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The Chinese automobile industry is quickly catching up to its Japanese and European counterparts, and the Besturn B70 is further proof that the market is making strides to improve its reputation.
When I picked up the model from the Mohammed Jalal & Sons showroom in Khamis, I wasn’t sure what to expect having had mixed experiences with other budget marques.
However, I had a great experience with the B70 and I’d confidently say it was a better car, both visually and to drive, than many of its more established counterparts.
Besturn, founded in 2006, is an automotive marque owned by the FAW Group and its products are based on older Mazda sedans.
The B70 is a pleasing car to look at, with its aerodynamic lines and smooth curves. It’s clear that great steps have been made to ensure that it looks just as eloquent as others in its class.
After the friendly marketing executive Parvaneh Faqihi showed me the ropes, it was time to test it out. Typical Thursday afternoon traffic gave me plenty of time to examine all of the car’s cool features, particularly its extensive infotainment system.
While many marques over-complicate their designs with complicated touchscreens and trackpads, it was nice to go back to basics with clearly-defined buttons and dials. I had no problem cycling through settings, tuning in to various radio stations and hooking up my phone with the USB interface.
Once I got on to open road, I shifted into Sport mode and pushed the 2L engine. The responsiveness to the throttle was instant and the car was nifty enough to manoeuvre through the lanes.
As anyone who has been to Exhibitions Avenue can attest to, parking in this area next to the GulfWeekly office can be a nightmare. Thankfully, with an army of sensors and bleeping alarms, I was able to reverse park with ease and accuracy.
The interior design is stylish and classy, which came as a pleasant surprise at this price point. Seats have a neat stitching finish and the dashboard and side-door elements are well crafted and solid. No cheap plastic here!
I returned the car to a warm welcome from the staff and expressed by delight at my opportunity with the B70. With a solid, stylish build and a raft of features, there’s no reason to sneer at the Chinese market anymore. Plus, who can argue with that price of BD5,950, with three years’ or 100k warranty, plus insurance and registration?
For more information, visit the Mohammed Jalal showroom in Khamis or call 17252606.
Brand launched
Chinese automobile marque FAW was officially launched by exclusive dealer Mohammed Jalal and Sons at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony in City Centre Bahrain.
The FAW Group is a state-owned automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Changchun, Jilin. It became China’s first automobile manufacturer when it unveiled the nation’s first domestically-produced passenger car, the Hong Qi, in 1958, and is currently one of the ‘big four’ automobile producers in the country.
Now, the company has exported to Bahrain for the first time, and the special event saw the unveiling of the marque’s X80 SUV. The 2.0 SUV has various safety features and a maximum engine power of 108kW.
The starting price is BD6,500.
The company also promised a regular roll out of fresh Salon FAW models over the coming years, and each purchase will come with three years’ or a 100,000km warranty.
