We have been critical of the clones produced by Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. (BAIC for short) such as its Mercedes B-Class doppelganger called the BC301Z, but the Saab 9-3 sedan pictured above is actually legit.
You see, GM sold the intellectual rights for Saab’s older generation 9-5 and 9-3s along with select powertrain technology and tooling equipment to China’s BAIC for US$200 million back in 2009, when it still owned the Swedish carmaker.
BAIC’s subsidiary Beijing Auto Works (BAW) had previewed its own versions of the Saab 9-3 and 9-5 sedans with two separate concepts called the C60 and C71 respectively, during the 2010 Beijing Auto Show.
For its next move, BAIC is finishing work on a pure-electric model based on the Saab 9-3. Codenamed the Q60FB-C1, it will likely make its first public outing at the upcoming 2012 Beijing Auto Show in April.
With the exception of BAICs badging, the Q60FB-C1 is a mirror image of the original 9-3. However, under the hood it’s a different story as the Chinese automaker has fitted the premium sedan with an electric powertrain that was jointly developed with Japan’s Matsushita Group.
Initial reports claim that the Q60FB-C1’s battery can be recharged up to 80 percent in 6 to 8 hours, offering the sedan model a top speed of 160km/h (100mph) and a driving range of around 150 kilometers (~93 miles).
Story References: Pcauto & Sohu
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