Baojun Yep, A "Suzuki Jimny" Like Mini SUV With A Digital Twist!

A car that was not presented at the recent Auto Shanghai 2023 but yet is gaining a certain level of traction is the mini SUV Baojun Yep which is a joint collaborative effort from GM Chinese outfit SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW).

CarNewsChina recently reported that SGMW has revealed that the Baojun Yep would retail at RMB 100,000 (RM64,000) and will be launched this coming June 2023. This mini SUV if we might add sure looks uncannily like the Daihatsu Jimny that we are all familiar with, just decked up in high tech wizardry.

One particular tech wizardry that is worth pointing out that makes the Baojun Yep special is the availability of a huge digital screen on the vehicle's rear in place of the usual space wheel mount. It is said for starters this display would be able to display the drivers status (we too are wondering what status SGMW is talking about), time, emoticons, warnings, and more.

Now to put dimensions into picture, the rear mounted digital screen would be presented in a watch like fashion (think Apple) with a “strap” piece measuring 1,050mm in length and 260mm wide with the digital screen being 300 x 256mm. SGMW claims this unique feature would make the Baojun Yep appeal to its target young audience as they can easily express their personality through the vehicle they drive.

Unique rear digital screen measuring 300x256mm.

SGMW has also announced that the Baojun Yep would come equipped with the Lingxi Intelligent Driving System which is developed by DJI-Wuling. This system would be similar to that found on the Baojun Kiwi EV DJ. It utilises a dual lens camera setup from the popular drone manufacturer to operate its ADAS functionality.

As for vehicle dimensions, the Baojun Yep which is meant to be a mini urban active runabout catered to the young and trendy measures 3,380mm in length, 1,685mm in width, 1,721mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,110mm. It would also just weigh 1,006kg. This mini SUV would be powered by a single rear driven motor which outputs 50kW and 149Nm of torque. Its top speed would be capped at 100kmh which is ample for its intended purpose.

Now what do you think of this mini SUV, would it gain some traction or even a cult following in Malaysia like that of the Suzuki Jimny? As for the rear digital screen, would the user get full control of what he/she can display out to the public? Would it give rise to profanity messages being put out in public? There are so many questions and we hope to have all this answered by the announced launch date in June.