A new flagship for the Baic brand , the Beijing X55. Innovation and tech-driven is the name of the game here with the X55. We were afforded the opportunity to check out a preview of the vehicle.
Automaker BAIC, under its new sub-brand name ‘Beijing’, seeks to produce intelligent vehicles, deriving from its cooperation with partners providing intelligent vehicle technologies. The Beijing X55 is a testament to this. Implementing innovation, design and technology. Much of this is thanks to Daimler supporting BAIC with their technology from the Mercedes-Benz factory in Beijing where BAIC is their main partner via the ‘Beijing Benz’ joint venture.
Inside and out, it’s clear that BAIC went to town with the X55. This is necessary when considering how competitive the compact SUV market is. As a manufacturer, one needs to give it their all and provide a solid yet cohesive product. The X55 aims to accel in styling, power, specification, safety and comfort.
Styling
The Beijing X55 is a head-turner with its sporty avantgarde styling and long flowing curves. It is sleek and aerodynamic with a front fascia complete with sharp-shaped LED headlights which float above the grille that is designed to look like the body colour is dissolving into the aforementioned black grille, leaving a rather small air dam. The side profile features a prominent shoulder while hidden door handles are incorporated to improve aerodynamics. Moving to the rear there are wide wheel arches, a split rear spoiler and a slim LED rear light bar. The vehicle looks great, if anything, almost like a baby Lamborghini Urus.
Interior and Technology
Jumping into the X55 interior, one will notice an air of sophistication to it. You can see the Daimler influences here, so we’d liken how the interior looks and feels to a sizeable contemporary lounge. BAIC dubs this as a spaceship-inspired interior. Supple, soft-touch materials grace the cabin of the X55. Cushy two-tone grey leather seats with colour-accented stitching add more to that sophistication. The dashboard and centre console are minimalist in design with just a touchscreen control centre and the rest of the space being occupied by soft-touch materials and a floating centre binnacle. Unfortunately, the interior may be a bit too minimalist for some. A majority of functions are within a menu on the infotainment touchscreen, which means the aircon controls and volume control are accessed via a menu rather than having dials and separate switch gear for it. The front seats are the star of the show, in our opinion. They are bucket seat-inspired but feel comfortable and are great for those long drives with the rear seats being similarly impressive.
Tech-wise, you’ll find the following:
- Multimedia Touchscreen radio (3rd Party application for Android and iOS is available for compatibility)
- N95 Cabin filters.
- Speed-sensing sound compensation system.
- Driver seat memory function
- Large panoramic sunroof
Drive and Handling
Powering the Beijing X55 is a 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 130kW and 305Nm of torque sent through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. This combo offers linear power delivery albeit it can be slightly laggy on takeoff. The style of the Beijing X55’s power delivery errs more on gentle rather than explosive. In motion, the vehicle is competently smooth with seamless gear changes but could do with a slight punch in its power delivery. Claimed fuel consumption is 7.1 L/ 100km.
Handling on the X55 with spirited driving is tight and on the urban and open roads, poised and predictable. The vehicle’s chassis is the new BAIC BMFA architecture aiming to rival even BMW’s sporty machines. This chassis is future-proofed as well for EV powertrains too while the suspension setup is independent front MacPherson and rear multilink with hydraulic dampers. This all translates to a comfortable ride, even on rougher roads as the X55 soaks up bumps like memory foam. Interestingly, the vehicle handled well on Zwartkops racetrack.
Safety
The Beijing X55 boasts a 5 Star C-NCAP rating.
- 6 airbags (Driver, passenger, front side, curtain.)
- Park Distance Control
- Tyre Pressure monitoring system
- Crash doors unlock automatically.
- ABS, EBD, ESP
- Emergency brake assist
- Hill hold assist.
- Hill descent assist
- Tired driver warning.
Verdict
The BAIC Beijing X55 is a cracking car to consider. It aces its core principles well and is a vehicle that is not only good-looking but also goes well too. Small revisions do need to be made to the interior design as mentioned by separating certain switchgear and adding some buttons and dials away from the infotainment area. Despite that, interior comfort is sublime and spacious to boot. The vehicle drives and handles well with only small refinements needed for the lag on takeoff. As this was a preview to the Beijing X55, it makes us curious as to what the final pricing will be for this vehicle as it’s quite a competent package. We will share final pricing for the newcomer as soon as it is announced. In the meantime, what is the cheapest BAIC car?
Tayedza MbiriStarting his petrol-infused passion at a ripe young age playing a plethora of racing video games, Taye has been into the motoring industry for years. During his university years studying Law, he dipped his toes into motoring photography, videography, and exploring what Southern Africa has to offer for the motoring scene at large. Most recently, he presented a YouTube series for a famous Japanese manufacturer and now finds himself fresh on the AutoTrader content creation team. He hopes to own a 90s Subaru one day soon. View News & Reviews
Keyword: BAIC Beijing X55 (2022) - First Drive Review