Phonetic furor: crossover from viral advertisement passed test on Astrakhan roads
The Bestune T90 crossover turned out to be the most discussed car on the Runet in 2025, which came as a surprise even to the Russian distributor FAW, and the reason for this was not at all the appearance or driving habits. The Izvestia correspondent looked at the roads of the Astrakhan region to see what the novelty of the oldest Chinese automaker turned out to be.
Pronunciation difficulties
The word Bestune suddenly turned into a trigger. In a television commercial dedicated to the T90 crossover, the announcer pronounced it in such a way that in the minds of the audience it elegantly transformed into something much less decent. Social networks erupted: someone was laughing, someone was indignant, someone was searching for recordings on the Internet to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Representatives of the brand shrugged their hands: they say, everything is fair, without provocations.
The dimensions of the car: 4718×1880× 1710 mm. Wheelbase: 2772 mm. Ground clearance: 170 mm
Voice actor Pyotr Ivashchenko later said that in the studio everything sounded as it should, without hints. The quality control didn't notice anything suspicious either. But with the release of the advertisement on the air, it turned out that this recording does not sound the same from simple TV speakers as from professional studio monitors, due to the difference in frequency transmission capabilities.
Well, the HYPE was a success. The brand's name has become so recognizable that now "Bestune" is already a brand with character. According to the announcer, the customers of the video were satisfied. And the name of the Bestune car brand is pronounced as "Bestune", and in no other way.
Face transplant
Despite its flagship status, the T90 is not impressive in size: with a length of 4718 mm and a wheelbase of 2772 mm, it is comparable to the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max and Changan CS75 Plus. Due to the good distribution of space and the architecture of the body, there is enough space inside. The exterior of the T90 is designed in the brand's new corporate identity and echoes the previously updated B70 liftback. And if this style gave the latter an interesting resemblance to the iconic Japanese model in Russia, then the front part of the crossover with the "face" of the liftback "stretched" on it looks overloaded.
The color palette includes four shades: white, gray, black and silver
At the front, the T90 stands out with a frameless grille with chrome elements, narrow diode DRLs and a visual "monobrow" along the hood. There is a curved line on the side, which, according to the designers' idea, resembles a bow with a stretched string. Will the arrow fly towards the competitors?
The stern with a large Bestune inscription and horizontal lanterns looks modern, but without aggression. The color palette of the body is still modest: white, black, gray and silver. The shades merge with vague landscapes — somewhere between November and March. Perhaps red cars will be delivered later, as they are available in a number of markets.
Look up
The Bestune T90 salon is a dialogue between minimalism and experimentation, sometimes in raised tones. The first trip turns into a "find the button" style quest. The emergency light is detected on the ceiling, the electronic handbrake is hidden from the driver to the left of the steering wheel. At least the rear-view mirror settings switches are in their usual places near the power window unit.
For seat heating, dual-zone climate control settings and other functions, you will have to turn to the large central display. There is an unexpectedly large amount of space under it for the most expressive key in the interior, as if it were giving the command to launch a rocket — the engine start button. To the right of the non-lockable transmission selector, there is a rubberized smartphone pad, which, surprisingly, does not have a wireless charging function in any of the configurations, which is strange by modern standards.
The steering wheel is adjustable in two planes, which is already a small victory over the company's conservative approach (the B70 liftback has no steering wheel adjustment for departure). Chairs with an acceptable length of cushions, but with bumps in the area of the shoulder blades, which constantly remind you that there are no perfect anatomical solutions. But there is plenty of common space, including at the back, where the back of the sofa is adjustable in angle. And the front seats can be folded almost horizontally.
The interior decoration is mostly made of hard plastic. The niches in the door cards and the volume compartment under the center console are not lined with anything, each little thing thrown there on a trip organizes its own music festival. The sounds of suitcases walking around the trunk can also be heard from behind. For some reason, more and more car companies consider the trunk curtain to be an optional accessory.
Astrakhan roach
Technically, the T90 is close to the B70 liftback, which is built on the FMA platform. The "cart" has been slightly modified, now with the A2 index. In all variants, the crossover is front-wheel drive, even in China. Both models have MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link at the back.
The set of power plants is also common: 1.5 with the seven-speed BorgWarner "robot" and 2.0 with the Japanese Aisin "automatic" with eight steps. The characteristics of the Poltorashka are the same for both models (160 hp; 258 Nm), but for a more voluminous unit, the output for the crossover was increased to 245 hp and 380 Nm.
The engine range includes two turbocharged units. The base engine is a 1.5 with a capacity of 160 hp (258 Nm) in conjunction with a 7-speed "robot". Acceleration to the "hundred" takes 9.3 seconds, the maximum speed is 200 km/h.
For all the declared forces, the most powerful version of the "Bestune" feels like it really rides, demonstrating the well-coordinated operation of the engine and gearbox. There is no reason to doubt the stated 7.6 seconds to "hundred". In highway mode, this engine is, of course, faster than a one-and-a-half-liter unit, although in urban conditions, if traffic regulations are followed, there is not much difference with 160 forces. And it doesn't bother even the fact that the robotic box doesn't work so smoothly. And the younger engine is inferior to the older one in acceleration to 100 km/ h in only 1.6 seconds, and it is allowed to refuel it more pleasantly for the AI-92 wallet, unlike the two-liter with the "ninety-fifth".
There are three driving modes to choose from — Eco, Comfort and Sport. Only the latter requires clarification, although there are no surprises: the electronics are in no hurry to switch to an upshift and make the accelerator pedal a little more lively. The electric power steering has the same number of options. "Easy" feels like "just right", the rest do not add feedback and are rather created for those who are bored with exercises in the gym.
A two-liter 245 hp (380 Nm) engine in combination with an Aisin 8-band automatic is available for an additional fee. It allows you to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds and accelerate to 220 km/h.
The Bestune T90's driving comfort pleases both on asphalt and on dirt roads, which abounded on our route in the fishing region, where we had to use ferry crossings every now and then. The crossover handles almost as well as the liftback, and the energy—intensive suspension, like that of another Chinese model from the more expensive segment, holds up confidently on the highway, rolls in turns are small, and steadfastly on the country road, smoothing out most of the bumps. The sound insulation is high, although when you actively press the accelerator, the engine tries to be the main soloist. But the wind from the front pillars at suburban speeds is, alas, already backing vocals.
How much does it cost
The Bestune T90 has three trim levels. The initial and average versions with a one-and-a-half-liter engine are provided, plus the 2.0 modification has a flagship. The starting version with a less powerful engine was estimated at 2.78 million rubles, the second one will cost 260 thousand rubles more. The basic two-liter crossover already costs 3.43 million rubles, the intermediate version will be 140 thousand more expensive. And the flagship version is already 3.72 million rubles. The price range is almost one million!
In all versions, the crossover has diode optics, an 8-inch dashboard screen and a 12.6-inch touchscreen, an all-round viewing system with a transparent chassis function, adaptive cruise control and other assistants, a panoramic roof, dual-zone climate, heated front seats and rear parking sensors.
The price of the version with a 1.5 engine varies from 2.78 million to 3.04 million rubles. A crossover with a 2.0 engine costs from 3.43 million to 3.72 million rubles.
For an additional fee, the car will be equipped with an extended assistant package with monitoring of "blind spots" and others, a projection display, and an electric front passenger seat. And the top-end version has a seat with a memory function and an increased range of adjustments, there is an electric folding mirror and trunk door, a parking attendant and front parking sensors.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
