Maruti Jimny to get a EV challenger from MG Motor – Baojun Yep electric SUV

Weeks after the Baojun Yep compact SUV was spotted in China, it has now officially made its global debut in the country. It will actually come to India in the near future and will be rebadged as an MG Motor. The car was initially dubbed as a copycat of Jimny.

The new car will come to India under the MG banner as confirmed by ACI. While we are not sure about the exact launch date, it is likely to arrive by the end of this year. There will be no direct competition to the Boujan Yep in the Indian market but it can be positioned against the Jimny.

The new Boujan Yep gets a boxy design like the off-roaders Mahindra Thar, Ford Bronco and Suzuki Jimny. Interestingly, it is based on the same platform that underpins the MG Comet EV. The car comes with a slew of high-tech features like quad-LED daytime running lamps with Porsche-like graphics.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki greenlights Jimny for launch in India

The Boujan Yep is an exclusively all-electric vehicle, without an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) variant. While the technical specifications of the car are not currently available on public websites, it is certified to have a range of 303 km on a full charge. The Boujan Yep has compact dimensions, measuring 3,381mm in length, 1,685mm in width, and 1,721mm in height. It boasts a wheelbase of 2,110mm and weighs a mere 1,006 kg.

Similarities inside the cabin

There are a lot of similarities between the MG Comet EV and Boujan Yep inside the cabin. The steering is exactly the same but it gets an extra spoke. The design of the dashboard is also very similar. There is a circular drive sector mounted on the centre console of the Yep and there are switches instead of the dials for the climate control system.

Just like the Comet EV, you also get dual 10.25-inch displays. One for the infotainment system and the other for the driver instrument cluster. The car also gets a battery temperature management system, rearview camera, heated front seats and electrically adjustable driver seats. We are not sure which features will make it to the Indian market.

The top-end variant also gets ADAS tech with an adaptive cruise control system in the Chinese market. It is a full-blown ADAS with lane-departure, lane-keep assist, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and a 360-degree camera with automatic parking assist.

Equipped with a single electric motor positioned at the rear, this EV delivers a maximum power of 68 PS and a peak torque of 140 Nm. The car is equipped with a lithium-ion phosphate battery. Notably, the Boujan Yep is a collaborative effort between SAIC, General Motors, and Wuling. SAIC is the parent company of MG Motors, renowned for selling cars like the Hector, Gloster, Astor, ZS EV and the newly launched Comet EV.

The Boujan Yep also gets fast charging. The battery can go to 80 percent from 30 percent in just 35 minutes while in AC charging, the 20-80% climb can be achieved in 8.5 hours.

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