Video premiere: Beijing 5 is a family SUV from China for PLN 127,000. zloty

Another Chinese car brand has just appeared in Poland, this time from the ranks of the state-owned BAIC concern. Beijing 5 is an SUV the size of a Toyota RAV4, which – apart from its attractive price and very rich equipment – also surprises with other advantages. I had the opportunity to take a closer look at this rather exotic newcomer and also spot a few shortcomings of the new Chinese SUV.

If today is Monday, it means that a new car manufacturer from China is most likely debuting on the Polish market. And although 1.5 million cars left its factories around the world in 2022, there is a good chance that you haven’t heard of it yet.

BAIC is one of the largest car manufacturers in the Middle Kingdom and is state-owned. The company has existed since 1958 and has been producing cars for 40 years. In China, it operates as part of a joint venture, among others: with Hyundai and Mercedes. It runs research and development centers in China, Silicon Valley and Detroit, Spain, Italy and Germany. In Poland, BAIC is initially introducing the Beijing brand, but apart from it it also has, among others, Arcfox and Foton. Arcfox presented its cars at the Geneva show a few years ago, and is currently conquering the premium segment in China with its electric cars with 800-volt architecture. Foton, in turn, is the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in China.

The first Beijing model that came to Poland is the 5 SUV. It operates on other markets, among others. under the name X55, while its Chinese name translates to “Rubik’s Cube”. The Beijing 5 is 4.62 m long, which is the same body size as the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga. It is about 12 cm longer than the Volkswagen Tiguan or Hyundai Tucson.

From the front, the Beijing 5 may resemble a bit the style of a Cupra, and from the rear a Peugeot, but Beijing’s stylists emphasize that they drew inspiration from… the dragon mask. Due to the smooth front and the lack of a classic grill, we may suspect that we are dealing with an electric car. Appearances are deceiving, because under the hood there is a 1.5 Turbo petrol engine that generates 177 HP and 305 Nm. It has a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox as standard and is available only with front-wheel drive – 4×4 drive is not offered like other engine variants. Beijing 5 is expected to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds.

Customers will only have one choice when it comes to equipment. Most of the elements that you usually have to pay extra for in this class are standard in the Beijing 5: active cruise control, blind spot sensors, electrically operated seats with heating and ventilation, virtual clocks, proximity key, electrically operated trunk lid, 360-degree camera and 19- inch alloy rims. However, the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is difficult to accept. Drivers who have high demands on the infotainment system may find the screen insufficiently large.

However, I was positively impressed by the spaciousness of the cabin and materials that were pleasant to the touch. I expected much worse materials from a Chinese brand that wants to compete primarily on price. The trunk is not very good – it has only 350 liters of capacity. In this class of SUVs, it is at least 150 liters too little. There is a temporary spare wheel under the floor, but there is also a thick layer of Styrofoam that takes up a lot of valuable space for luggage.

A fully equipped Beijing 5 will cost PLN 127,500 – this is a very competitive offer, considering how much you have to pay for rivals with a similar drive and options. The importer provides a five-year warranty with a mileage limit of 100,000. km. For now, Beijing will be represented by 11 dealers in Poland, and by the end of 2024, the importer wants to have at least one representative in each province.

At the beginning of 2024, a smaller SUV called 3 is also expected to appear in Beijing showrooms, and in the first quarter also a larger one – 7. More impressions from the static show of Beijing 5 can be found in the video presentation.