Automotive
February was Sedan month, with two sedans landing in the market, one is the Old Dog Renault Fluence ZE finally arriving to China, which could have made an impact if this was 2012... The other is a new model, the BAIC EH400, the EV version of the Senova D80 gasoline car, which is based in a certain Saab 9.5...The first Generation(!) Saab 9.5
BAIC EH400 - After the successful launch of the small EC180, replicating the sales success of the EU260 compact sedan, one would think Beijing Auto was hitting home run after home run. This time, the new EH400, BAIC's proposal for the large sedan class, will have a hard time to beat SAIC's e950.
First things first, the EH400 is the electric version of the Senova D80, a streched and upmarket version of the D70, which itself is based on the first generation of the Saab 9.5. Mmmm...
Anyway, at almost five meters and a generous 400 kms range, it's a big car with a big battery, meaning BIG weight, yet BAIC decided to power it with only 140 hp...Second Mmmm...
One thing is certain, they delivered 100 units in the first month, which is a fair deal more than what its Shangai Auto, the e950, did at the time (12 units in May 2016), so maybe despite not so stellar performances and the use of an old platform, BAIC manages to pull it off and seduce government officials, hitting another home run with its EH400.
