Review: New energy from Baic with the B30e

Hybrids, hybrids and more hybrids. It’s an offering many Chinese manufacturers have moved to in the past year in South Africa. There’s three reasons for this. Despite Chinese vehicles being visually appealing, tech-heavy and super comfortable while still remaining affordable, their petrol vehicles have struggled with fuel economy. The second reason is that South Africans are struggling to navigate the transition to electric vehicles due to range anxiety and charging infrastructure, so manufacturers have brought vehicles to give them the best of both worlds. The third reason is that rising fuel costs mean consumers are now likely to consider hybrid vehicles in order to save on running costs. Baic brought in the B30 range in November 2025 and the B30e, which is the hybrid, was part of the range. The B30e is Baic’s first new-energy vehicle released in South Africa. After driving other offerings from Baic like the Beijing X55 and B40 Plus, it became clear to me that the brand needed something to surpass the Beijing X55, but also be more stylish and practical than the Jeep-looking B40 Plus. Baic actually hit the nail on the head with the B30. It seems that it’s now become fashionable for boxy vehicles with circular headlights to roam the roads and Baic were bold with this design. They embraced a rugged yet refined design which essientially feeds into the focus of the car, but really kept it tidy in the front and along the sides of the vehicle. The only gripe I have with it is the verticle tailights. It just gives it bakkie vibes from the back. Sure, you are not going to be looking at the back, but I just feel as if the style died down at the back of the vehicle. But it’s a different story on the inside. In true Chinese fashion, the effort put into the interior to make you comfortable is superb. A sweeping 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system anchors the cockpit, complemented by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that adapts to driv