New developments in the story of the Beijing Auto BJ90, a car that has been looking ready for the Chinese
car market for a very long time but still hasn’t been launched.
The Beijing Auto BJ90 is based on the X166 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class. Beijing Auto can use the GL under a
technology-transfer agreement with Mercedes-Benz, in the same way as the
upcoming Senova C90L sedan will be based on the
Mercedes-Benz E-Class L.
The Beijing Auto BJ90 will be manufactured by
Beijing Auto Works (BAW), just like the Beijing Auto BJ40. It will be sold via the Beijing Auto dealer
network, alongside the Senova range. It is by far the largest passenger car Beijing
Auto has ever made.
The drivetrain of the BJ90 is completely Mercedes;
it will be available with two engines: a 3.0 twin-turbo V6 with 333 Hp and 480 Nm
(GL400), and a 4.0 twin-turbo V8 with 421 Hp and 600 Nm (GL500). Transmission is
the MB seven-speed automatic, sending power to all four wheels via the MB
4matic four-wheel drive system.
The interior too is taken from Mercedes. Beijing
Auto only changed the steering wheel and the layout of the center stack to fit
a bigger screen. The center tunnel, the instrument panel, the upholstery, and
even the seats were all left unchanged.
