A new Chinese SUV is in the works dubbed the
Brilliance V9 and in these spy shots, we’re offered our first glimpse of the
vehicle.
We’re told that the Brilliance V9 will sit above the
V7 in the car manufacturer’s range of models and be underpinned by the brand’s
M8X platform which has been co-developed by Brilliance China Automotive
Holdings and the BMW Group. A search online reveals that Brilliance has been
putting the V9 through its paces during public tests for at least 12 months and
based on the comprehensive camouflage of this prototype, the Chinese carmaker
looks to still have quite a lot of work to do to bring it to life.
Viewed from the front, the Brilliance V9 appears to
support a large front grille just like the V7 while also featuring a pair of
angular headlights. Brilliance has also outfitted this particular prototype
with a set of silver and black wheels while at the rear we can see a small
rooftop spoiler and dual tailpipes.
While it seems as though the exterior of the V9 will
share some commonalities with the smaller V7, the interior will be drastically
different. The small Brilliance V7 supports a digital instrument cluster while
in the center of the dashboard is a portrait infotainment system with portrait
air vents on either side in a design that closely mimics some Volvo interiors.
By comparison, the V9 prototype pictured features a single display that
incorporates both the gauge cluster and infotainment display. The result is
very clean but one that’s perhaps not quite as pleasing to the eye as the
interior of the V7.
Limited details about the powertrains that will be
offered with the vehicle are known but the current V7 is sold with a
turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 204 hp and mated to either a
six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
