HUGO HU- Vice President of Sales and Marketing at BAIC South Africa, says that the ‘company has invested in developing intelligent cars under a new brand, BEIJING underpinned by cooperation with its partners on intelligent connected vehicle technologies.’
The midsize SUV Beijing is product of (Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation) whose presence in the country is enjoying a fair share of the market.
I took it for a spin to Sun City and Pilanesberg National Park, for a rugged and offroad test. It came out tops- thanks to its 4.62m length and 2.75m wheelbase.
And yes, some Americans did charge “we’ve never seen this kinda SUV in our State”, they bemoaned as soaring heat took a toll in Pilanesberg as animals took a turn on this beau.
BAIC has a good working relationship with Mercedes in China and according to Hugo, “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.”
Beneath the bonnet you’ll find a 1.5-litre turbopetrol engine that pushes 130kW and 305Nm through the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
My guests were immediately impressed with the performance on offer as the X55 is more than adequately powered for its size and power delivery is relatively smooth through the seven ratios.
It claimed a combined fuel consumption figure of 7.8 litres per 100km.
As for the road holding, the X55 does well for an SUV. It has fully independent multi-link suspension, which is rare at this price point, and has generously sized wheels, with the base version rolling on 18-inch alloys and the mid/top variants filling out their arches with chunky 19” rims.
Although the vehicle did feel a touch firm over a series of harsh speed bumps on our route, it was perfectly comfortable on most of the rural road surfaces that we encountered, and its overall on-road refinement impressed.
Drivers can also choose between four driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart, which learns your driving behaviour.
Most onlookers and security at Sun-City were impressed by the race car-like sports front seats with integrated headrests inspiration from the ‘Lamborghini Urus’ and the cockpit area looks suitably futuristic with its high-mounted floating console, with storage space beneath it, and separate floating screens for the infotainment and digital instrumentation.
Loved its spacious interior that offers plenty of legroom for front and rear occupants and a generous boot.
The model is fitted with push-button start, multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, rain sensor, auto headlights, rear park distance control with reverse camera, on-board WiFi and a refrigerated centre console bin.
Safety kit features for the most part, with six airbags, ESP stability control and tyre pressure monitoring.
As we bid bye-byes to the resort, all my guests could ponder was “when will we have another take in this beau” as the panoramic sunroof let through the heat.
A ‘head-turner,’ yes!
Three models are on offer, with the entry-level X55 Dynamic coming in at R394 900, the midspec Elite at R424 900, and the flagship Premium variant will cost R454 900.
It is sold with a five-year or 150 000km warranty and five years’ worth of unlimited kilometre roadside assistance.
A five-year service plan is optional.
Verdict
Performance 1-10 ( 7)
Fuel 1-10 (6)
Top image SLM (TheX55 Dynamic Beijing is a ‘head-turner’).
