BAIC starts making their tough little vehicles more interesting
It is interesting to see how car companies develop. Because we now see so many new companies and vehicles coming from areas of the globe we never paid that much automotive attention to, we are able to see things in new and different ways. And because the speed at which they all seem to grow is so quick, we can really see more easily how they are changing.
BAIC was known primarily as a supplier of very tough and utilitarian vehicles for the China government, and has been doing so since 1963. Their facilities have a more traditional car company feel than some of the younger companies of the region, more industrial but with modern equipment and the space to grow. Scalable both up and down, it seemed.
What BAIC seemed to have going for it before was that kind of bare-bones solidity at very interesting price points. A work choice, a tool vehicle. And the more jeep-like vehicles did look good in a kind of retro way.
Of late however they have been paying more attention to design and aesthetics and making vehicles that can draw past the basics and prices. Not going too far away from their strengths but rather using them as building bases.
They have what they call the B30 and B40 model lines, and some of the products within that line are real eye catchers. Not derivative from other models, but more a comfortable softening of the edges as the vehicle takes on roles past farm and public and fleet services and such. At the Beijing Auto Show, they had these and similar models displayed to show how differently the vehicles could be used, in addition to areas highlighting the four wheel drive technology. One particularly interesting display had all the seats flattened down with a specially-shaped air mattress atop for camping purposes. The brand seems to be doing increasingly well in certain middle eastern markets by providing a traction-oriented solution at affordable pricing. In this case, it seems to fit the adventure-oriented urban-dweller who likes the more soft design aesthetics that nod to the past but don’t just copy it. They do have different looks within the lines, and differentiation may best be determined by the additional naming they use for the particular markets, so it remains to be seen what will be named what and where.
That kind of gives a look into how they are taking their strengths and trying to apply them differently. Some vehicles still have the sharp angular looks we all may be used to in classic off-roaders, but others have the more soft curvy lines and more up-to-date interior treatments. All built around their solid and pretty well- tested platforms.
Oh and they jumped a B40. On the test track we saw, there were several pretty tough portions that you would think required some slow attacks, but they pretty much barreled through them. Long, steeply- angled inclines but also repeated steep but shorter ones, which has suspensions and chassis both hitting extremes in different directions one after the other. The jump wasn’t huge, a couple feet high, but they took it quick and we saw how the body moved forward then back as it landed, all while also heading into a curve and then fording a rocky stream. So while they may be making the cars look more like the in-demand “soft-roaders,” the underpinnings do seem to still be all work. And clearly not meant to be babied.
