If launched in India, MG Yep Plus will primarily rival Maruti Suzuki Jimny owing to its dimensions, design and overall appeal
With an ambition to recreate Maruti moment in India, JSW MG Motor JV is poised to embark on a product offensive. The company intends to launch around 3 new vehicles every year and variations of existing Comet EV are likely too. Baojun Yep Plus eSUV was launched in China starting from Rs. 10.8 lakh and could be a prospective vehicle for India.
MG Yep Plus SUV Launched
Based on the 3-Door Baojun Yep, Yep Plus is what the name suggests. A plus-sized 5-door version that strikes a better practicality proposition owing to its 5-door and 4-seat layout. Baojun brand falls under the JV of SAIC-GM-Wuling and the new Yep Plus is likely to launch in India under MG Motor brand.
The new JV between JSW Group and MG Motor has announced around 3 new car launches in Indian market every year and Yep Plus could be one of them. In China, Yep Plus has been priced between CNY 93,800 and CNY 103,800, which roughly turns out to be around Rs. 10.9 lakh and Rs. 12 lakh in today’s currency exchange rates.
Yep Plus adheres to Yep’s ‘Square Box+’ design language and poses similar design attributes as well. The new 5-door model measures 3,996 mm in length, 1,760 mm in width and 1,726 mm in height and has a 2,560 mm long wheelbase. The vehicle lends an off-road vibe owing to its boxy silhouette and rugged body cladding.
Other exterior design highlights include a floating roof, a flat side-hinged tailgate without the rear screen of 3-door model, five exterior colours, LED lighting, roof rails and an interesting body panel between C and D pillars. Alloy wheels are 16-inchers and ‘laden’ ground clearance is 150 mm. Yep Plus gets disc brakes at all four corners too.
On the inside, we can see a flat multi-layered dashboard in a dual-tone colour scheme with soft-touch plastics and contrasting white stitching. Centre console is hollow like on Comet EV as there is no need for a transmission tunnel. Steering is a 3-spoke unit with metallic accents. Centre infotainment screen is a 10.1-inch and instrument screen is an 8.8-inch unit. Both are free-standing screens.
Powertrains and specs
Because this is a 5-door model, MG Yep Plus offers 28 storage spaces for utility and convenience. Boot space with rear seats up, is a respectable 385L and it can be expanded to 1,715L by folding rear seats. Rear seat occupants don’t seem to get an armrest or dedicated AC vents.
Where powertrain is concerned, Baojun Yep Plus eSUV gets a sole 75 kW (100 bhp) and 180 Nm electric motor driving front wheels. There might be dual-motor AWD variants in the future. Top speed is rated at 150 km/h and there are 4 driving modes – Economy+, Economy, Standard and Sports.
This motor draws power from a 41.9 kWh battery pack supplied by Guoxuan High-Tech with fast charging support. Claimed CLTC range on a single charge is 401 km. We also expect Baojun Yonduo or Wuling Cloud to launch in India and testing has already commenced.
