Borgward SUVs to be sold in UK and Ireland from 2019

Chinese-owned German brand continues its push into Western markets with its range of affordable premium SUVs

The Audi Q5-sized Borgward BX7 SUV

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by Felix Page

2 mins read

23 November 2018

Follow @felix_page_

Reborn German car maker Borgward will begin selling its models in the UK and Ireland next year.

The Stuttgart-based firm has entered into a strategic partnership with importer International Motors to begin importing right-hand-drive variants of its models, with a prospective start date in late 2019.

Founded in 1919 in Bremen, Borgward rivalled manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz throughout the 1950s, with cars such as the Hansa 1500, Isabella and P1000, before filing for bankruptcy in 1961.

Now owned by Beiqi Foton Motor, a subsidiary of Chinese giant BAIC, the reborn marque is targeting the global premium SUV market.

Petrol-engined variants of the Audi Q3-sized BX5 and larger BX7 are already available in Europe, but Borgward will soon reveal electric versions of each, the BXi5 and BXi7, taking aim at the Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes-Benz EQC respectively.

The range-topping BX7 TS was revealed at the 2017 Guangzhou motor show and went on sale in Germany in early 2018, at a competitive price of €44,200.

An SUV-coupé, the BX6, was unveiled at the Beijing motor show earlier this year, with a right-hand-drive variant planned for South Africa.

Borgward’s entry into the British and Irish markets will follow similar launches in other international markets, including Russia and the Middle East, as the company expands westwards.

Birmingham-based International Motors is already responsible for bringing cars from East Asia to the UK, currently holding contracts with Great Wall, Isuzu and Subaru, and previously introduced Hyundai and Ssangyong.

Prices and details for the UK-bound Borgward models have not been announced, but they are likely to cost less than those of primary competitors such as BMW and Audi.

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