Production of the fifth model of the Chinese brand BAIC has started in Russia

The BAIC X7 crossover entered the assembly line at the Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad, joining the U5 Plus sedan, X35 and X55 SUVs, as well as the BJ40 frame SUV. Preparations for the assembly of the new model have been carried out since June of this year, and at the end of October Avtotor launched it into production. By the end of 2023, the Kaliningrad plant will begin producing three more BAIC models.

The X7 is a mid-size crossover, which, in the specification for the Russian market, is equipped with a 180-horsepower 1.5-liter gasoline turbo engine and a seven-speed preselective “robot” with two clutches. It only has front-wheel drive. As for the equipment, Avtotor so far only mentions all-LED optics. Details about trim levels and prices will be revealed closer to the model’s launch on the market.

BAIC X7
AvtotorBAIC X7
Avtotor

In China, the X7 has been on sale since 2020, where the model is called the Beijing X7 and has the status of the flagship of the crossover line. The car, 4.7 meters long and with a wheelbase of 2.8 meters, is a classmate of the Hyundai Santa Fe, which is no longer officially sold in Russia. In the domestic market, the X7 is presented in five trim levels, it has retractable door handles, 19-inch wheels, a drive mode selection system and illuminated landing zone with a logo. The stated maximum speed is 210 kilometers per hour, and fuel consumption is 7.3 liters per 100 kilometers in the combined cycle.

In September, BAIC increased prices for all models in Russia. The most affordable of them, the U5 Plus sedan, costs more than two million rubles; The X35 lost its basic configuration with a manual transmission, and the starting price of the X55 was close to three million rubles. BAIC BJ40 immediately added almost 300 thousand rubles and costs from 4.35 million rubles. It is expected that the X7 crossover will cost more than three million rubles.

New Russians: premieres of our automobile industry