Baojun RS-3 mid-sized SUV launched in China

Team OD Published: November 04, 2019, 11:49 AM IST

Baojun, the entry-level Chinese brand under with GM and SAIC joint-venture sell their cars, has unveiled a new five-seater SUV in its home market. This is called the Baojun RS-3 and sits below the Baojun 530, sold as the MG Hector in India by SAIC, in the line-up.

The RS-3 gets the brand new design philosophy which debuted with the larger RS-5. This is a new interpretation of the large grille, split headlamp look in the front with more sculpting and sharper edges. This theme carries over to the rest of the car too with a sleeker roofline, more pronounced rear haunches and a softened rear section. The split lighting elements from the front are repeated here as well. The interiors also follow a new theme with a layered dash finished in various shades of grey, a freestanding widescreen infotainment screen alongside a digital instrument cluster. The buttons and controls are all housed within slim, wide elements that accentuate the general theme of the cabin. The Baojun is 4,305mm long, 1,748mm wide and 1,597 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,550 mm. This puts it in the same ballpark as that of the Creta and Seltos.

The RS-3 also comes with the brand's latest connected car tech and allows geofencing, remote lock/unlock, remote control of AC functions and more such features as seen on the Hector. Further, the RS-3 can also be had with a Bosch driver assistance system which brings Level-2 autonomy. The SUV is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol motor with 103PS. This can be paired with a CVT or a six-speed manual.

Prices for the RS-3 start at RMB 71,800 (Rs 7.21 lakh) and go up to RMB 89,800 (Rs 9.02 lakh) for the four variants that are available. It's unclear if MG Motor India will launch this car in ndia, but given the segment, it competes in, could be a viable contender in the mid-sized SUV space in our country.