Wuling Philippines now taking pre-orders for Bingo BEV hatch for ₱5K

If you’re in the market for an EV but find small urban battery electric vehicles such as the Wuling Mini EV or Jetour Ice Cream a bit spatially challenged, fret not. 

GRC Motors, the official distributor of Wuling electric vehicles in the Philippines, has announced it is taking pre-orders for the Wuling Bingo hatchback BEV. And the reservation fee is only ₱ 5,000.

Availability of the first batch of units is slated for January 2024, according to Wuling Philippines general manager, Henry Chan.

Also Read: SOFT LAUNCH: Wuling Philippines displays Macaron and Gameboy Mini EVs at SM MOA until June 7, 2023

On display at the SM Mall of Asia South Wing (near the MOA Eye) until August 30, 2023, the Wuling Bingo is being positioned as a small family car BEV.

Slightly shorter than a Mazda 2 or a Mini 5-door, the Bingo can seat four people comfortably with its 2,560 mm wheelbase, which is only 10 mm shorter than the Mazda 2’s.

It actually shares the same platform with the Wuling Mini EV but is about a meter longer in overall length than the popular small EV.

With its 5-door configuration and rounded styling, the Wuling Bingo combines a mix of Mini and Fiat 500 design elements to come up with a friendly-looking hatch.

It has 15-inch steel rims with wheel covers, so replacement 185/60/R15 tires should be easy to find. 

Front disc brakes and rear drums provide stopping power while a MacPherson strut front and a three-link semi-independent rear suspension layout underpin the Bingo. 

The Wuling Bingo also has a proper, more conventional trunk space behind the back seats. It has 310 liters of cargo space with the back seats up, and up to 790 liters with them folded down. 

A dual screen layout for the instrument cluster and infotainment system is mounted on the leather-wrapped dashboard. The driver’s display and infotainment screen are both 10.25-inch units.

The language used on the display unit's instrument and infotainment screens are in Mandarin. Chan explains that one of the reasons there is a lead time between the pre-ordering and arrival of units is that they are working with SAIC-GM-Wuling to have the Graphic User Interface in English. The Bingo is a global product and should come with English text on its displays. 

The seats of the higher variant on display are also covered with brown leatherette, which lends a more premium finish inside. It has two airbags as standard.

Wuling Philippines is offering the front-wheel drive, single-motor Bingo in two range variants: a 203-km (CLTC) and a 333-km (CLTC). Only the higher range variant comes with DC charging capability.

According to Chan, they are gauging buyer interest in the Bingo and are currently offering special pre-order pricing for both trims:

• 203-km - ₱796,000
• 333-km - ₱996,000

The prices come with a 5-year, 100,000-km battery warranty and a 3-year 100,000-km vehicle warranty. Customers will have a choice of four colors: Black, two-tone Cream with black top, two-tone Green with black top, and two-tone Pink with a white roof.

What do you think of the Wuling Bingo? Will it make you hop onboard the EV bandwagon?