
South Africans got their first peek at the upcoming BAIC B80 at the Festival of Motoring in Gauteng this past weekend.
BAIC’s display gave motoring enthusiasts a chance to inspect the new SUV up close and to get a sense of what to expect when the car goes on sale in the country at the end of October.
While the local pricing has not been finalized, a spokesperson for BAIC told TopAuto at the festival that the company was looking at an indicative starting price of around R1.1 million.
In China, the B80 retails for 350,000 yuan which translates to roughly R850,000 at current exchange rates.
South African specifications
The South African version of the B80 will receive a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, in contrast to the 3.0-litre V6 found on the Chinese model.
This powertrain gives the SUV an output of 184kW and 350Nm and this is transmitted to the “time-sharing” four-wheel-drive system via a six-speed automatic gearbox.
All four wheels, meanwhile, are shod with two-tone 17-inch rims and red brake calipers, and customers will be given the choice to upgrade to larger 18-inch and 20-inch alloys.
Regarding its size, the 4×4 clocks in at a length of 4,765mm, a width of 1,890mm, and a height of 2,005mm, making it slightly larger than the Mercedes-Benz G-Class to which it bears a striking resemblance.
Moreover, the BAIC has an approach angle of 39 degrees, a departure angle of 33 degrees, a break-over angle of 25 degrees, and a maximum wading depth of 600mm.
In the features department, BAIC’s new SUV sports light-sensing xenon headlights, front fog lamps, and LED daytime running lights, in addition to heated auto-folding side mirrors, a colour-coded spare wheel cover, side steps, and a chrome finish on the front grille.
Moving to the interior, the B80’s seats and multifunction steering wheel are upholstered in leather, the sports pedals are in aluminium, and the cabin is lined with ambient lighting effects.
Furthermore, the front seats are electronically adjustable with both heating and ventilation capabilities, and all passengers will be able to benefit from the dual-zone automatic air conditioning.
Other luxuries consist of a dashboard with a built-in LCD driver display and 10.25-inch multimedia screen, a rear-view camera, push-start functions, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, and selectable driving modes for Sport and Snow.
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