New FAW Besturn B90 to come to market in fall of 2012

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai May 7) - Despite recent developments with its Hongqi and Oley ventures, the Besturn label remains FAW Car's predominant own brand. According to a report appearing in the Beijing News today, the brand's new B90 sedan will make its market debut by this autumn at earliest. The car, which will carry a price tag between 180,000 and 200,000 yuan ($28,661-$31,846), will compete directly with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Teana to build a name for itself in the competitive market for mid-sizes in China.

The B90 made its debut as a concept vehicle (pictured above) at last April's Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. The production version of the B90 (pictured below) was displayed at the recently concluded Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. According to Cui Dayong, vice president of sales for FAW Car, the B90 will showcase the Besturn brand's technological advances. Additionally, several of the Hongqi H7's advanced features, such as the Adaptive Frontlighting System, will be carried over to the B90. The B90 will offer electronic stability control, one button startup, multifunctional steering wheel, eight-way parking sensor, electronic seat controls, dual zone air conditioning, xenon headlights and other features.

Compared with its competitors, the B90 is relatively small, measuring 4.86 m long, 1.82 m wide and 1.47 m tall, which a 2.78 m long wheelbase. As with the B70, the B90 has both 2.0 L and 2.3 L engine options mated to a six-speed manumatic transmission. The engines boast maximum outputs of 108 kW and 118 kW, respectively. An independently developed turbocharged engine is reportedly also in the works.

In other news, a new generation Besturn B70 will replace the current model, which has been active in the market for six years now. The platform and engine technology for the new car will all be independently developed.