The new Beijing X55 from BAIC will go on sale in South Africa on the 15th of November, the company confirmed to TopAuto.
Pre-sales for the crossover will open at all BAIC dealerships from 10 November, with Dynamic, Elite, and Premium specification grades on offer.
The X55’s indicative starting price is listed at R400,000 going up to R460,000, said BAIC, though the official pricing structure will only be revealed once the vehicle hits the market.
By December, the manufacturer aims to have a domestic footprint of 25 dealers, up from the current 19, along with 22 service centres to support the launch of its new offering.
What to expect
All three variants of the new Beijing X55 will be driven by a 1.5-litre, turbocharged petrol motor in partnership with a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox turning the front tyres.
The powertrain makes a total of 130kW and 305Nm and can be tuned to the situation at hand with Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart drive settings.
This setup reports an average fuel expenditure of 7.2l/100km, while triple-digit speeds are claimed in 7.8 seconds.
Depending on the trim level, the new X55 will bring a decent equipment sheet seeing the CarbitLink infotainment system, a digital instrument binnacle, leather upholstery, and a panoramic sunroof.
A helping of assistance systems is also thrown on top, including hill-hold and descent control, driver fatigue monitoring, emergency braking assistance, all-round parking sensors, ABS with emergency brake assist, and six airbags.
Moreover, the new BAIC gets flush door handles with smart entry lending the sides a sleek look, as well as an “ice-breaking mode” that will shake loose the door handles should they get frozen over.
Wrapping up the sporty visual identity are a split rear wing above a split tailgate, a rear LED lightbar, alloy wheels, and thin LED headlights lying on top of a mesh-like grille.
BAIC Beijing X55
Keyword: What you can expect to pay for the new BAIC Beijing X55 in South Africa