Photo: SB Medien
Last week BMW and their Chinese partner, Brilliance, signed a new deal that prolonged the collaboration between the two companies until 2028. Nobody paid too much attention to this report last week, thinking it was only natural that the two should cooperate further but new spyshots show that there might be more to it than just that.
According to various rumors, BMW will allow the Chinese to use one or more of their engines on Brilliance cars. The first such model will be the Jinbei MPV that is set to be launched in 2015, spotted testing in the mountains by our spy photographers.
The ‘heart’ that will be powering this car will apparently be the N20 2-liter inline-4 engine from BMW, making 184 HP and 270 Nm (200 lb-ft) of torque. It would be miles ahead of anything Brilliance ever did through its Jinbei sub-brand.
Furthermore, with such a move, BMW would be the first European automaker that goes so far in collaboration with their domestic partner. Even the Taiwanese Luxgen MPV is using a Renault chassis but a self-developed engine. In this case, it would be a Chinese-developed chassis with a German engine.
Looking at how the car looks like in these spy shots, don’t expect it to work miracles, even with that brilliant engine under the bonnet. It’s a tall and narrow car with skinny tires that might actually become dangerous if given too much power and torque.
However, the price should be right, especially for the average Chinese customer. As you probably already know, BMWs are extremely expensive in China, often going into six-figure territory for a variety of models. The Jinbei will definitely be a lot cheaper and more expensive at the same time.
It will be cheaper than BMWs and even Brilliance models while it will be more expensive than ‘regular’ Jinbei cars due to the added performance and cost of the engine. Even so, it will be perfect to fill a performance and price void in the market.
The ‘heart’ that will be powering this car will apparently be the N20 2-liter inline-4 engine from BMW, making 184 HP and 270 Nm (200 lb-ft) of torque. It would be miles ahead of anything Brilliance ever did through its Jinbei sub-brand.
Furthermore, with such a move, BMW would be the first European automaker that goes so far in collaboration with their domestic partner. Even the Taiwanese Luxgen MPV is using a Renault chassis but a self-developed engine. In this case, it would be a Chinese-developed chassis with a German engine.
Looking at how the car looks like in these spy shots, don’t expect it to work miracles, even with that brilliant engine under the bonnet. It’s a tall and narrow car with skinny tires that might actually become dangerous if given too much power and torque.
However, the price should be right, especially for the average Chinese customer. As you probably already know, BMWs are extremely expensive in China, often going into six-figure territory for a variety of models. The Jinbei will definitely be a lot cheaper and more expensive at the same time.
It will be cheaper than BMWs and even Brilliance models while it will be more expensive than ‘regular’ Jinbei cars due to the added performance and cost of the engine. Even so, it will be perfect to fill a performance and price void in the market.
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