China’s Brilliance reveals its EU invasion weapons

BRILLIANCE Jinbei Automotive displayed a number of models in Geneva last week, including a prototype of its BS4 wagon, ahead of the Chinese brand’s expected European debut later this year with the Ford Focus-sized BS2 hatch.

Designed by Pininfarina, the BS4 wagon is of the ‘sports wagon’ variety that sacrifices ultimate luggage capacity for style. All body panels aft of the front doors are new.

The BS4 wagon sits on the 2790mm wheelbase that also serves the BS4 sedan, and offers 430 litres of cargo volume.

Under the bonnet of the prototype displayed at the Swiss show is a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is said to be of Brilliance’s own design. With the help of a turbo-charger, it delivers 125kW of power, and channels torque to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.

The BS2 small car is the work of Italian design house Giugiaro. Price wise, it is expected to undercut light cars/superminis such as the Ford Fiesta, despite having significantly larger dimensions.

Left: Brilliance BS2 hatch.

Joining the BS4 wagon and BS2 at the Swiss show is the mid-sized BS6, a variation of the infamous model that scored just one star in a 2006 crash test by ADAC, the German Automobile Association.

Brilliance is brought to Europe by importers HSO Motors Europe, while the car-maker is based in Shenyang, China.