Chinese brand BAIC, otherwise known as the Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation, is planning to entice midsize SUV buyers with a brand new model in 2025, and it even has an electric version.
BAIC South Africa has confirmed that the new Beijing B30 and B30e models are next in line for the local market, with pricing and detailed specifications set to be revealed closer to launch.
The vehicle is known as the BJ30 in its home market, but its acronym has been shortened for certain English speaking markets for obvious reasons.
Stretching the tape measure to 4,730mm in length, the B30 is similar in size to the recently launched Haval H7, making it marginally bigger than vehicles such as the Toyota Rav4.
Like its aforementioned Chinese rival, the B30 has a boxy shape of the kind that’s all the rage among modern SUV buyers, backed up by an impressive ground clearance of 215mm.
Oh, and you can sleep in it too.
BAIC says that with the rear seats folded down and the boot door closed, the rear cabin can accommodate two 1.8-metre-tall adults lying down. The vehicle is specifically designed to enable stargazing or a nap during a workday lunch break. Make that an overnight stay if you work for Elon Musk.
The boot, according to BAIC, is sufficiently large for camping trips and picnics, and the storage shelf can be paired with installable legs that transform it into a camping table.
The cockpit boasts a 14.6 inch central screen and, incidentally, an instrument panel designed to resemble a snowboard. BAIC is also offering an “Aurora Forest” interior colour scheme inspired by rocks and plants in the wilderness.
The regular petrol-powered B30 features a 1.5-litre turbopetrol engine, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and offering 138kW and 305Nm.
The B30e pairs a 1.5T engine to an electric motor for a four-wheel drive system boasting total outputs of 301kW and 685Nm.
Local production
BAIC has not provided any further updates of its progress as a manufacturer in South Africa. In 2018 it opened an assembly plant in Coega, Eastern Cape, that followed the announcement of an R11 billion investment.
However, by mid 2024 the facility had produced just 300 cars, Carmag reported, and had failed to transition from semi-knocked down (SKD) assembly to the more comprehensive completely-knocked down (CKD) process.
IOL