If you thought Chinese automotive industry is no competition, then you have to think again. I had the opportunity to test drive the 2018 Baic X25. My first encounter with the X25 was at the Festival of Motoring that took place at the Kyalami race track. The overall look of the car impressed me the most. The car does not look cheap at all.
Better And Ingenious Choice abbreviated Baic and pronounced Bike, is a Chinese Automotive Brand. The Brand has been in South Africa for 3 years now and have 17 dealers Nationwide and growing. The Brand at the moment is targeting vehicle virgins, first time buyers mostly black females. I think the X25 is a perfect car for first time buyers with all the tech but I’m not too sure if first time buyers are willing to pay over R200 000 on their first car!
I took Baic X25 on a Three-day test drive, honestly I was impressed. Powered by a 1,5 Litre naturally aspirated engine and a 4 speed automatic transmission with sport mode and snow mode options. The X25 produces 85kw. Not bad at all! This car is also equipped with convenient features like keyless entry, Keyless Go, Bluetooth, reverse cameras, Park Distance Control and Automatic sunroof. All 4 Windows are electric powered, drivers one is automatic. The side mirrors are also electronic.
One of my favorite features in this car is the Centre armrest/storage compartment, it is something that I look for in a car.
The infotainment system is built to impress and bring entertainment to life. In addition to Bluetooth, there is an HDMI port allowing users to play content on the car’s touch screen display. There is a USB 2.0 Port that charges your phone fast located right next to the HDMi Port. The sound system isn’t powerful but it is good enough to listen to music.
The Multi-Functional Steering allows the driver to control some features like Volume and media source. There are two cup holders in the centre-console and two on each door. The door cup holders can accommodate a 1,5L bottle.
The seats are covered in a combination of leather looking material and fabric, the seats look very good however I am too sure about endurance. X25 dashboard looks like the 2013 Mercedes Benz A Class with Baic logo on air vents.
The exterior of the X25 is the definition of a perfect Mini SUV. 14 inch Mags come standard on this car, red calipers which look good. The lines and curves are placed in the right places. The bumper and grill are well integrated. Day running Hexon Headlamps make the most of the view with fog lights below them, while the LED Tail lights make a statement of style.
I think this car will give good competition to the Hyundai I20 Cross, Etios Cross and other vehicles in that group based on pricing and features. Baic is here to stay.
Watch This Full Review on Youtube – The Auto Captain. https://youtu.be/bJsjpAO6lPc
Comments are closed.