We've known about the Chinese G-Class clone for a number of years. The fact that it exists is made funnier by Mercedes' local joint ventures with the copycat company, called BAIC.
The world of G-Class clones is now dominated by the Suzuki Jimny, a small Japanese crossover that just happens to be boxy enough. Mercedes has no reason to quarrel with Suzuki, as their design is quite different. However, a few companies tried to take the resemblance a step further, with the one from the Middle East being almost identical to the real deal.
However, BAIC or Beijing Auto's version is more like a deliberate copy. Considering the G-Class gets straight A's on tests, it's only natural to copy its homework. In this article, we've stitched together several pieces of footage documenting the similarities, which go as far as the extreme 6x6 body style.
The vehicle is named the BJ80 and was available with two types of engine. BAIC bought the rights to the Saab 2.0 turbo and 2.3 turbo from GM in 2009. It also owns the rights to the platforms of the Saab 9-3 and 9-5.
The BJ80 came out about five years ago, but in 2018, they introduced the BJ80C 6x6 model, which copied the iconic six-wheeler that cost a small fortune. By that time, the G63 6x6 had gone out of production, but its lifted suspension, chunky fender extensions, and accessories live on.
As many of you know, the G-Class was originally a kind of army vehicle. No potent V8 engine here, just some camo paint and spartan features. The BJ80 didn't miss the opportunity to copy that as well, as seen at the recent parades.
2019 brought out the BJ80 70th Anniversary Edition, celebrating the founding of the People's Republic of China. It comes with fenders, bumpers and roof painted in black, an idea copied from the G-Class Edition Select (the last generation). Check that out in the video below.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News