With its futuristic design, the Beijing X55 does a lot to muddy the waters in the mid-level SUV playing field, having launched and immediately found a place as a finalist in the 2023 Car of the Year Competition sponsored by Old Mutual.
The car, from Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC), came as something of a visual and performance revelation – the company has launched locally several years ago and living well under the radar with a couple of nondescript models.
In the interim, it set itself up in the Coega region of the Eastern Cape to be a fully-fledged assembler. And this is the introduction of latest-generation offerings bristling with tech-spec backed with performance to match and a growing dealer footprint in the country.
A studied look at the svelte exterior of the X55 shows hints of style ideas from other brands and, indeed, the seats are direct copies of those found in the Lamborghini Urus (and are super comfortable and supportive).
It comes with LED lights, floor door induction, hidden door handles, a split rear wing and a shark fin aerial accentuating the vehicle’s design.
The borderless low wind resistance grille, large sloping windscreen, split tailgate, hidden door handles, hidden wipers and flat chassis all contribute to a drag coefficient of 0,32.
Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre turbo engine with a 380 dual-clutch transmission (DCT) offering 130 kW and 305 Nm, for an acceleration time of 7,9 seconds from 0-100 km/h.
This is a perky little engine and it hustles the SUV along impressively rapidly with plenty of overtaking grunt left in the mix this power/torque mix is, perhaps, its most endearing trait (other than those seats) and maybe the one that elevates it towards the top step in this class.
The McPherson-type front suspension and multi-link rear also give it a solid feel on the road with predictable handling and limited body roll even with rapid directional changes, helped by the Stability Control System fitted as standard.
The Premium version – which is the subject of this test – rides on 19-inch tyres with enough ground clearance to warrant being called a true SUV and so is good for reasonably maintained dirt road excursions where, again, it stays well planted on the surface and responds neatly to steering inputs.
The interior brings with it some mixed emotion – as mentioned, I loved the seats – and, while the digital dashboard is neatly laid out and well positioned for the driver, the centre touchscreen is not as intuitive as it could be.
Also, it does not come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, relying on an app that needs to be downloaded to your cell phone separately and I struggled to get it to work smoothly. Another small thing – the housing behind the rearview mirror is designed for a left-hand drive car and restricts the movement of the mirror in a right-hand drive format, which may compromise the view for some drivers.
Neither is terminal and any owner will quickly adjust but it will hopefully find its way onto BAIC’s list of ‘things to do’ when the car falls due for a refresh.
It has power windows all around, USB ports front and rear, a 12 V charging port in the boot, heated side mirrors, a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, hill descent and ascent control, anti-lock braking with EBD and a myriad of other luxury and safety features.
At R454 900, it certainly makes a case on the value-for-money charts.
