As we stroll through the Shanghai Auto Show, we catch a glimpse of the elegant Mercedes G-Class in the distance. But it is not on the Mercedes platform. strange.
We have to check this closely.
The closer we got, the weirder it got. There is something strange about this G-Class.
Then we see the sign that explains it. It says BJ80.
With others, we’re not looking at the car’s icon—but it’s simply one of several somewhat shameful Chinese copies.
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Mercedes protest
Paik’s group is behind it. A major automaker in China. What makes the whole thing a bit special is that BAIC is partially owned by Mercedes.
And you can guess if Mercedes thinks it’s cool that a version of the legendary SUV could be built. In case you were wondering: they don’t.
When the plans became clear, Daimler AG, which in turn owns both Mercedes and parts of the BAIC group, tried to finish the project. How it went, we hardly need to tell you.
This luxury Mercedes is not easy to match
Big difference: Inside, the BAIC G-Class has nothing to compete with, compared to the Mercedes G-Class.
two generations
In 2016, the first generation of the Geländewagen replica came out. It also became popular. Exterior dimensions are more or less identical to the first generation G-wagen. But it was delivered with smaller engines – and at a much lower cost.
Therefore, it has become very popular. Not only in the civilian market, but also in the military.
They were so satisfied with the car that they named it the most reliable car of the year.
The car, the photo and video of which you are viewing, has a 3-liter petrol engine with 280 hp. But you also get it with a smaller petrol engine and a diesel engine.
Official Mercedes EQG
Electric G-Class
The BJ80’s interior is a far cry from what you’d find in the G-Class. It’s also a far cry from the “safe” sound you get when you close the door. Here, the G class is not easy to copy.
In contrast, the BJ80 is much cheaper.
On a stand not too far away, stands the original. Mercedes brought both the G500 and the concept car, which will tell us a lot about what the electric version of the G-Class will be like.
The electric model is called EQG – and it will get, among other things, four motors – one on each wheel.
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Video: We take a closer look at the G-Class version in Shanghai:
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