an imposing exterior that feels big and bulky, just the way you would like an off-roader.
There are some test vehicles you will always remember – some for the right reasons and others for the wrong ones.
It might not be down to the car being good or bad but sometimes an experience will shape how you remember it.
The Baic B40 Plus Honour Edition was a mixed bag.
Let’s start with the good.
It gives off a pleasant Jeep Wrangler vibe from the outside and inside but doesn’t compromise on comfort, space or drive quality.
It’s one of those cars whose looks you will either love or hate. I leaned more towards the former.
The design screams adventure. The front of the B40 PLUS is striking, with a five-slot grille design that is inspired by the Great Wall of China. The chrome and black accents on the exterior contrast the vehicle’s body colour.
It has an imposing exterior that feels big and bulky, just the way you would like an off-roader.
When it comes to the interior, Baic hasn’t sat back either. Comfortable leather seats and soft-touch materials yet an element of ruggedness, like a passenger handle bar to keep the rugged theme constant from outside to inside.
The vehicle also has a removable roof to allow off-roading beach buggy style or travel on the road as if you’re in a convertible. However, it is a mission to get the roof on and off and the rain didn’t even allow me to really test it out.
Open: The Baic B40 Plus has a removable roof
The Baic B40 Plus does not come with built-in Apple Car Play and Android Auto but that didn’t put me off the vehicle.
Probably the best part about the Baic B40 Plus Honour Edition is the 2 litre turbocharged petrol engine that is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission delivering 165kW of power and 380Nm of torque.
I say this because while the car has the all-terrain tyres, 210mm ground clearance, 37° approach, 31° departure angles, a full four-wheel drive with electronic rear diff, the on-road experience is nothing short of exceptional.
Baic gave us the best of both worlds.
But now, I have to go to the bad stuff.
First, the speakers were not cooperating. There were times the music was loud and clear and suddenly, it started sounding like the speaker had blown. This happened to me multiple times.
From a user perspective, that’s probably the only bad thing I can say about the vehicle.
From an experience perspective, it was an entirely different story.
I enjoyed the vehicle but on the last day of testing, I was cruising down Marlboro Drive when I heard an odd sound. No bump, no pothole yet one of the tyres were flat.
Changing a tyre is not difficult but changing it when a storm is on the horizon can be a problem. Not to mention that Marlboro Drive has become a hotspot for theft and hijacking, so I first waited for a friend to come so that I was not alone.
Once the storm came, the tyre came off too but the car was parked too close to the curb, meaning that the new tyre would not fit onto the vehicle.
We then had to put the flat tyre back on and move the car away from the curb. Surely nothing else could go wrong?
Queue the music … the jack was stripped so we could not get the car back up.
We were drenched, cold and now waiting for someone else to bring us a jack. When help arrived, it took us 10 minutes to change the tyre. Overall, the entire process took us close to three hours.
That is why it is an experience I will never forget.
Like I said earlier, while that experience was terrible, it had nothing to do with the car.
The Baic B40 is all brawn and all brains. It has everything. I don’t understand why the brand doesn’t push it as hard as it pushes the Beijing X55 and the B30.
Sure, it is more tailored to those who want to do some hardcore off-roading, but it could easily become a favourite here in South Africa, just like how the Suzuki Jimny and GWM Tank have become.
At R699 500, it is incredible value for money.