Joint venture with Mercedes-Benz means the B80 looks very similar to the G-Class.
With progress having varied from almost non-existent to steady since its arrival in South Africa four years ago, Beijing Automotive Industrial Corporation (BAIC) has taken the wraps off of its second SUV at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring in the shape of the B80.
Offered in China since 2016, the B80, like the model positioned below it, the B40 Plus, is the result of a joint venture between BAIC and in this case, Mercedes-Benz, which explains the newcomer’s resemblance to the G-Class.
As with the B40 Plus, a model that mirrors the Jeep Wrangler aesthetically, the B80 has had to be renamed for South Africa from its Chinese designation BJ80, the letters denoting Beijing Jeep, so as to avoid possible raunchy connotations or snickering.
The current vehicle used by the Chinese military, the B80 measures 4 765 mm in overall length, with its wheelbase stretching 2 800 mm and width 1 890 mm.
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Standing 2 005 mm tall, the B80 has a claimed ground clearance of 215 mm and a low range gearbox, but unlike the G-Class, it doesn’t feature three locking differentials.
For South Africa, only one derivative will be available powered by a single turbocharged petrol engine with no diesel being considered at present.
Hooked to a six-speed automatic, the unit in question displaces 2.3-litres and like the smaller 2.0-litre mill used in the B40 Plus, originates from Saab’s H-family following BAIC’s acquiring of some of the Swedish brand’s technologies after its bankruptcy declaration and ultimate demise in 2016.
Producing 184kW/350Nm, the unit is said to consume unleaded at a rate of 11.2 L/100 km and according to reports from China, will propel the B80 from 0-100 km/h in 10.8 seconds.
Incidentally, the other drivetrain options comprise a 120kW/340Nm Cummins-sourced 2.8-litre turbodiesel mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and since 2020, a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol delivering 206kW/420Nm to all four corners through a new eight-speed automatic.
Despite the mono drivetrain, the B80 doesn’t lack for specification as the only available options are 18-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels over the standard five-spoke 17-inch wheels.
Sporting an interior with similar to that of the G-Class in places, the B80’s specification sheet sees the following being standard;
Items on the safety side includes six airbags, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, ABS with EDB, a reverse camera, auto lock/unlock doors and a tyre pressure monitor.
Poised to go on-sale before the end of this year, pricing for the B80 is slated to start “at around R1-million” according to BAIC.
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