The very first live shots of the new Beijing Auto BJ80C, ready for its official debut on Monday on the Shanghai Auto Show. The BJ80C, formerly known as the BJ80, formerly known as the B80V, is a new medium-sized SUV with a rugged off-road look, looking much less like a Mercedes-Benz G-Class than on earlier spy shots.
The vehicle still looks pretty much like a concept car, but the real thing will be launched on the Chinese car market late this year.
The BJ80 debuted in concept form on the 2014 Beijing Auto Show but development started way back in 2011. There is a civilian version and various military versions, although the exact designations have changed a lot over time. The civilian version will be called BJ80C, and the military version will be called BJ80J.
We have new news on the engines: the latest reports indicate the BJ80C will be available with a 2.4 liter four-cylinder petrol and a 4.0 six-cylinder petrol. The latter is very interesting as Beijing Auto hasn’t had a 4.0 since the Beijing-Jeep days. The exact line-up might change a zillion times right up until launch; business as usual for BAIC.
We have the size though: 4780/1850/1975, and wheelbase is 2800. More on Monday…
