New photos of the upcoming Baojun 530 SUV for China,
showing a very dirty example, even with dog pee on the front wheel. It has a
temporarily license plate behind the window. This could be an early production
car or a late test car. .
Baojun is an entry level brand under the
SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture, in which GM has a 43% stake. The other partners
are SAIC (aka Shanghai Auto) and Wuling Automotive. SAIC and GM are also tied
up in the giant Shanghai-GM joint venture that makes Buick, Chevrolet, and
Cadillac cars for the Chinese market.
The Baojun 530 is a 5-seat SUV that will be
positioned above the exiting Baojun 510. It will debut on the Guangzhou Auto
Show later this week and launch on the Chinese car market in early 2018. Price
will start around 90,000 yuan or US$ 13,600, positioning the 530 in the most
competitive segment of the compact SUV market.
There will be two engines available: a 1.8 with 135
hp and a 1.5 turbo with 150 hp. A hybrid will joint the lineup later. Dimension
size is 4655/1835/1760 mm, and wheelbase is 2750 mm.
Design is certainly interesting with mean looking
lights, a big grille, and little knack in the roof and shut lines over the C-D
pillar. Baojun means ‘Treasure Horse’, hence the giant horse head logo.
The interior with a 9-inch touch screen, analog
dials, a steering wheel with a shiploads of buttons, and seats clad in trendy
orange leather. Note center tunnel with a drive-selector dial. This might be
the hybrid because on other photos we saw a traditional gear lever there.
