Leapmotor Lafa5’s First European Owner Claims Car After Racer Debees Wins Championship

Valentin Debise has become the first European owner of the Leapmotor Lafa5. Officially launched in November 2023, the Lafa5 is a compact all-electric hatchback built on Leapmotor’s LEAP 3.5 Architecture B platform. It offers two CLTC-range variants—515 km and 605 km—powered by either a 56.2 kWh or 67.1 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack. The model line-up comprises five trims, with a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of RMB 97,800 and a limited-time promotional price from RMB 92,800. The vehicle measures 4,430 mm in length, 1,880 mm in width, and 1,520 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,735 mm. It features an electric motor delivering a peak power output of 160 kW and peak torque of 240 N·m, enabling a 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 6.4 seconds and a turning radius of 5.17 meters. Higher-end trims are equipped with LiDAR. Meanwhile, at Round 1 of the WorldSSP class during the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) stop in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Debise raced for Team Zhang Xue. On the final lap, he executed a decisive overtaking maneuver through a corner to defeat Arón Canet, who had attempted an extremely late braking move, securing his sixth victory of the season.