BAIC's long awaited small SUV will be positioned below the X55 and X55 Plus as BAIC's entry-level offering.
Kept under wraps since being confirmed for South Africa in January, Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation, better known by its abbreviation BAIC, has announced that its compact B30 will make its public debut at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring at the end of this month.
What is it?
Known as the BJ30 in China as part of the BJ, or Beijing Jeep, range, the change in name follows that of the Jeep Wrangler-esque BJ40L, known locally as the B40 Plus, to avoid any offensive connotations.
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Set to be positioned below the X55 Plus, the B30 will provide seating for five and, as in its home market, measure 4 730 mm long, 1 910 mm wide, 1 790 mm tall and 2 820 mm long on the wheelbase front.
Riding on a unibody platform, but still with 215 mm of ground clearance, the B30 comes standard with front-wheel drive but can be had with all-wheel drive depending on the trim grade and powertrain.
Petrol or hybrid
Up front, the Chinese market BJ30 offers a choice of three powertrains, with at least one set to be offered locally.
As in the X55 Plus, the unit in question will likely be the familiar combination of a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine hooked to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
In the BJ30, the setup develops 138kW/305Nm, which can be delivered to the ground through the front or all four wheels.
The step-up BJ30e hybrid combines a detuned 116kW/235Nm version of the same engine with a front-mounted electric motor developing 130kW/315Nm on its own. Combined, outputs are 246kW/550Nm.
For the third option, the BJ30e gains a second electric motor on the rear axle producing 55kW/135Nm.
Included with the configuration already in place, the total output stands at 301kW/685Nm, which, as on the front-wheel drive BJ30e, is transferred to the ground via a two-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).
Spec sheet
In terms of spec, the BJ30, in China, comes replete with 18 or 19-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Auto High Beam Assist LED headlights, a 14.6-inch infotainment system, heated and ventilated electric front seats, and an eight-speaker sound system.
Rhythmic ambient lighting, a wireless smartphone charger, type-A and type-C USB ports, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof and a cooled glovebox round the features list off.
The clutch of safety and driver assistance system comprises a 360-degree surround-view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitor, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Rollover Mitigation and Blind Spot Monitoring.
Completing the list are Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Reverse Automatic Braking, Driver Attention Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Jam Assist, Corner Brake Control, Lane Keep Assist and Lane Change Assist.
In addition, all models feature a drive mode selector with four settings; Eco, Standard, Sport and Snow, and configurable steering with three modes; Standard, Comfort and Sport.
Unique to the all-wheel drive is an electronic limited slip differential, Adaptive Hill Descent Control, launch control and three All-Terrain modes; Mud, Sand and Off-Road.
Stay tuned
While no details pertaining to spec and price for South Africa have been revealed, expect the formal announcement to take place when the festival kicks-off on Thursday (28 August) for the usual media day.
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