We have featured Chinese knock-off cars in the past and here is another one to add to the list. For those that follow this site on a daily or weekly basis, you have probably seen a number of posts on the Mercedes G-Class and Land Rover Defender vehicles. It happens one of our most favorite off-road vehicles of all time. Normally, I would be against a blatant copy cat of a legend but considering how expensive the Mercedes G-Class is, I’m not entirely sure if I’m against BAIC BJ80C.
Daimler has a stake in Beijing Automotive Industry Holding (BAIC) and apparently they attempted to convince BAIC to ax the project. Considering this is the production version that’s being presented at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show, it appears that Daimler didn’t convince hard enough.
From the front, it appears that the BAIC BJ80C mainly resembles the G-Class but the grill is very Jeep like while the lights on the outside corners are borrowed from the Land Rover Defender. BAIC has the right idea I suppose, taking design cues from three of the most capable SUVs on the market.
Even the interior is very Mercedes G-Class-like but reminds me more of the previous model sprinkled with touches from the modern version. The BJ80C measures in at 15.68-ft in length, just over six-feet in width, and is 6.48-ft tall. The wheel base on the vehicle is 110.25 inches (9.18-ft).
The SUV is available in a 2.4-liter four-cylinder petrol engine as well as a 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine. You also have an option of taking the standard model or a Safari edition which even features a snorkel kit. Although it looks like a G-Class, does it perform even close to any of the three SUVs that it’s trying to copy?
BAIC BJ80C SUV Gallery
