While it might not be the most methodological approach to reviewing a car, the general public’s reaction is often a clear indicator as to whether the vehicle’s styling hits the spot or not.
In the case of the BAIC B30 we recently had on test, credit must go to the Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation’s designers for bowling over the vast majority of random onlookers at first glance. Although the styling is not quite unique, it does well to make the car stand out from the “just another Chinese SUV” crowd.
Up front the BAIC B30 sports plenty of Ford Bronco genes, while the boxy setup at the rear is in line with that of the Defender. Albeit minus the tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
BAIC B30 name-change
We will draw on more exact science to back up the car’s emotional appeal on the street. Since its introduction last year, the B30 has quickly overtaken its B40 Plus and Beijing X55 siblings as BAIC’s top-selling local car.
After sampling both the B30 1.5-litre petrol and B30e hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) derivatives during a brief launch drive at the end of 2025, The Citizen Motoring recently had the HEV in all-wheel drive guise as a house guest for a week. Much to the delight of this scribe’s teenage daughter, it was in fact a car that came cruising up the driveway after hearing her old man is bringing home a “bike”. Which is by the way the right way to pronounce BAIC.
While on the subject of names, similar to the B40, the B30 is actually called the BJ30 in its home market, with BJ short for Beijing. And like with the BJ40, the brand’s local division did the sensible thing of omitting the J for obvious reasons. Albeit the little oversight of leaving a BJ30 monogram on the dashboard.
Specced to the brim
Called the BAIC B30e 1.5T HEV Premium Adventure AWD, the top-of-the-range model features a spec sheet as long as its official name, making it serious value for money at a sticker of R689 900.
The minimalistic cabin is plush and inviting, finished elegantly in a combination of black leather with contrast stitching, satin chrome and soft-touch materials. A highlight is the aviation-inspired touches on the centre console, which include a throttle-style gear lever and turbine fan-like rotary drive mode selector.
In Premium trim, the B30e comes standard with 14.6-inch infotainment system with eight-speaker sound system and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless charger, 360-degree camera system, keyless entry and push-button start, electric tailgate, panoramic sunroof and heated and ventilated front seats.
Big enough for a bed
If there is one thing that irked us in the BAIC B30e, it is the infotainment screen’s slow reaction times to all inputs, ranging from climate control, to track selection and reverse camera activation. We do hope that it can shed its lethargic nature with some sort of memory or software upgrade.
The B30 is so big inside that BAIC claims a double bed mattress can fit inside with all the seats folded flat. We did not put that the test, but it is a nifty little party trick when you want to go camping impromptu armed with a blow-up mattress. The hard cover over the 450-litre boot can even join in on the action by folding flat to make a camp table.
On the outside, the SUV features 19-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, LED headlights with Auto High Beam Assist and cornering LED foglamps.
The SUV comes standard with a host of driver assistance systems like adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-change assist.
Power number confusion
Being a self-charging hybrid, the car is powered by a combination of a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, 1.67kWh battery pack and two electric motors. BAIC claims that it sends a system total of 301kW of power and 685Nm of torque to all four corners via Dedicated Hybrid Transmission, it really doesn’t feel that powerful. It will most definitely sprint from 0 to 100km/h in the claimed 6.9 seconds, but 301kW/685Nm all in one go are big numbers which the B30e most certainly does not possess.
The drive mode selector offers Eco, Comfort and Sport; while the all-wheel drive system adds Snow, Mud, Sand and Wading off-road modes. The B30e does not have a low transfer case, but does features an electronic limited slip differential and off-road hill-descent control to assist those who do want to venture off the beaten track.
BAIC B30e easy on the juice
What impressed us was the BAIC B30e’s fuel consumption. Claimed to be 6.45 litres per 100km, we averaged 7.2L/100km over the course of a week. On some short city trips we managed a number as low as 6, which is superb for a large and heavy SUV.
We can’t say that the augmented electric soundtrack when the car drives purely on electric power exactly thrilled us. It was maybe a bit too freaky like something straight out of Star Trek.
Offering much more than just a pretty face, it is easy to see why the BAIC B30e is so popular. It is the right car at the right price, offering fuel economy that is more appealing than its attractive looks. Always a good thing when the fuel price is through the roof.
