Beijing Auto Senova CC 1.8 turbo, spotted in China on a car market in south Beijing. The Senova CC is a sporty
variant of the Senova D60 sedan. The CC comes with a black grille, a racy body
kit, and fiery red detailing. The rear is especially impressive with a huge
wing and an almost wild bumper section. The square shaped pipe tips are totally
fake, the real pipe is hidden under the bumper.
The Senova was launched in 2014 and it is still on
sale today, but is is ultra rare. Large
incentives could be sign of a sell out, but dealer prices are just
10.000-12.000 yuan lower than list prices, which is not at all extreme. Perhaps
Beijing Auto sees the CC as some sort of halo-car.
There are two engines available: a 1.8 turbo with
177 hp and a 2.0 turbo with 204 hp. The latter is a Saab engine, and the
Saab-connection of the CC is even closer, as the D60, and thus the CC, was
based on the Saab 9-3.
Beijing Auto bought the rights to the Saab 9-3 and
Saab 9-5 from GM in 2009. The deal included the Saab-developed 2.0 turbo and
2.3 turbo four-cylinder petrol engines. The 9-3 turned into the Senova D60 and
the 9-5 into the Senova D70.
Our car has the 1.8 turbo under the bonnet, mated to
a five-speed automatic. There is a 5-speed manual available as well. The 2.0
turbo only comes with the automatic.
