What's this new car all about then?
BAIC (Bejing Automotive Industry Corporation) is one of the newer entrants into the New Zealand market. It landed here in February with a focus on SUVs, but unusually for a Chinese brand, no focus on EVs – instead rolling out conventional combustion and petrol-electric hybrid models.
The retro-styled B30 is the star model in the lineup, but the pricing pathway for BAIC opens with this X55. It’s still technically an SUV like the B30, but it’s also not at all like the B30: the styling is more sleek and urban-focused, compared to the more rugged look of the B30.
It’s probably bigger than you think: at 4.6m in length, X55 is really in the thick of the medium-SUV segment size-wise.
Some of the X55’s appeal will rest on its sharp styling. It’s a fairly generic SUV shape, but packed with intricate design details: snazzy lighting signatures, very smart alloy wheels, flush door handles… even comical-looking quad exhaust tips at the back.
The pricing pathway for BAIC opens with this X55. It’s still technically an SUV like the B30... but it’s also not at all like the B30.
There are some pretty good colour choices, too. The usual greys, blacks and whites, but you can also have a very bold red and if you go two-tone (black roof) you can also have a striking blue or yellow.
Inside, there are plenty of budget materials, but it still looks pretty sharp, with red stitching, satin-finish switchgear and some extra flashes of red on the ventilation outlets at the corners of the dashboard. The little cutouts on the seatbacks have “Bejing” embossed into them, a little nod to BAIC’s hometown.
There’s a little cohort of this style of car developing in NZ, mostly from Chinese brands who seem to like having sleek-looking urban SUVs as counterpoints to their more traditional 4x4-style models.
The 10-inch infotainment screen isn’t as successfully executed. The graphics are a bit murky and as is the fashion, virtually every control is in there: everything from climate control to drive modes.
The X55 is another car that shuns Android Auto. It has wireless Apple CarPlay, but if you want Android you have to connect to a third-party system called CarbitLink-Easy Connection App. No thanks.
How much is it?
Full retail price for the X55 Premium is $37,990, but there’s currently a launch offer of $34,990, valid until June. The same $3k discount applies across the BAIC range.
What's it like to drive?
One of the X55’s USPs is a healthy 138kW/305Nm output from the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. The transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch (FWD), so if you want to press on it does indeed have a pretty decent turn of speed, the DCT swapping gears with alacrity.
It’s not so slick at lower speeds, the gearbox feeling a bit sluggish from a standstill and struggling to change gears smoothly at middling speeds.
The X55 has substantial-feeling steering, which may surprise in a car like this. The ride can be abrupt at low speeds, but smoothes out nicely once you gather pace.
One note about the active driver aids: the X55 has lane departure warning but no lane assist, meaning it can’t help steer you straight. Some may prefer that… just something to be aware of.
What’s the pick of the range?
There’s just one model, the X55 Premium, and it wants for little in terms of standard specification.
There’s a fairly comprehensive suite of active safety features, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree camera system, panoramic roof, power tailgate with height memory, dual-zone climate control with rear face-level vents, cooled storage box in the centre console, six-way adjustment for driver and front-passenger seats, and multi-colour ambient lighting.
What other cars should I consider?
There’s a little cohort of this style of car developing in NZ, mostly from Chinese brands who seem to like having sleek-looking urban SUVs as counterpoints to their more traditional 4x4-style models.
The most familiar to Kiwis will be the Omoda C5, with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and prices of $31,990 for the BX, or $36,990 for the more highly specified EX. It’s worth noting you can also have a pure-electric version, called the E5, for $40,990 in BX form and $44,990 as an EX.
GAC is also in the mix with the Emzoom, which sells in a single specification with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine for $31,990.
There are of course also a plethora of compact SUVs from established makers around this price point: consider the Kia Seltos ($33,990-$44,850), GWM Haval Jolion ($27,990-$37,990, including hybrid options) or Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross ($36,990-$45,990 for the non-PHEV models). Most are smaller and slightly more expensive than the BAIC X55, though.