Which BAIC Beijing X55 is better: diesel or petrol?

With fuel prices fluctuating like a rollercoaster, you may be wondering which fuel type in your car will be best. We take a look at the new BAIC Beijing X55 to see which fuel type is better.

Lawrence Minnie

24 Jan 2023 · 08:27Buying a Car

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Heading to Beijing

Many of the Chinese brands that have had a presence in South Africa for a while have had something of a regeneration with brands like Chery and BAIC doing a complete 180 and dropping their entire range and putting forth a completely new range of vehicles.

BAIC used to offer the B40, D20, and X25 models but is going through a full shakeup and these models are being phased out with the latest entrant, the X55 being the first of the new batch.

Environmental impact

Where the older models did offer diesel engine options, the BAIC Beijing X55 only has one engine option, that being a 1.5l turbo petrol derivative. This engine delivers 130kW and 305Nm through a 7-speed DCT transmission. With a global push for cleaner and more efficient engines, BAIC has opted to put any diesel options to rest, and we can expect development into better petrol and hybrid setup vehicles.

Written by Lawrence Minnie

Lawrence has been involved with motorsports for almost 30 years. Whether it's two wheels or four, if it has an engine, he will try to race it. This love of motor vehicles has led him to ride, drive, film, photograph, and write about his passion. Freelance for a while but now a permanent fixture on the AutoTrader team for over 7 years, Lawrence contributes written, photographic, and video content for AutoTrader and AutoTrader Bikes.Read more