We headed to Gauteng to get acquainted withthe new BAIC B40 Plus ona technically demandingoff-road course. Is this purposeful looking Chinese newcomer the answer to the Jeep Wrangler thatlocal 4×4 enthusiasts have been waitingfor… well, at least before the next-generation Mahindra Thar arrives on our market?

Did you know that BAIC (pronounced ‘bike’) was founded in 1958 and it has producedvehicles for private and commercial uses (including buses)?It’s one of the top 5 automobile manufacturing groups in China and has joint venture agreements and shared factories with Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai. Interestingly, BAIC is a state-owned company, with Beijing Municipality Government holding the reins.

Within the South African context, BAIC has been assembling D20 hatchback and sedans and X25 crossoversfrom semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits inGqeberha sinceJuly 2018. SKD meansthe parts are all pre-manufactured (in China) and then the vehicles’ final assembly takes place in South Africa. BAIC’s Eastern Cape productionfacility is said to have aclaimed annual capacity of 50 000 vehicles.

Meanwhile, BAIC also has considerable off-road vehicle experience – the company has, inter alia, engineered its own military off-roader. In the most recent instalment of the gruelling Dakar Rally,BAIC fielded 3 entries, whichcompletedthe event in 13th, 14th, and 15th places overall. The B40 Plus addsan off-roader component toBAIC’s local line-up;an updated modelandbigger B80 are due in 2022.

What’s on offer?

While BAIC describes the newcomer’s styling as “bold and unapologetic”, there’s no denying the B40 Plus takes a lot of inspiration from theJeep Wrangler, right down to the detachable roof mechanism.It may not have the trademark Jeep grille or round headlights, but judging by some social mediareaction to the new BAIC, theChinese and American models “could have been separated at birth”. Let’s not even talk about the B80, which bears a striking resemblance to the ‘Benz G-Class… Perhaps the joint venture between BAIC and its Stuttgart-based partner allows for some sharing of design elements?

There are two engines on offer. A 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine punches out 160 kW/320 Nm and is paired with a 6-speed automatic, while the 2.0-litre turbodiesel produces peak outputs of 110 kW and 350 Nm of torque in combination with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The newcomer’s off-road credentials are decent on paper, with a ground clearance of 210 mm, an approach angle of 37 degrees, a departure angle of 31 degrees and a breakover angle of 23 degrees.BAIC claims its B40 Plus has been put through the wringer; the model has undergone in excess of7 500 km of off-road testing, the firm says.

The cabin architecture looks upmarket atfirst glance and,upon closer inspection, instantly familiar. Based on what we can see, the Mercedes-Benz/BAIC joint venture makes allowancesfor components of the Three-pointed Star to be implemented directly inthe Chinese product…The start button appears to have been lifted from the E-Class, while the air vents look sourced from Benz’s compact-car range.

There are 5 derivatives on offer in 3 levels of trim: B40 Plus, B40 Plus City Hunter, B40 Plus Champion. At this price point, the list of standard features is acceptable and the mid-spec City Hunter seems to offer the best value for money in the range. There are some fun colour choices too;the Military Green and Sky Blue hues are especially likely to grabpeople’s attention!

Trim specifications:

B40 Plus

17-inch alloy wheels

ABS

Auto-hold

Snow/Sport mode

Dual airbags

Central locking

Reverse parking camera

Parking sensors

10-inch central display

Bluetooth/USB connectivity

6x speakers

60:40 rear folding seats

LED daytime running lights

Front fog lights

Dual-zone auto aircon

Tyre pressure sensors

B40 Plus City Hunter

adds:

17-inch dual-colour wheels

Electronic stability control

Electronic brake assist

Traction control

Hill-start assist

Hill descent control

B40 Plus Champion

adds:

Leather steering wheel

Leather trim

Electric 4-way adjustment for the driver’s seat.

What is it like to drive?

The launch of the BAIC B40 Plus took place at the ADA Training & Outdoor Centrenear Hartbeespoort. It’s a specialised facility for testing off-road vehicles, in other words– the perfect place to put a 4×4 through its paces. Our choice of vehicle was the BAIC B40 Plus City Hunter (petrol automatic). Having experienced the technical layout of the ADA before in aSuzuki Jimny, we were not keen to have to deal with the additional complexity of low-range driving with a manual ‘box!Good thing we opted for the petrol auto, as some of our peers suggested the diesel engine suffered from a touch of turbo lag.

That petrol engine is impressive and, duringour very short on-road assessment (about 20 km), it felt eager and responsive.The transmissionshifted smoothly too, but we noted the instant fuel consumption numbers fluctuated wildly depending on throttle application, with numbers popping into the late teens on 75%throttle applications. Willthe B40 Plus suffer the same ailment as some of the Chinese vehicles in our market –in that it’s notably thirstier than its European counterparts?Perhaps, but given Chinesebrands’ rapid progress, they’ll soon usepowertrains that will rival the best legacy brands can produce.

As far as ride and handling go, again, our on-road evaluation was very brief, but by virtue of being underpinned by aladder-frame chassis, the B40 Pluscannotbe expectedto deliver the same levels ofcomposure and refinement as off-road-capable unibody productssuchas theSubaru Forester. Still, the BAIC should be much more capable when the tarmac ends. As the Toyota Fortuner and other bakkie-based SUVs have shown, a ladder frame is what you want for serious off-roading capability. The cabin was reasonably damped, but thechunky off-road tyres generated quite a bit of road noise.

Off-road, the BAIC B40 Plus performed acceptably. We couldn’t see a button for a differential lock and assumed the vehicle didn’t come with it, but the spec sheets suggest the vehicle has this feature and it’ll come into play automatically. We had a few moments wherethe BAICgot stuck with one wheel spinning in the air, only to free itself with a lurch as the car’s electronics shuffled the power about and the diff-lock engaged. The ground clearance, fair approach/departure anglesand 4H will keep you going in most trickysituations, while 4L should keepthe B40 Plus moving in treacheroussand and mud.

Impressively, we also had a go in the pre-production homologation unit that had tallied up over 10 000 km across the Republic on a variety of surfaces;it still felt solid with minimal rattles and squeaks.

How much does the new BAIC B40 Plus cost in South Africa?

The new BAIC B40 Plus range starts from R549 500 and goes up to R629 500 for the top-of-the-range derivative. The newcomer is sold with a 5-year/120 000 km warranty and the brand says “competitive service plan options are available.”Service intervals are 15 000 km/12 months for both the turbopetrol and -diesel derivatives.

Verdict

Our first taste of the BAIC B40 Plus was brief, but consider our interest piqued. With the prices of other off-roaders reaching astronomical heights (Jeep Wranglers start at R750k these days), theChinese newcomer appears to offer strong value and is more off-road capable than you might think. The cabin is modern and has some nice-looking fittings, but we do wish there was some form of connectivity like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto on offer. There’ll be a slightly facelifted version touching down in 2022 and that will likely come with a few more features, as well as an 8-speed automatic transmission.

We’re eager to spend more time with this interesting newcomer as our on-road test route was too short to pass a definitive verdict. As soon as we have details on the pricesof the service plans (which are NOT included in the range’s current prices), we’ll update this article. The B40 Plus is certainly a niche vehicle (as is the long-serving Wrangler, to be fair); also consider theupcoming Mahindra Thar…

Further Reading

Best SUVs for Off-road Driving

Mahindra unveils new Thar off-roader

Chinese cars in SA – what does it mean for the future?