Dune duty

Actor and basketball player Andre Paras often travels between work locations, training sessions and family commitments.

His schedule can take him through heavy city traffic one day and onto rough roads the next. That mix has made the BAIC B30e Dune Hybrid 4x4 his regular ride.

Paras has used the electrified SUV for several months. He chose it after reading reviews and speaking with owners through social media groups.

His research set high expectations, but regular use gave him a better measure of how the vehicle fits his routine.

“I need a vehicle I can count on,” Paras said. “Since my work locations change almost every week, I’m constantly driving long distances, dealing with heavy traffic and navigating rough roads.”

The B30e Dune Hybrid 4x4 has seven drive modes for different conditions. Paras has mostly used Eco, Comfort and Sport so far. Four other modes remain available when the route becomes more demanding.

He sees the choices as useful even if he does not need all of them during a normal week. Eco suits trips where fuel use matters, while Comfort handles his usual daily drives.

The vehicle’s hybrid system has also changed how Paras thinks about fuel stops. Long drives and slow traffic remain part of his schedule, although he now spends less on gasoline than he did with his previous vehicles.

“I no longer worry every time I stop at a gas station because I know I won’t be spending as much on fuel compared to the cars I used to own,” he said.

Despite its rugged appearance, the B30e Dune Hybrid spends much of its time in ordinary city situations. Paras uses it in traffic and drives it into mall parking areas.

Paras, who stands 6-foot-4, said the cabin still gives him comfortable legroom. That matters in a vehicle used for long trips as well as short drives between appointments.

“I’m proud to call my BAIC B30e my daily driver, no coding,” he said. “It’s the kind of vehicle that gives me the confidence to go wherever I need to, without worrying about the roads ahead.”

That coding exemption is another practical advantage for someone whose schedule does not pause according to the last digit of a license plate.

The B30e Dune Hybrid also gives Paras the option to leave paved roads when a work location or personal trip calls for it.

He does not need a separate vehicle for those occasions. The same SUV that handles weekday traffic can take on a rougher route outside the city.

Paras said his experience has removed much of the second-guessing that used to come with planning longer drives. Fuel expense, road conditions and cabin space no longer require separate considerations each time he chooses a destination.

His B30e Dune Hybrid may carry the styling of an off-road vehicle, but its main job is less dramatic. It gets Paras through an unpredictable week, which is what a daily driver is supposed to do.