South African-bound BAIC Beijing X55 unveiled – What you need to know

BAIC has unveiled its Beijing X55 crossover, which is coming to the South African market.

BAIC has formed the new Beijing brand to build “intelligent vehicles” with expertise gained from its strategic partnerships with other manufacturers.

“We’re bringing the best of breed in innovation, supported by Daimler’s technology who have been our main partner in China for years, operating Mercedes-Benz factories in Beijing through joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive,” said vice president of sales and marketing at BAIC South Africa, Hugo HU.

What you need to know

Under the skin, the Beijing X55 gets a 1.5-litre, turbo-petrol engine with a “380 dual-clutch transmission” – this combination generating 130kW and 305Nm.

Acceleration to 100km/h from a standstill is then finished in 7.8 seconds, while combined fuel usage is rated at 7.2l/100km.

The latest-generation “BMFA (Beijing modular functional architecture) 2.0” drivetrain also brings multiple drive modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart.

Additionally, the X55 is equipped with LED lights, flush door handles, and a split rear wing for a sporty look – which has the added benefit of producing a low drag coefficient of 0.32.

As far as the cabin is concerned, the new BAIC sees a “space-turbo” interior design that specifically highlights the “engine-style air vents, aircraft-style steering mechanism, and 3D light effect textured ambient lighting,” said the manufacturer.

It’s further equipped with the CarbitLink infotainment system, smart entry and start, emergency braking assist, an electronic parking brake, hill hold control, hill descent control, driver drowsiness warnings, front and rear parking sensors, and six airbags.

Altogether, this allows it to “meet the highest rating of two of China’s toughest safety test standards,” said BAIC.

It even has an “ice-breaking mode” that guarantees “that if the door handle is frozen due to low temperatures, the door lock motor automatically triggers three times of force to break the ice to ensure that the car use is not affected.”

The South African pricing and launch date for the BAIC Beijing X55 have yet to be revealed.

BAIC Beijing X55