Baojun Yep Plus SUV revealed

Not long after spy shots of the Baojun Yep Plus SUV emerged, the Chinese brand has revealed the new 5-door EV in full. Based on the same platform as the MG Comet EV, which is currently available in India, the Yep Plus will go on sale in China by March 2024, joining the smaller 3-door Yep.

1. Baojun Yep Plus has 2,560mm long wheelbase
2. Gets a 102hp rear axle-mounted motor
3. Claimed range is 401km

Baojun Yep Plus dimensions, design

Baojun has extended the wheelbase and length of the 3-door Yep to incorporate the rear doors – the Yep Plus’ wheelbase is 450mm longer at 2,560mm, and overall, it is also about 600mm longer than the 3.4 metre-long Yep. The width and height have also increased by 75mm and 5mm to 1,760mm and 1,726mm, respectively, compared to the smaller SUV.

Other than a Defender-style, blacked-out C-pillar, new alloy wheels and the lack of an LCD screen on the rear door that's available on the 3-door, the Yep and Yep Plus are near-identical in terms of design. The boxy-looking EV SUVs seem to have taken design inspiration from the Jimny, from the slab-sided styling to the small yet sharp light units – the headlights have very Porsche-like graphics. 

Baojun Yep Plus powertrain

Although Baojun has yet to reveal the battery specifications, the Yep Plus should be getting a larger unit than the 28.1kWh battery in the Yep. This is corroborated by the claimed range – the Yep Plus is rated at 401km while the Yep delivered 303km on the CLTC cycle. Power comes from a 102hp motor mounted on the rear axle, with Baojun claiming a top speed of 150kph.

MG-badged Baojun Yep for India

We’ve reported earlier that Baojun’s Yep EV SUVs and the MG Comet EV are based on the same Global Small Electric Vehicle (GSEV) platform, and that MG Motor India had trademarked the Yep’s design in mid-2023. Expected to arrive by 2025, MG Motor’s version of the small EV SUV –codenamed E260 – is likely to be the 3-door model. A possible rival to the MG Comet EV-based SUV is the recently launched Tata Punch EV.

Meanwhile, MG Motor's parent company, SAIC Motor, has entered into a joint venture with the JSW Group in a bid to expand the British brand's presense in India. The JSW Group holds a 35 percent stake in the JV that is said to be working towards bringing ICE and NEVs (a four-wheeled EV that has a maximum speed greater than 32kph, but not more than 40kph) to the market.