The Beijing Auto Cube (also known as Beijing Auto Mofang) is a compact C-segment SUV under Beijing Auto, codenamed C52X. The model made its global debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2021 and was officially launched on 28 July 2022, with official pricing ranging between RM99,900 and RM153,900.Billed as the world's first petrol-powered SUV equipped with Huawei's HarmonyOS smart cockpit, the Cube is pitched with the value proposition of "EV tech at an ICE price point," primarily aimed at younger buyers.
Positioned in the compact SUV segment, the Beijing Auto Cube is built on BAIC Group's latest BMFA 2.0 modular architecture. Measuring 4,620 mm in length, 1,886 mm in width, and 1,680 mm in height, with a 2,735 mm wheelbase, its dimensions sit squarely within the mainstream segment standards.The entire lineup is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, priced from RM99,900 to RM153,900, with variants comprising the Silver Edition, Gold Edition, Platinum Edition, Diamond Edition, Xingyao Edition, and Mojing Edition.In August 2023, Beijing Auto revised the lineup with official price cuts and specification upgrades, introducing the "New Cube" with its starting price maintained at RM99,900.
The Cube adopts the "Crystal Dust" design theme, featuring sleek aesthetics strongly reminiscent of an all-electric vehicle.Up front, it sports a borderless, concealed "Tiangong" star-matrix grille with a closed-off dot-pattern design, complemented by split LED headlamps and "Starlight Flying Wing" LED daytime running lights (DRLs) to project a futuristic, high-tech identity.The side profile is sculpted with clean, sharp character lines, paired with a floating roofline, flush pop-out door handles, 19-inch smoked alloy wheels, and black wheel arch cladding, resulting in a low drag coefficient of 0.32 Cd.At the rear, the SUV features a full-width "Starlight Flying Wing" LED taillight bar integrated with prominent "BEIJING" lettering, finished off with a split roof spoiler and a sporty rear bumper diffuser.
Inside, the cabin features an "Interstellar Engine" cockpit design focused on sleek minimalism. Physical switchgear has been heavily pared down, with extensive soft-touch materials elevating perceived quality. The dashboard is anchored by a 10.25-inch full digital instrument cluster, a 14.6-inch floating central infotainment touchscreen, and a yacht-inspired electronic gear shifter.Interactive touch controls are fitted on the front passenger side, complemented by concealed 3D-effect ambient lighting on the door trims. Additionally, an expansive 60-inch AR-HUD head-up display system (854×420-pixel resolution) projects instrument data, augmented reality navigation, and ADAS alerts directly onto the windscreen.
Powering the entire Cube range is BAIC's in-house developed Magic Core 1.5T "China Heart" award-winning engine—an all-aluminium direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder unit equipped with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) technology, producing 138 kW (around 188 PS) and 305 Nm of torque.The powerplant boasts a high thermal efficiency of 39.2%.Power is channelled to the front wheels (FWD) via a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (DCT380), recognised as a "Longpan Cup" World Top Ten Transmission.Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.84 seconds, a top speed of 200 km/h, a WLTC combined fuel consumption rating of 7.35 L/100 km, and a 53-litre fuel tank.
The Cube rides on front MacPherson struts and a rear multi-link independent suspension setup, standard fare for this segment.Steering is handled by an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system offering Standard and Sport weight settings. Braking performance comes from front ventilated discs and rear solid discs.Drivers can choose from four selectable drive modes—Eco, Sport, Comfort, and SMART (adaptive automatic mode)—the latter tailoring throttle response and transmission mapping on the fly based on driving inputs.
The Cube's headline feature is its Huawei Smart Cockpit powered by HarmonyOS, driven by a high-performance Kirin 990A automotive-grade chipset (8GB RAM + 64GB storage, delivering 3.5 TOPs of computing power) with built-in 5G connectivity.The system seamlessly bridges with eight Huawei smart ecosystem device categories, allowing cross-device handover for navigation, video calls, media streaming, and smart home IoT automation.The infotainment unit includes a built-in Huawei AppGallery supporting over 100 downloadable apps.System responsiveness is seamless, supporting continuous natural voice recognition without requiring repeated wake-up prompts.
Another standout feature is the optional electronic exterior side mirrors (digital side cameras). The Cube is the first domestic mass-production model to offer this technology. Compared to conventional glass mirrors, the digital setup triples the field of view, reduces blind spots by 60%, and cuts aerodynamic drag by around 4%. The system features automatic anti-glare at night, rain and snow defogging/clarity enhancement, and dynamic angle adjustment during high-speed cruising, cornering, and reversing.This option is available at an additional RM5,000.
Other convenience features include a Qi wireless charging pad, one-piece semi-bucket sports seats with embossed headrest emblems, and a powered tailgate.
On the active safety front, the range-topping variants are equipped with the B-Pilot 3.0 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), underpinned by a suite of 25 sensors. This hardware array comprises 1 high-computing domain controller, 5 fifth-generation Bosch millimetre-wave radars, 1 third-generation Bosch front-facing camera (detection range up to 210 metres), 4 surround-view cameras, 2 digital mirror cameras, 1 driver-facing facial recognition camera, and 12 ultrasonic parking sensors.The system delivers Level 2.5 semi-autonomous driving capabilities, incorporating Forward/Rear Collision Warning, Highway Assist (HWA), Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), Auto Parking Assist (APA), Remote Parking Assist (RPA), 50-metre Reverse Tracking Assist, and a 540-degree transparent-chassis panoramic camera view.
Standard passive and active safety equipment includes an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Driver Fatigue Alert, and LED daytime running lights.
Despite generating substantial buzz at launch thanks to its Huawei HarmonyOS integration and cutting-edge digital side mirrors, the Cube's commercial performance fell well short of expectations. Delivery figures reveal that monthly sales throughout 2024 hovered in the low hundreds, failing to breach the 700-unit mark. In 2025, numbers dwindled further to just 14 units in January, followed by 4 units in February, 4 units in March, and 3 units in April—sliding into single-digit territory and leaving it sidelined in an ultra-competitive segment.
Several factors account for its subdued market reception. Chief among them, the HarmonyOS smart cockpit—the car's primary selling point—was not standard across the range, reserved only for mid-to-high variants priced from RM109,900 onwards, thereby diminishing the entry-level models' appeal. Additionally, the RM5,000 premium required for the digital side mirrors dampened buyer uptake.Furthermore, the RM100,000–RM150,000 bracket is heavily contested by established giants like the Changan CS75 PLUS, Haval H6, and Geely Boyue L, against which the Cube lacked comparable brand equity and market heritage.Safety concerns also arose after the Cube suffered severe A-pillar deformation during the C-IASI 25% frontal small overlap crash test, resulting in mediocre occupant safety ratings, alongside reported quality and after-sales customer service complaints on consumer platforms.
In summary, while the Beijing Auto Cube represented a commendable effort by a legacy carmaker to bring tech-forward, EV-style smart cockpits to the ICE vehicle domain, its overall product competitiveness, brand equity, and commercial packaging left key areas to be desired.
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