Wen Luoji

One of my most memorable experiences with Beijing Auto was during a test drive of the Beijing Auto EU series of pure electric cars a few years ago. I can’t remember the exact date, but I do remember that at the time, the EU series was one of the best-selling pure electric car models on the market. From the exterior to the interior, and the overall driving experience, this pure electric car had no significant differences from the fuel cars of the same period for independent domestic brands. Now, Beijing New Energy has already spun off, and Beijing Auto’s fuel cars have hardly caught my attention in the market.

In fact, Beijing Auto’s fuel business has been continuously developing. According to the data of Autohome, Beijing Auto’s product lineup covers compact and mid-size cars, and there are no less than 5 models of various small and compact SUVs such as X3, X5, X7, U5, and U7. Unfortunately, it is difficult for these models to leave a lasting impression on people.

For the newly launched Beijing Auto “Mo Fan”, if it were not named “Mo Fan” which breaks with convention, many people might still ignore this new information. For non-first-tier brands, attracting attention is only the first step in reversing their decline. Only products that attract attention and have excellent product power and cost-effectiveness can truly reverse people’s attitudes and first impressions.

Can Beijing Auto “Mo Fan” fulfill this task?

What kind of car is Beijing Auto “Mo Fan”?

The size is similar to that of the Haval H6, but it is difficult to judge the size by appearance alone

First of all, we need to know that “Mo Fan” is Beijing Auto’s first brand-new model, and it has two meanings: one is a brand-new R&D model, and the other is a model with a brand-new standard and positioning. “Mo Fan” is a manifestation of the two meanings breaking through the naming system.

From the pictures of the exterior alone, it is not easy to accurately judge the size and positioning of Beijing Auto “Mo Fan”. Apart from the lack of reference models for brand-new models, it is also because this model adopts a relatively unconventional styling, giving a feeling of exquisite small SUV and compact SUV. In fact, the size of Beijing Auto “Mo Fan” is very typical, and it is very close to the best-selling Haval H6 of pure fuel SUVs in the current market. Its wheelbase is 2735mm, 3mm shorter than the H6; the overall length of 4620mm is only 33mm shorter than the H6; and coincidentally, the width of Beijing Auto “Mo Fan” is exactly the same as that of the Haval H6, both being 1886mm.

In other words, “Mo Fan” aims to enter the current best-selling standard compact SUV market.But unlike the H6 and Changan CS75 PLUS, the BAIC Magic Cube is only 1.68 meters tall, while most of the other best-selling domestic SUVs in its class are over 1.7 meters tall, which is also one of the reasons why it appears smaller.

Another reason comes from the design of the Magic Cube.

A gasoline-powered car designed with an electric car concept

When I first saw the pictures of the BAIC Magic Cube, besides having difficulty determining the specific size level, I was also unsure about its power type, whether it was a gasoline car or a new energy car. Now we know it is a purely gasoline-powered car, but its large design style and body proportions have strong new energy features.

For example, the front face, with split headlights that greatly reduce the presence of the headlights. The center part that should have belonged to the grille, although it has a similar diamond-shaped pattern design to a borderless grille, can be easily seen from the picture that it is not a real grille, but a completely sealed design.

The way the headlights are hidden and the front face is sealed is different from the design conventions of traditional gasoline cars, which brings freshness and makes people naturally think of new energy cars.

Of course, this car has an intake grille, which is arranged under the license plate frame. Regardless of color, size or shape, it has strong concealment, which is intended to weaken the characteristics of its gasoline car as much as possible.

Compared with the front face, the body proportions displayed by the BAIC Magic Cube’s side have a stronger sense of electric power. I don’t know how everyone feels when they see the side of this car, but my first reaction was to think of two cars: Volkswagen ID.4 and BYD Yuan PLUS.

The sizes and levels of these three cars are different, but the side styling has a strong sense of unity, especially in the C and D-pillar parts, where the window line is quickly raised upward, the roof is contracted downward, and the front and rear overhangs are very short. The side presents a rounded and compact sense, as well as the proportion of “long wheelbase, short car body” that is common in pure electric car models.

By comparison, the “electric feel” of the BAIC Magic Cube is even more outstanding because it has a more concise surface and very strong overall feeling, with the completely embedded hidden door handles.#

Arriving at the rear, the Magic Square has a very obvious ratio of wider bottom and narrower top. In terms of detailed design, it adopts the commonly seen through-type taillight in new forces (although it is similar in shape, it is not actually a true through-type design), and further weakens its identity as a fuel car through the design of hiding the exhaust port.

In summary, the appearance of the BAIC Magic Square is a pure fuel car designed with the concept of a pure electric vehicle. So, what about its interior?

Compared with the appearance, the color matching in the cabin of the BAIC Magic Square is relatively traditional, without the trendy and warm style commonly seen in new forces nowadays. However, its central control layout actually breaks the design conventions of fuel cars.

The floating design of the instrument and central control screen is the visual center of the central control panel. As for the air outlet that has a strong sense of existence in traditional designs, the BAIC Magic Square designs it in a decorative groove that runs through the central control panel, which has a certain level of hiding, but not as thorough as the NIO or Tesla models.

The operation island, which is separated from the central control panel and adopts a floating design, is a very avant-garde cabin layout in the past two years. It weakens the sense of compartment between the main and co-pilot seats in the front row, and also leaves a large storage space below, which is basically difficult to achieve in previous fuel vehicles.

Except for the few physical buttons on the operation island, we can hardly see any physical buttons on the entire central control panel. Only on the right side of the central control screen, there are several very hidden virtual control keys, but they are not responsible for routine functional operations, but rather for some information and entertainment functions for the co-pilot.

Of course, the operation of this Magic Square car has not been completely virtualized, and there are physical buttons reserved on the steering wheel. However, similar to the dial design of Tesla, it still shows the inspiration from new energy vehicles.

Seeing this, the innovation and attraction of the design of the BAIC Magic Square is basically in place. Considering that it is not a strong brand, what are the selling points that attract consumers to buy this car?

What are the selling points of the BAIC Magic Square?

Equipped with Hongmeng system, Huawei fans are crazy about itThe first thing worth mentioning is the Hongmeng OS car system equipped on the Beijing Auto Magic Square, which was first installed on the Wondrous M5. In terms of functionality, fluency, and overall experience, it has surpassed the ceiling of intelligent car systems and has become one of the biggest selling points of the Wondrous series. In the fuel vehicle category, Beijing Auto Magic Square is the first model equipped with the Hongmeng car system.

From the size and design of the central control screen, one can immediately associate it with the Wondrous M5. Huawei’s Kirin 990A chip is also used in the car, and in terms of car-machine interaction experience and available functions ― which include a variety of applications and entertainment apps such as Amap, KuGou Music, Himalayas, MiGu Video to name a few ― it is basically aligned with the Wondrous M5 and M7.

As for the specific experience, equipped with Hongmeng OS car system, whether or not you are a Huawei fan, it is hard not to be impressed by the car system after experiencing the Wondrous car system.

Equipped with high-power engines across the board and goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.84 seconds

The Beijing Auto Magic Square is equipped with a 1.5T+7DCT powertrain across the board, which is very common among independent vehicles of the same level. Even considering that the Haval H6, Changan CS75 PLUS, and other models have a 2.0T version, the powertrain of the Beijing Auto Magic Square doesn’t seem to be a competitive advantage.

In fact, regardless of whether or not there is a 2.0T version, 1.5T is the most popular version of compact SUVs. Beijing Auto Magic Square’s 1.5T engine power parameters are striking. The power reaches 188 horsepower and the torque reaches 305 N·m. In fact, it has surpassed many low-power 2.0T engines of joint venture brands.

In terms of actual power output, Beijing Auto says that the 0-100km/h acceleration score is achieved in 7.84 seconds. If the actual driving can really achieve this, then its power performance has actually surpassed many other SUVs of the same displacement.

Even more importantly, despite the lack of a 2.0T engine at a high price point, the entry-level of the Beijing Auto Magic Square is only 99,900 yuan, while the starting price of same-level models with the same power is generally around 100,000 yuan, even above 110,000 yuan. In consideration of performance and price, the powertrain of the Magic Square can indeed be regarded as a selling point.

Rare technology configuration at the same levelIn the official materials of BAIC Magic Cube, XX model with the same description appears many times. For example, it is equipped with a “Porsche-style” VGT turbocharger on the powertrain, which is one of the reasons for the outstanding performance of the Magic Cube.

In addition, the Magic Cube is also equipped with many technology configurations that are not original but obviously far beyond the same level, such as the “Mercedes-Benz S-Class-style” AR-HUD head-up display, which is claimed to be equivalent to 60 inches, in addition to the central control screen and the instrument screen. Its HUD system has a large area and rich information display, showing various colored and patterned information, such as navigation, vehicle speed, and driving assistance, and can be combined with the real scene of the front vehicle distance and driving route. For the 100,000-level SUV market where HUD is still not popular, the Magic Cube’s AR-HUD is indeed leading.

In the early publicity, BAIC Magic Cube showed the function of electronic exterior mirrors, which was called the Audi e-tron-style. We have seen the transparent A-pillar on the NETA U before, but it has not been actually mass-produced. Due to regulatory issues, the electronic exterior mirrors of the Magic Cube cannot be truly launched at present, but according to the news, the regulatory obstacles will be cleared in 2023. By then, the Magic Cube equipped with electronic exterior mirrors may be delivered.

In addition, the BAIC Magic Cube also has the “BMW X5-style” trajectory reverse, which requires higher requirements for the vehicle’s radar, camera, and driving assistance capabilities. Although it is not original, it is indeed worth promoting among similar-priced models.

Will BAIC Magic Cube sell well?

By now, you should feel that the BAIC Magic Cube does have unique designs and technical configurations, coupled with a relatively reasonable price, and a product that has no obvious shortcomings. Such a car has the potential to sell well. Personally, I think if BAIC had launched this model a year ago, selling it would have been almost a certainty.

However, the current automotive market has put tremendous pressure on all automakers due to its high competition intensity, and even benchmarks in terms of sales for many years have been surpassed by more than one competitor. The Magic Cube’s entry-level price of 99,900 yuan is tempting and it is equipped with Hongmeng OS and L2-level driving assistance, which begins to appear from the 119,900 yuan version. But looking closely at the configuration list, its main selling versions will be concentrated in the range of 120,000-140,000 yuan, which is also the most stable base for models like H6, CS75 PLUS, and Boyue.The selling point of BAIC Magic Cube is not the price, but more product advantages than competitors at the same price level. This strategy based on product strength and tough competition with rivals can easily be frustrated, but if successful, it means the entire brand welcomes a turning point.

Regardless of the future outcome, at least now we have witnessed BAIC’s effort. The ability to launch the Magic Cube indicates that BAIC has already realized its turning point.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.