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Leapmotor is growing rapidly both in its home market and abroad, becoming the world's 11th most popular electric car manufacturer last year and aiming to surge into the top five by the end of the decade.

Key to that ambitious plan is an expanded line-up that will disrupt a number of core segments. Following the T03 city car and Tesla Model Y-rivalling C10 family SUV, Leapmotor is gearing up to enter the bustling compact crossover market with the new B10 - to be followed by a smaller crossover and a pair of hatchbacks in the next two years.

Measuring 4515mm long and 1885mm tall, the B10 is a close match size-wise for the likes of the Ford Explorer and Peugeot e-3008, but an expected starting price of around £30,000 will have it substantially undercutting them, achieving rough parity with the MG S5 EV.

That price starts to look especially attractive in the context of a cabin that's remarkably well appointed – if predictably minimalist and touchscreen-centric like its compatriot contemporaries – and agreeably plush in its high-quality fixtures and fittings. Leapmotor even claims to source its chrome trim elements from suppliers of the same level as Mercedes-Benz’s. 

The 420-litre boot is slightly smaller than the Skoda Elroq’s but more than capacious enough for daily family hauling duties, and I found that a six-footer had plenty of leg room when sat behind a similarly sized front passenger. 

There’s not much by way of any trick design elements that mark the B10 out from other similarly conceived EVs, save for the six-slot accessory mount on the passenger’s side to which you can affix a number of Leapmotor-supplied add-ons, including a folding desk, a phone mount, decorations and even kids' toys.

The physical controls are satisfyingly tactile to use, although really they only include the window switches and a pair of Tesla-esque scrollers on the steering wheel that can be configured for various different functions. 

The 14.6in touchscreen and 8.8in instrument display are impressive in their clarity and processing speeds, and the menu structures and icons are all easy enough to understand, which goes some way to mitigating any frustration at the dearth of physical controls - and makes it quick to deactivate the overbearing driver aids before you set off.

But the touchscreen still has far too much to do – mirror moving, sunroof opening, fan speed adjusting - and so can be distracting to use on the move. 

As with the C10, there’s no smartphone mirroring yet, but Leapmotor is working to introduce it over-the-air in the coming months, and so it could be fitted as standard by the time B10s are being unloaded at UK ports this autumn. 

Under the floor is a 67.1kWh battery giving an estimated 260-mile range (WLTP test pending), and a single motor on the rear axle gives 215bhp and 177lb ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 6.8sec.

Maximum charging speed is pegged at a faintly lethargic 80kW, which means a 30-80% fill takes around 20 minutes. But the closely related C10 is set to be upgraded to an 800V electrical architecture soon and the B10 will no doubt follow, boosting charging speeds and improving overall ef ciency.

Naturally, our brief drive around a test facility in an early China-spec production car wasn't especially revealing from a performance or agility standpoint, but it felt pokey on a run up to motorway speeds and decently composed once there.

It was surefooted and predictable around a greasy, fast hairpin too and didn’t feel especially prone to roll – lending credence to Leapmotor’s claims that its cell-to-chassis construction method is a boon to rigidity as well as efficiency.

The steering didn’t feel laden with feel and propensity to engage but was quick to react and predictable in its responses. 

The suspension set-up for global cars is still being tuned, so my car wasn’t representative of what will reach showrooms, but it wasn’t unnervingly brittle over rumble strips or speed bumps. 

And while the B10 might look a little under-wheeled, I welcomed the quieter and better-cushioned ride afforded by the thicker tyre sidewalls. 

Much remains to be determined when we drive a production-spec car on European roads later this year, and we’ve taken marks off the C10 for its slow charging, over-dependence on the touchscreen and characterless drive, so the B10 will need to shine in other areas to compensate for those shortcomings. But the early signs suggest that it’s commendably endowed and impressively finished for the projected price point, as well as competitive in the important practical areas where it really counts.

The BMW 1 Series will return for a radically reinvented fourth generation within the next three years, as the German brand goes against its rivals in committing to its entry-level model. 

As Mercedes-Benz prepares to retire the A-Class for good at the end of its current generation and Audi winds down production of the A1 and Q2, BMW says its smallest car remains an important part of its model range and a next-generation model will be the entry point into the new-gen Neue Klasse family.

BMW will launch this new EV line-up in September with the unveiling of the second-generation iX3 at the Munich motor show, before following that up soon after with the closely related next-generation 3 Series.

Prototypes for the Neue Klasse X5 have been spotted recently too, and the current 5 Series will receive a substantial design overhaul to bring it into line with its new siblings.

BMW hasn't officially confirmed plans for a new 1 Series, but Autocar previously reported it had been green-lit internally and now BMW product boss Bernd Körber has said the hatchback still has a crucial role to play in Munich.

"We are a global player and we cover the full portfolio; the entry models have a very important role to play for various reasons,” he told Autocar at the Shanghai motor show.

"First of all, take markets like Italy and France, where the 1 Series has shares of 20, 30, 40% in some regions: if you want to be a global player, you have to also take care of markets where the share of 1 Series is extremely high, otherwise you run the danger of losing them.”

Körber also said that offering a BMW model at a lower price point than the big-selling saloon and SUV models is important in the context of broadening the brand’s reach and diversifying its target market.

"The 1 Series is especially important for younger customers. If you want to keep the brand young, if you want to develop customers within your portfolio, the 1 Series is very important."

Finally, he said, remaining in the notoriously challenging and low-margin small car market will help BMW to be as competitive and efficient as possible across all its segments.

"You have to stay in the challenge, and it's a similar story with Mini. A lot of the capabilities in terms of 'how flexible are you?' and 'how cost-efficient are you?' you gain in competing in the small car segment. To retreat out of the small car segment means you get out of the challenge of being the most cost-efficient player. 

"So for us it has the role of gross volume being relevant in all markets. But it also has a relevance for the brand in terms of younger customers and for the pressure we put on ourselves to find solutions that work in lower-cost segments."

Körber didn't give any details of the next 1 Series, but it’s expected to arrive in around 2028, with the current car having recently been updated and BMW planning to complete its Neue Klasse roll-out within the next three and a half years.

Like its rangemates, the next 1 Series is expected to be offered with a choice of petrol and electric powertrains - meaning it will continue to serve as a rival to traditional ICE competitors like the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 while also being put up against new contenders like the Cupra Born and Renault Megane E-Tech.

The electric version of the next-generation BMW 3 Series will resurrect the i3 name and be offered in Touring estate form.

Due on sale next year as the second of BMW's Neue Klasse generation of EVs, the eighth 3 Series will be offered with ICE and EV power and completely restyled as it moves onto a completely new, EV-first architecture.

Its design and technology have been previewed with a succession of concept cars – Vision Dee, Neue Klasse and Vision Dynamic Experience – but these have all been saloons, raising questions about whether the Touring would return.

But now BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk has told Autocar that estates remain a highly important part of the brand's market share and reputation and strongly hinted that a Touring variant will follow soon after the saloon is revealed early next year.

"I think the 'touring' [estate] is making a comeback," he said. "Of course, we've propelled it with the M3 Touring and M5 Touring: they seem to be very popular, even in countries where tourings or estates are traditionally not very popular.

"So yes, there is new wind in that segment, and we're very happy about that. 

"First, we will start with an SUV,” he said, referring to the new iX3 that will be revealed in September, “then pretty soon after we will come with our new interpretation of a sporty sedan [saloon]; we believe that segment is not dead. 

"SUVs are half of our business. The other half are still sporty, elegant sedans or coupés, and obviously we care about that as well. That's what we're rooted in, and we are often seen as the benchmark - and for sure we want it to stay that way."

Van Hooydonk's revelation of plans for a new 3 Series Touring come as BMW's product boss Bernd Körber officially confirms the company will continue to use 'i' badging for electric cars, in keeping with the current iX2, i4, i5 and i7. 

This means the 3 Series EV will revive the i3 name that has been dormant (except in China) since the seminal carbonfibre-bodied hatchback went out of production in 2022.

Körber said it's important to have some differentiation in naming between ICE and EV cars, but BMW's 'technology-open' approach means they will look the same and should be numbered the same too, so the letter 'i' plays a subtle but important role.

"With the choice of drivetrain, you don't make a decision on design, you don't make a decision on digital or ADAS capabilities, but you choose a drivetrain, and basically the cars look the same," he said. "That's the core philosophy. So why should we name an EV car differently? That would be against our philosophy of what it means to be technology-open. 

"Why the 'i'? Because the i brand started out with more facets to it, but one element with the i3 and i8 was electrification. So for us it's a designator that we use to indicate within the common naming [strategy] that this is an electrified vehicle, with the 'i' in front of it. 

"So we kept the 'i', put it in front and moved it from a kind of sub-brand to a model brand, and that will be the logic that we will follow from now on."

Körber said that means the upcoming electric 3 Series will be badged i3, as is the electric version of the current-generation 3 Series sold in China.

BMW has yet to confirm a launch date for the next 3 Series but has shown it as a prototype alongside the new iX3, which will be revealed at the Munich motor show in September; and Körber said this is reflective of the plan to effectively launch the two models as a pair, almost simultaneously.

"They come – relatively – so close that for us [that] we are launching a pair," he said. "We always look at [them as] a couple. We're not launching the first before the other.

"We will start in our core segments with our most relevant cars, when it comes to global relevance and volume, so it's not really a question of whether we start with an SUV versus the sedan. There are no implications on whether we favour one or the other."

The hot vRS version of the new Skoda Elroq will be priced from £46,560 when it arrives in the UK this summer.

The vRS brings a number of changes over the standard Elroq, including a 52bhp bump in power to 335bhp, a stiffened chassis and a series of visual additions.

The extra reserves are supplied by the same dual-motor powertrain as in the Volkswagen ID 4 GTX and mean the vRS can dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 5.4sec – 1.2sec quicker than the standard electric car.

Skoda claims the vRS's slightly stiffened chassis, sharper steering set-up and lowered suspension (15mm at the front, 10mm at the rear) combine to create a “sportier driving feel”.

More powerful front brakes have also been fitted.

The vRS can be picked out from the standard Elroq by its new roof rails, black accents and 21in alloy wheels, but it's the new 'Sport' and 'Futuristic' external sounds that will be the most obvious to passers-by.

Given the model's billing as the Elroq’s new range-topper, it receives a higher level of standard kit. For example, it comes with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adjustable suspension, LED matrix headlights, heated front seats, a 12-speaker sound system and an electric tailgate.

The 5in digital cockpit and the 13in infotainment display meanwhile gain vRS-specific graphics.

The vRS draws its power from the same 84kWh pack as the Elroq 85, but its sportier remit results in a range that's 21 miles shorter than its sibling’s 360 miles. The pack can be topped up at speeds of up to 185kW.