AUTONEWS

BAW BJ212: the Chinese rugged all-terrain jeep

The Chinese auto industry releases at least a few new vehicles every month, and with so many electric cars and crossovers arriving from China, it's getting harder and harder to keep up.

But long before Chinese automakers flooded the market with combustion-powered SUVs and high-powered electric sports cars, there was one vehicle that started it all. Its name is BAW BJ212, a rugged all-terrain with an old-school design. A vehicle that, in addition, can be purchased today.

The folks at the YouTube channel Wheelsboy had the opportunity to test drive a relatively recent example of the BJ212, a model that originally debuted in 1965 with a very similar design to the UAZ-469.

In fact, it is said that the two were developed together and that the Chinese model was initially intended for government use only. And according to Wheelsboy, who was kind enough to provide images and a video of the vehicle they tested, the BJ212 remains on sale in China with a starting price equivalent to around $13,000.

However, the vehicle shown in the images is not standard. It features a number of off-road modifications, including new wheels and tires, additional front protection, extra lighting, a raised suspension and an aftermarket soft top that replaces the factory roof.

All seats inside the cabin also come from a different vehicle, and there are more cabin modifications. And of course, there is no lack of a complete protection cage to protect passengers in case the vehicle overturns.

Under the hood, this version of the BJ212 has a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 100 horsepower, which is sent to all four wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. In addition, the car has reduced.

Depending on the model year of manufacture, other gasoline engines were available, as well as an optional 2.8-liter diesel. Of course, all thrusters have 4-cylinder architecture and as little technology as we can imagine.

Autonews