As Mercedes’ official partner in China, BAIC Motor is entitled to some joint venture perks, such as building a G-Class clone called the Beijing BJ80. Apparently, the German automaker is willing to let things like this slide as long as sales are high in the world’s largest car market. Now we hear that BAIC has licensed the second-generation GL SUV from Mercedes-Benz.
Say hello to the Beijing BJ90, a rebodied Mercedes GL with looks that some may find similar, to some extent, to China’s Jeep Commander. It also happens to cost more than the latest 2020 Mercedes GLS! The BJ90 went on sale in China on December 27 with a base price of 988,000 yuan, which is the equivalent of around US$ 141,870.
The latest Mercedes GLS is priced from 934,800 yuan or approximately US$ 134,230. So how come the “clone” starts $7.5k higher? There is no official explanation so we’ll put that in the “weird stuff happening on China’s car market”.
Slightly longer, wider and taller than the Mercedes-Benz GL X166 on which it’s based, the Beijing BJ90 adopts the brand’s signature Jeep-like grille as well as vertical taillights for a rather generic look. Its origins are pretty obvious when seen from the side and when taking a look inside.
The dash is clearly inherited from the second-generation Mercedes GL, with clues including the four-spoke steering wheel, door panels, and climate control interface – though the central vents are horizontal instead of vertical. The second-generation Mercedes-Benz GL forms the base for the BJ90.
Customers can have it with two Mercedes-supplied engines: a 333 PS (328 HP) 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 and 422 PS 4.0-liter turbocharged V8. Both are hooked to standard seven-speed auto and 4WD system with a locking center differential. The BJ90 is well-equipped at this price point, offering stuff like a 10-inch infotainment screen, heated leather seats, adjustable air suspension, cruise control, power tailgate, self-parking system and a lot more.
