FAW Besturn X40 - Basic or Luxury?

Relatively recently, a new Chinese SUV FAW Besturn X40 appeared in Russia. This is the second crossover from this line - it replaced the X80, and, as you can guess from the numbers, it is its younger version. This is manifested in the size, weight and engine power. But less doesn't mean worse. If you are considering this car for purchase, do not rush to take the top-end equipment without looking. Let's see what the basic version offers and which is generally better.

Compare configurations

The FAW Besturn X40 SUV comes in two trim levels - Basic and Luxury. The latter provides two transmission options: mechanical and automatic. Accordingly, you will have to pay a little more for the “automatic” than for the mechanics, in fact, everything is standard here.



If you focus on the price of official dealers, the price difference between the Basic and Luxury trim levels with manual transmission is about 84 thousand rubles. If you are interested in an automatic gearbox, get ready to pay another 64 thousand rubles for this difference. Thus, the total overpayment will be 152 thousand rubles, which is around 8-10% of the total price.

Basic

The Chinese crossover is interesting in that even in the basic configuration it has everything a layman needs for a comfortable and safe ride. The manufacturer did not “smear” the functions over 4-5 or more versions, as it is fashionable to do now, but concentrated almost all the options in Basic, which cannot but rejoice. Let's take a quick look at the features offered by this version.

Security

There is a full range of safety systems on board, including ABS, ESP, EBA, HAS, TCS and EBD. In short, the driver has nothing to worry about, the car will help with emergency braking, will not let you go off course, will easily move on a slope and will not allow the brakes to catch a lock in the event of a sharp blow to the pedal. Due to this, the FAW Besturn X40 is well suited to a novice driver.

In addition to modern security systems, the car has passenger and driver airbags, including side airbags. There is an immobilizer, three-point seat belts, attachments for a child seat. Of course, there is also an Era-GLONASS device for calling special services.

Exterior

Of the external details, roof rails, a rear spoiler, LED lights and turn signal repeaters on the side mirrors are striking. Otherwise, everything is quite standard, and the car cannot boast of a pretentious design. Perhaps this is more of a plus than a minus.

Interior

In the cabin, the owner of the Basic configuration is waiting for a steering wheel with electric power, air conditioning, leather seats with heated front seats. All power windows are electrically operated. The center console has a comfortable armrest with large storage capacity.

Comfort

From this category, it is worth noting the on-board computer, tire pressure sensors, light, parking and outside temperature sensors. Comfort for rear seat passengers adds a central armrest and cup holders. Central locking is also available as standard.

Banners

The multimedia system is represented by a radio and four speakers. Controlled by an 8-inch touchscreen display. You can connect to your smartphone or laptop via Bluetooth. A USB port is also provided for a wired connection.

Luxury

The extended package includes several options that are not available to owners of the basic version. The most modest addition concerns the exterior - only an electric sunroof appears here. Whether this option is worth an overpayment of almost 10% of the cost of the car, you will have to decide for yourself.



Interior improvements in the Luxury version are of much greater interest to the driver. A multifunctional steering wheel appears in front of it, the option of raising the driver's window with one click has been added. Please note that this feature is only available on the manual transmission model. There is another minor, but useful detail - a 12-volt salon outlet.

In terms of comfort and ease of use, the top-end configuration includes options such as:

• ✅ keyless engine start
  
• ✅ regular rear view camera
  
• ✅ keyless entry system
  
• ✅ standard cruise control
  
• ✅ mechanical engine protection
  

Here, too, there are oddities regarding the distribution of options for cars with automatic transmission and manual transmission. All of the above additions, except for motor protection, are in the car with mechanics, but half of them are not available in the version with automatic transmission. These include cruise control and keyless entry and engine start. The buyer will have to give up a number of options for the sake of driving comfort.

The multimedia system in the Luxury specification is equipped with six speakers versus four, implemented in the regular Basic package. Otherwise, there are no differences in this part.

What do the owners say?

In the Russian segment of the Internet, detailed reviews of the FAW Besturn X40 car can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Nevertheless, some opinion can still be formed. First, let's touch on the positive points found in many reviews.



Car owners note high ground clearance, easy handling, torquey engine and smooth ride on various surfaces.
The motor seems to be praised, but at the same time they are scolded for insufficient power for such a mass and dimensions. Compactness, which on the one hand is a plus, on the other hand, translates into tightness when it comes to trying to get into the car with the whole family. Some owners note that there is not enough space in this car even for four people, not to mention the "standard" five.

How much can you buy?

The cost of the FAW Besturn X40 is determined by the configuration and technical equipment. A new car in the Basic specification can be bought at a price of 1 rubles. For an improved version of Luxury with a manual transmission, dealers ask from 142 rubles. If you don’t want to be constantly distracted by the “handle” and buy a car with automatic transmission, get ready to pay at least 000 rubles.

The secondary market, due to the low popularity of the FAW brand in Russia, is not full of offers with attractive price tags. The cheapest thing you can find is practically new cars of 2019-2020 with a mileage of up to 20 thousand km. at a price in the range of 800-950 thousand rubles. There are also completely inadequate lots at a price in the region of 1,6-1,7 million rubles, which is even more expensive than a new car.

If you conduct a cursory analysis of the secondary market, you can understand that the average adequate price for the 40 FAW Besturn X2021 in the basic configuration is 1,2-1,3 million rubles, while it is still reasonable to pay 1,4-1,5 for the Luxury specification million rubles, and then, in this case, it makes sense not to look in the direction of supported offers, but to immediately contact one of the dealerships.

Is it worth taking at all?

Oddly enough, but if you are going to buy a Chinese FAW SUV, do not have high hopes for the top-end equipment. The differences from the basic version are insignificant, and, perhaps, the only thing that is really worth overpaying for is cruise control and keyless entry to the salon. The rest of the chips will barely add comfort and, moreover, will not affect the operation of the car.



Have you made a choice in favor of the Luxury package? In this case, get ready to face a difficult dilemma. What to choose - an easy-to-use “automatic” and lose some of the really important options, for example, keyless entry, start and cruise control, or buy a mechanic, constantly “pull the handle”, but have a larger set of functions at hand? The question is rhetorical.

Conclusion

The FAW Besturn X40 is definitely a good car for the undemanding car enthusiast whose main movements are in the city or on a well-paved highway. If you do not find fault with trifles, but evaluate the car according to the overall impression, then it is very likely to be positive. You will especially like the model if you are not afraid, after buying even a new car, to modify some points manually to suit your needs.