Bestune B30

The Bestune B30, formerly sold as the Besturn B30, is a compact sedan produced by the FAW Group under the Bestune brand. FAW Group manufactures passenger cars, buses, and light, medium, and heavy trucks. The B30 was developed as an affordable family sedan for the Chinese market and was positioned in the A-class segment in China, broadly comparable to the B-segment or subcompact class in many export markets. The production Besturn B30 was previewed by the Besturn A-Class Concept, shown at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show. The final production model made its debut at the 2015 Chengdu Auto Show in September 2015, before going on sale in China in November of the same year. At launch, prices ranged from 72,800 yuan to 92,800 yuan, placing the car in the lower compact-sedan segment. The exterior design of the Bestune B30 was created by Umberto Palermo through UP! Design (Mole Costruzione Artigianale). The design gave the sedan a conventional three-box profile, with a short front overhang, a defined shoulder line, a large front grille, and simple body surfaces intended for mainstream production. The car was aimed at private buyers and families looking for an economical sedan with modern styling and practical interior space. Mechanically, the Besturn B30 used a 1.6-litre DOHC inline-four petrol engine producing 109 hp and 155 Nm of torque. Power was sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The platform was related to the Volkswagen Jetta/Bora architecture previously used in China, giving the B30 a proven mechanical base for cost control and reliability. FAW had previously shown another small sedan concept under the Besturn brand at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. That vehicle, called the Besturn B30 Concept, previewed a compact family car project also associated with the Besturn C30 name. An electric derivative later appeared as the SiTech MEV, introduced in 2020. It was based on the Bestune B30 sedan and measured 4,632 mm long, 1,790 mm wide, and 1,500 mm high, with a 2,652 mm wheelbase and a weight of 1,463 kg. The MEV used a 51 kWh battery and offered a claimed range of 402 km. The SiTech MEV100 was jointly produced by SiTech and FAW and was essentially a rebadged electric version of the Bestune B30.