Hyundai Inster (an SUV in sales data, but not in Hyundai Australia’s marketing materials) and the Mini Aceman (a passenger car in sales data, a crossover according to Mini).

Some newer brands to Australia exclusively offer SUVs, including Cadillac, Chery, Deepal, Geely (though it’s launching a sedan soon), Omoda Jaecoo, and Smart.

In the first nine months of 2026, SUVs accounted for 64.6 per cent of total new-vehicle sales this year including both Electric Vehicle Council and Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data. However, there are some brands that don’t report to either, including Cadillac and Smart.

Passenger cars, meanwhile, accounted for just 13 per cent of new-vehicle sales, and this category includes everything from small hatchbacks like the B05 through to people movers and sports cars.

After launching here in 2024, Leapmotor now has its first model classified as a passenger car: the aforementioned B05 hatchback. It joins the small B10 and mid-size C10 crossover SUVs, with the B03X light SUV joining the lineup later this year.

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