BAIC B30 1.5T HEV Premium Adventure AWD (2025) Review

BAIC recently offered us its B30 to drive for a few weeks, so I set off on an adventure, namely a wedding in Limpopo, in the top-spec hybrid variant within the range. My 600km trip included some city driving, large swathes of open-road cruising, and a substantial gravel road portion, offering a comprehensive test for a hybrid off-road SUV.

Fast Facts

Styling

The B30 adopts off-road aesthetics, seemingly taking inspiration from the likes of the new Ford Bronco and Defender. Its boxy silhouette is reminiscent of traditional off-roaders, but it's modernised with a distinctive grille and integrated LED light strips. There's scratch-resistant body cladding and chunky off-road style bumpers. Overall, the sentiment surrounding the B30's looks its good, with colleagues and those I have interacted with commenting that it looks good.

Interior and Technology

Inside, the B30's cabin is dominated by a large 14.6-inch floating central touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The system itself has good resolution, but I found it slow to respond, and some of the decisions the brand made when it comes to functionality are baffling. For example, I was hopping in and out of the car at the wedding event, and had the AC at full blast to endure the heat, however, hopping in the car later in the day, I set off, and because the area was a narrow where I was driving, the surround-view cameras came on, and they take up the entire screen, not allowing me to use the system to turn down the fan speed from earlier, which must be done on the screen itself. The camera view disappears over a certain speed, but I was travelling slowly in the event venue, and I could not disable the camera view on the move, so I just had to ensure the full effect of the AC for the short drive. While relatively minor, it's these idiosyncrasies that make the user experience less than ideal. You find yourself in many situations where the system is rather slow, too,  and because it is used to control most functions, it becomes very frustrating. Bring back physical buttons and there will be far fewer issues.

The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality is there, but the system is laggy

The car is very well specified and feels relatively well put together.  I did had some issues, with our 5 000 km-old press unit's dashboard material already bubbling, with other elements in the cabin alluding to the fact that after a few years and some usage, the inside of the car may look a bit worse for the wear. Our press unit was still made in China, but we were told future models will be assembled in South Africa, which remains to be seen.

This is not what you'd want to see on your brand new SUV

Space is a major selling point here. Thanks to a 2 820 mm wheelbase, rear legroom is generous, but the real party trick is the rear seating; the bench folds completely flat to create an almost 1.9-metre "bed" or a massive cargo floor—ideal for camping or heavy gear. The inclusion of a full Level 2 ADAS suite (Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane-Keeping, and 360-degree cameras) ensures the tech matches the pricing. Braked towing capacity for the model in overseas markets is 1 500kg, which may put some buyers needing to tow boats, caravans and the like off this particular model.

Practicality is a major plus in the B30!

Performance

The B30's powertrain is its strongest differentiator. While rivals like the Haval H7 and Jetour T2 rely on 2.0-litre turbo petrol engines, the BAIC uses a 1.5-litre turbo hybrid system.

With 301 kW on tap, the B30 is significantly more powerful than anything else at this price point. The hybrid system provides instant torque, making it feel surprisingly brisk for such a hefty vehicle. Ther are hybrid rivals, notably the GWM Haval H7 HEV and GWM Tank 300 HEV, but they are a bit pricier, with the internal combustion-powered H7 being closer in terms of pricing.

Driving impression

On the road, the B30 is remarkably quiet at low speeds as it crawls in EV mode. Once the 1.5-litre engine kicks in, the transition is relatively smooth, though the "Dedicated Hybrid Transmission" is clearly tuned for efficiency over performance. That being said, overtaking is rather effortless, with more than enough pulling power. I found it to be a very easy car to live with on the open road.

Off the tar, it holds its own. The All-Terrain System (ATS) offers modes for Mud, Sand, and Snow, which manage the electric torque to prevent wheel spin. It isn't a hardcore rock-crawler, but for gravel passes and muddy farm roads, the AWD system and height provide more confidence than a standard urban crossover. I found it very agreeable on the long stretch of gravel we encountered, managing the 80 km/h speed limit with ease while feeling planted and comfortable.

Fuel consumption

Safety

The B30 comes standard with a comprehensive safety package. This includes six airbags, ISOFIX mounts, and an array of sensors. The active safety (ADAS) features like Autonomous Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Detection are standard on the Premium trim, though I found the lane keeping assistant to be far too sensitive and in need of local calibration.

Pricing

At R689 900, the B30 Premium Adventure HEV sits at the top of the range. BAIC includes a 7-year/200 000 km warranty and an 8-year/150 000 km hybrid battery warranty, alongside a 7-year/90 000 km service plan.

Verdict

The BAIC B30 is certainly a disrupter, with an impressive spec sheet, practicality, reasonable fuel economy and eye-catching looks. I just feel as though the final polish on the interior materials and infotainment functionality need some work for this to be a great product.