Don’t get too excited, but our European spies took these shots of a new three-row minivan prototype with sliding rear doors and laughably small wheels (compared to the body, at least) undergoing tests in the northern region of the continent.
Our man on the ground told us that he believes this is a Chinese model and in particular, from Brilliance Auto Group’s Jinbei brand that focuses on minivans, vans and as of late, crossovers as well.
After scouring several Chinese sites, we can confirm that it is indeed a Jinbei MPV, and add that, according to a newly released report from China’s Autohome, a BMW-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine delivering 184hp will likely power it. If true, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise as Jinbei’s parent company Brilliance is BMW’s joint venture partner in China.
We also heard that the new MPV model’s covers may come off as early as this month at the Beijing Auto Show.
By John Halas
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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