China’s auto industry has been the source of numerous controversial imitations over the last couple of years. This has led to lawsuits all around the world, but little has been done to prevent such cars from selling in their home market.
One of the latest imitations is a last-generation Mercedes B-Class lookalike called the Beijing Auto BC301. It is a little different than other Chinese clones such as the JAC 4R3 because Mercedes and Beijing Auto are partners in a joint-venture called Beijing Benz. That means that Beijing Auto likely got a nod of approval from Mercedes before designing the BC301.
While the BC301 looks like a Mercedes on the outside, the German brand was apparently not willing to lend Beijing Auto the sandwich platform that underpins the B-Class. Instead, the BC301 sits on a slightly modified Mitsubishi Colt platform, making it smaller all around than the German car it draws inspiration from.
The B-Class’ interior was not spared from the Xerox machine. The BC301′s center console is very close to the one found in the B-Class. The rest of it follows the same overall design but with slight modifications such as a three-spoke steering wheel instead of the Mercedes’ four-spoke.
Beijing Auto will sell two versions of the BC301. The first will be powered by a 99 horsepower 1.3-liter engine and will be called the E130. The second version, dubbed the E150, is expected to use a 1.5-liter engine rated at 113 horsepower. Both engines are four-cylinders pulled out of the Mitsubishi parts bin.
It is worth noting that an all-electric version of the BC301 is scheduled to join the lineup in the next year or so.
The BC301 will make its debut at the Beijing Motor Show next April. It will carry a base price of about 70,000 yuan (roughly $11,000), significantly less than a B-Class.
