Chinese automotive giant rides into SA
LAUNCH NEWS / The Beijing Automotive Industry Company has launched its first passenger vehicles in SA, writes Lerato Matebese
Simply dubbed BAIC (pronounced bike), the Chinese conglomerate Beijing Automotive Industry Company opened shop in SA earlier this week and introduced its first passenger cars.
The D20 hatchback and sedan siblings will now be offered locally with a starting price of R149,900, going up to R209,900, for a vehicle that is sized somewhere between the B and C segments.
The models are built on the previous-generation MercedesBenz Smart ForFour platform, while the engines — a 1.3l with 75kW and 128Nm and a 1.5l with 85kW and 148Nm — are Mitsubishi sourced, so the model’s underpinnings have, at least on paper, a proven pedigree.
Unveiled at an event at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, the D20 hatchback has an uncanny resemblance to the first-generation Merc B-Class in silhouette, side and rear profile, while the grille is a blatant knock-off of the BMW i3, masked slightly with a circular insert.
JOINT VENTURES
It is no surprise to learn that the company has been involved in joint ventures with other car manufacturers, such as Hyundai and Suzuki, and has secured intellectual property rights for design and technology from the defunct Swedish brand Saab.
The cabin, interestingly, has a rather good feel to it and while plastics are on the low-rent, grainy side of the spectrum, the fit and finish is not the worst we have experienced on a Chinese model. Space is relatively good, although jumping in and out of the rear quarters takes some interesting foot co-ordination to do so graciously.
Boot space is a generous 450l for the sedan. The hatch, with a 60:40 rear seat split, presents a more capacious 1,190l with the seats down.
Overall length of the vehicle is 4,040mm while the width is 1,720mm and the height 1,503mm — not far off the firstgeneration Merc B-Class.
Two trim levels are offered: Comfort and Fashion. The latter offers items such as a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system replete with navigation.
Safety items come in the form of ABS with EBD, dual airbags and rear park distance control with a camera.
All but the entry-level model come with 14-inch alloy wheels, while transmissions are a fivespeed manual and a four-speed automatic option on the flagship Fashion models.
Other features exclusive to the Fashion models include climate control, an electric sunroof, daytime running lights and power folding side mirrors.
Again, impressive on paper, but the proof of the product is in the driving, which did not take place at the unveiling.
The company is looking to build an assembly plant in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape, but nothing has yet come to fruition since the soil-turning ceremony about a year ago.
A parts centre in Linbro Park, Johannesburg, is in place to ensure timeous parts supply. Meanwhile, a network of 21 dealers will be strewn across the country, while Absa vehicle finance will have structured deals for potential buyers.
All models come standard with a five-year/120,000km factory warranty, while service intervals are pegged at 10,000km, which is below the industry norm of 15,000km. A service plan is optional; however, the company says it will cover the first service, which is bizarrely at 3,000km.
BAIC already distributes a number of commercial vehicles to neighbouring African countries and by building a plant in SA and introducing passenger cars to those markets, it appears to have big plans to increase its African footprint.
This will bode well for the local economy as the target by the company is for a 60% localisation quota once the factory comes on stream.
I still have reservations about how the vehicle stacks up among the crop of more established products available locally, most of which have a EuroNCAP safety rating.
From a product perspective the waters are still murky, but kudos to the company for investing in SA’s economy when the factory is up and running.
Save for GWM (Great Wall Motors) and Foton, a number of Chinese vehicle makers have closed shop in SA due to the low product uptake among local buyers, who tend to migrate towards more established brands. Whether BAIC’s products live up to expectations and whether its commitment to our market is not another flash in the pan remain to be seen.