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New Beijing Auto C51X SUV with good old Saab 2.0 turbo engine

The very first spy shot showing the upcoming Beijing Auto C51X SUV naked in China. Sadly, the shot shows only half of the car. But we can see the new SUV loox rather good, a modern rounded shape with decently sized headlights and lots of chrome all over. The latest reports in Chinese automotive media indicate the C51X will be launched on the Chinese car market in early 2015.

The Beijing Auto C51X will compete with cars such as the FAW-Besturn X80 and the Haval H6. Price will start around 120.000 yuan and end around 180.000 yuan.

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The C51X will be available with two engines: a 1.5 liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 163hp and 225nm, or a 2.0 turbo with about 180hp. The latter is based on the good old Saab 2.0 turbo. BAIC, the mother company of Beijing Auto, bought the rights the the old Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5 platforms from GM in 2009. The deal included the Saab-developed 2.0 turbo and 2.3 turbo engines.

Transmission: 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic. Earlier on we heard about a possible CVT option but that seems off the table. Drive train: FWD or optional AWD.

Saab 2.0 Turbo

The ex-Saab 2.0 turbo.

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Source: carnewschina.com

Goran Aničić
the authorGoran Aničić
For over 15 years, Goran Aničić has been passionately focused on Saab automobiles and everything related to them. His initial encounter with Saab cars took place back in 2003 when the first Saab 9-3 and sedan version were introduced. At that moment, he was captivated by the car's Scandinavian design logic and top-notch engineering, and everything that followed stemmed from that first encounter. Later on, through his work at the editorial team of the Serbian automotive magazines "Autostart" and later "AutoBild," he had the opportunity to engage more closely with Saab vehicles. In 2008, he tested the latest Saab cars of that time, such as the Saab 9-3 TTiD Aero and Saab 9-3 Turbo X. In 2010, as the sole blogger from the region, he participated in the Saab 9-5ng presentation in Trollhättan, Sweden. Alongside journalists from around the world, he got a firsthand experience of the pinnacle of technological offerings from Saab at that time. Currently, Goran owns two Saabs: a 2008 Saab 9-3 Vector Sportcombi with a manual transmission, and a Saab 9-3 Aero Griffin Sport Sedan from the last generation, which rolled off the production line in Trollhättan in December 2011.

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