Baojun RS-3: which version to buy — 1.5 i MT vs 1.5 i AT
The Baojun RS-3 was sold in 1 generation (2019-01-01 to 2021-12-31) as an SUV 5-doors with 2 versions: 1.5 i MT and 1.5 i AT. There is no second generation and no restyling generation in the data, so the buying question is not “which generation” but which of the two 1.5-litre turbo gasoline setups to take.
The Baojun RS-3 was sold in 1 generation (2019-01-01 to 2021-12-31) as an SUV 5-doors with 2 versions: 1.5 i MT and 1.5 i AT. There is no second generation and no restyling generation in the data, so the buying question is not “which generation” but which of the two 1.5-litre turbo gasoline setups to take. Both share 1485 cm³, Gasoline, 4 cylinders Inline, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), Front, transverse layout, FWD, and 92 fuel. They are not twins: 1.5 i AT has 6 hp and 5 kW more peak power; 1.5 i MT has 8 Nm more peak torque and a 6-speed Manual instead of a Variable gearbox. Acceleration to 100 km/h, top speed, fuel use, kerb weight, gross weight, ground clearance, tank size, and wheel sizes are not measured for either version, so this comparison uses only the numbers that exist.
Baojun RS-3 versions compared: what the extra power actually is
On 1.5 i MT, peak output is 99 hp (72 kW) at 5800 rpm and 143 Nm at 3400 rpm. On 1.5 i AT, peak output is 105 hp (77 kW) at 5600 rpm and 135 Nm at 3600 rpm.
Arithmetic on those figures:
- Power gap: 105 − 99 = 6 hp (77 − 72 = 5 kW) in favour of 1.5 i AT.
- Torque gap: 143 − 135 = 8 Nm in favour of 1.5 i MT.
- Power peak arrives 200 rpm earlier on 1.5 i AT (5600 vs 5800).
- Torque peak arrives 200 rpm later on 1.5 i AT (3600 vs 3400).
Specific output on the same 1485 cm³:
- 1.5 i MT: 99 / 1.485 ≈ 66.7 hp per litre; 143 / 1.485 ≈ 96.3 Nm per litre.
- 1.5 i AT: 105 / 1.485 ≈ 70.7 hp per litre; 135 / 1.485 ≈ 90.9 Nm per litre.
The AT version is the higher specific-power engine (about 4.0 hp/L more). The MT version is the higher specific-torque engine (about 5.4 Nm/L more). If you buy for peak horsepower on paper, 1.5 i AT is the stronger of the two. If you buy for peak newton-metres, 1.5 i MT is the stronger of the two. Those two rankings cannot be true of the same car; they describe two different peaks of the same 1485 cm³ Turbo Gasoline family.
Engine and gearbox: Baojun RS-3 specs that actually differ
| Version | hp | kW | rpm (hp) | Nm | rpm (Nm) | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Gears | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 i MT | 99 | 72 | 5800 | 143 | 3400 | 1485 | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | Turbo | Manual | 6 | FWD |
| 1.5 i AT | 105 | 77 | 5600 | 135 | 3600 | 1485 | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | Turbo | Variable | not measured | FWD |
Shared and therefore not a reason to choose one over the other: 1485 cm³, Gasoline, 4 Inline, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), Front, transverse, FWD, 92 fuel, independent spring front suspension, semi-independent torsion rear, ventilated disc front brakes, Disc rear brakes. Compression ratio and bore × stroke are not measured on both.
Gearbox is the other real fork. 1.5 i MT is Manual with 6 gears. 1.5 i AT is Variable; gear count is not measured. The data do not say which is faster, which uses less fuel, or which is cheaper to service. They only say: one version is a six-speed Manual with more torque and less power; the other is a Variable with more power and less torque.
Which Baojun RS-3 generation changed what
There is 1 generation only: 1 generation, 2019-01-01–2021-12-31, SUV 5-doors, 2 versions. You cannot pick a later generation with more power, a different body, or a restyle as a separate generation — none of that is in the data. Both 1.5 i MT and 1.5 i AT run the same calendar: start 2019-01-01, stop 2021-12-31. Buying “the last generation” does not separate them. Buying “the first year” does not separate them. The generation comparison collapses to zero: year range, body, drive, fuel type, cylinder count, layout, boost, injection, and chassis labels are identical.
That is useful. It means the only decision inside this catalogue page is 1.5 i MT versus 1.5 i AT, not year versus year.
Performance and mpg: what is not measured
0–100 km/h: not measured for 1.5 i MT; not measured for 1.5 i AT. You cannot rank sprint from these data.
Top speed: not measured for both.
Fuel consumption (city / highway / combined): not measured for both. There is no mpg figure to prefer one version.
CO2 and eco class: not measured for both.
A 6 hp and 5 kW advantage on 1.5 i AT does not prove a shorter 0–100. An 8 Nm advantage on 1.5 i MT does not prove better highway pulling. Without timed acceleration and without consumption, those claims would be invented. They are not made here.
What you can say: 1.5 i AT makes its 105 hp 200 rpm earlier than 1.5 i MT makes 99 hp, and 1.5 i MT makes 143 Nm 200 rpm earlier than 1.5 i AT makes 135 Nm. The Manual peak torque is both larger and earlier; the Variable peak power is both larger and earlier. That is the whole performance story the numbers support.
Dimensions, weight, tank: still not a tie-breaker
Kerb weight: not measured for 1.5 i MT; not measured for 1.5 i AT. Weight per horsepower cannot be calculated. You cannot say which is lighter.
Gross weight: not measured for both.
Ground clearance: not measured for both. The SUV 5-doors body is the same label on both versions; clearance is not a known difference.
Fuel tank: not measured for both.
Wheels: not measured for both.
Chassis labels match: front Independent, spring; rear Semi-independent, torsion; front brakes Ventilated disc; rear brakes Disc. Suspension and brakes are not a reason to pick one version.
If a listing quotes different weight, clearance, tank, or wheel size, that figure is not in this dataset. This article does not invent it.
Baojun RS-3 price: why this page cannot rank “what the extra money buys”
Search interest in Baojun RS-3 price is real. This catalogue has no prices. There is no MSRP, no used range, no option pack cost. You cannot compute “dollars per extra horsepower” or “what the extra money buys.”
What you can compute is the mechanical delta you would be paying for, whatever the market asks:
- Pay for 1.5 i AT and you get +6 hp, +5 kW, −8 Nm, power peak 200 rpm earlier, torque peak 200 rpm later, Variable instead of 6-speed Manual.
- Pay for 1.5 i MT and you get +8 Nm, −6 hp, −5 kW, torque peak 200 rpm earlier, power peak 200 rpm later, 6 Manual gears instead of Variable.
If two cars are the same money, the choice is still that delta. If they are not the same money, the data still do not say which is dearer.
Which version to choose: a decision using only these numbers
Choose 1.5 i AT if you want the higher peak power in this model: 105 hp and 77 kW versus 99 hp and 72 kW. That is about 6.1% more horsepower (6 / 99) and about 6.9% more kilowatts (5 / 72). You also want the Variable gearbox, not a clutch pedal. You accept 135 Nm instead of 143 Nm (about 5.6% less torque, 8 / 143) and a torque peak 200 rpm higher. You accept that 0–100, top speed, and mpg are not measured, so the 6 hp is not a proven sprint or economy win.
Choose 1.5 i MT if you want the higher peak torque: 143 Nm versus 135 Nm, at 3400 rpm instead of 3600. You want a 6-speed Manual. You accept 99 hp / 72 kW instead of 105 hp / 77 kW. Specific torque is higher (≈96.3 vs ≈90.9 Nm/L). Specific power is lower (≈66.7 vs ≈70.7 hp/L). 0–100, top speed, and mpg remain not measured.
Do not choose by generation. There is one: 1 generation, SUV 5-doors, 2019–2021, two versions, same dates.
Do not choose by fuel, drive, or cylinder layout. Both are Gasoline, 92, FWD, 4 Inline, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), Front, transverse, 1485 cm³.
Do not choose by weight, clearance, tank, wheels, 0–100, top speed, or mpg. All not measured.
Do not merge the names. The catalogue anchors are exactly 1.5 i MT and 1.5 i AT. They are not the same car with a different gearbox only: power, kilowatts, torque, and both rpm figures also differ.
Reliability and owner reports: what this catalogue will not invent
Queries such as Baojun RS-3 owner reviews point at owner experience. This dataset has no failure rates, no service intervals, no known faults, no reliability scores. A version comparison cannot say 1.5 i MT is more reliable than 1.5 i AT or the reverse. The Manual / Variable split is a mechanical difference, not a reliability ranking.
What is known and stays true in isolation: 1.5 i MT is 99 hp, 72 kW, 143 Nm, 1485 cm³, Gasoline, Turbo, 6 Manual, FWD, 2019-01-01–2021-12-31. 1.5 i AT is 105 hp, 77 kW, 135 Nm, 1485 cm³, Gasoline, Turbo, Variable, FWD, same dates. If a paragraph is cut out of this article, those two sentences remain the buying facts.
Short buyer recap
Baojun RS-3, 1 generation, SUV 5-doors, two versions, same years. 1.5 i AT = more power (105 vs 99 hp), less torque (135 vs 143 Nm), Variable. 1.5 i MT = more torque, less power, 6 Manual. Everything else that usually decides an SUV — weight, clearance, tank, wheels, 0–100, top speed, mpg, price — is not measured here. Buy the gearbox you will use every day, then take the power/torque trade that comes with it.