Baojun’s RC-5 sedan comes with two petrol engines: 99bhp 1.5-litre NA and 147bhp 1.5-litre turbo
Baojun has unveiled its new RC-5 fastback sedan for the 2020 model year. The sedan has already earned the nickname “Chinese Octavia” thanks to its styling. Baojun is a joint venture under SAIC Motor (formerly, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation), GM (General Motors) and Wuling Motors.
Of course, Baojun’s RC-5 sedan is not an Octavia rip-off but it does share some visual connection with the popular D-segment sedan from the Czech automaker (under Volkswagen Group). For starters, both sedans are somewhere between a liftback and a notchback. In other words, the cars’ rear windshield and boot open as a single unit.
A traditional liftback (Honda Civic Type-R) is a hatchback with an extra-slanted windshield. Generally, a ‘liftback sedan’ would be a notchback. Another variation of this design is a ‘fastback’ (Audi RS7), in which the rear windshield slopes to the car’s tail. Over the years, automotive designs have evolved to such lengths that almost every product on the road is a mix of different body types or classes.
Coming back to the Baojun RC-5, it is one of six products coming from the Chinese automotive group this year. Essentially a successor to the Baojun 630, it shares its platform with the Baojun RS-5 crossover. Overall dimensions (L x W x H in millimetres) stand at 4650mm x 1806mm x 1458mm. Its wheelbase is capped at 2700mm. In comparison, Skoda Auto’s 2020MY Octavia spans 4689mm x 1829mm x 1470mm in overall dimensions. The wheelbase is lesser at 2,686mm.
For the Chinese market, the 2020 Baojun RC-5 comes in two petrol engine formats: 1.5-litre NA and 1.5-litre turbo. The company has not revealed its full specifications yet but reports state that the former churns out 99bhp while the later is good for 147bhp. Unlike the recent trend in the Chinese automotive industry, the Baojun RC-5 will not receive any forms of electrification.
The USP of the sedan would be affordability or supreme value for money for a long list of equipment. Prices have not been announced yet as its launch is still a few months away. Starting figures would definitely undercut the higher Baojun RC-6 sedan (showcased at Auto Expo 2020) which is available from around $12,000 (~ Rs 10 lakh) in China.
As evident from the MG Hector in India, Chinese automakers are at the forefront when it comes to offering ‘significantly more for less’. MG Motor India plans to launch the Gloster luxury SUV (a.k.a. Maxus D90 in global markets) soon.