Off-roaders with roots in the military have always been an easy sell. The Jeep Wrangler was inspired by the Willys Jeep of World War II, and AM General sold a ton of Hummers and H2s after Desert Storm—at least before gas became expensive.

Could the B40 have that same appeal, though, considering that BAIC made military vehicles for the People’s Liberation Army for many years under the BAW brand? Everybody knows how the brave men (and women) of the Chinese Coast Guard are such great dickheads salesmen these days, so the B40 has its work cut out for it.

And that’s a shame because, without the political baggage, it’s actually a likable off-roader. Priced some P300,000 less than a GWM Tank 300—and around half of what a Jeep Wrangler will cost you these days—the B40 packs some honest-to-goodness hardware and specs that will make you want to head for the trail.

Lockable front and rear differentials. Durable body-on-frame construction. Independent suspension made up of front double wishbones and a multilink rear. Part-time four-wheel drive. And a peppy—if not especially gutsy – diesel four-banger that makes the most of its 161hp thanks to a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic. Good, semi-hardcore stuff, although it lacks the sway bar disconnect and auxiliary switches of the Wrangler.

Aesthetically, there’s a passing resemblance to a Wrangler, but also some bits of Mahindra Thar Roxx as well. The fenders aren’t as outsized as a Wrangler’s, and the front fascia with a grille supposedly inspired by the Great Wall of China, LED headlamps, and twin tow hooks at the bottom look ready for action.

The design team must have lost its protractors and compasses because the exterior is mostly made up of right angles and flat panels. But wrapped in matte-green like our demo unit, it looked quite mean and tacti-cool. And I don’t care how Jurassic the exposed door hinges look—they’re just very cool.

The interior is similarly functional with big, round bezels for the A/C, a grab handle over the glove compartment, and clearly marked dials and buttons for the 4WD system.

The 12.3-inch instrument panel is a digital affair simulating an analog speedometer and tachometer, while the 10-inch infotainment screen is about what you’d expect from a modern car these days.

There’s only phone-mirroring and not Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, however, although that’s probably a moot point for your tunes because the audio quality of the speakers is subpar for this price point.

Ingress and egress, whether for the front seats or back, are generally painless with the wide door openings and strategically placed grab handles. The driver’s seat is quite comfortable, and nothing is amiss with the ergonomics. The steering wheel has a thick rim, and all the controls like the pedals and the shifter have a quality, tactile feel.

With the front axle and the differential locks adding to unsprung weight, the steering feels slightly woolly on the road, but the independent suspension makes up for it with a comfortable ride. There is some judder over rough pavement owing to that ladder-frame chassis, but nothing disconcerting.

As expected, it takes a deep stab at the accelerator to get the B40 moving quickly as most of the power is higher up the powerband (around 3,000rpm). It’s quite thin on low-end torque to just muscle along in stop-and-go traffic. Setting the transmission to Sport tells the system to hang onto lower gears and get around this shortcoming.

Manually shifting is a rewarding experience in the twisties since the ZF is responsive and will let you rev right up to the redline. So long as it won’t grenade the engine, you can also aggressively downshift one or two gears, too. They’ve also packed a lot of insulation in the firewall, so you only hear a faint whine from the engine at wide-open throttle.

Another plus to having a relatively small displacement engine: It does 8-10km/L in the city, and around 12-14km/L on the highway. Not outstanding, but also not bad for a 2,140kg SUV. The 75L fuel tank gives it long legs, too.

Off-road is where the B40 shines. With approach, departure, and break-over (ramp) angles of 37°, 31°, and 23°, respectively, a stock B40 makes light work of trails, while a couple of upgrades here and there (like on our demo unit) make it ready for more hardcore work.

Put some bash plates, a snorkel, a winch, a roof rack, knobbier tires, and you’re ready to get into the overlanding lifestyle. Maximum fording depth of 600mm will also make you brave enough to cross shallow rivers en route to a campsite. Ground clearance of 210mm will likewise allow you to clear most trail obstacles.

The B40’s part-time 4WD system has the usual High and Low ranges, although unlike a more advanced system like Mitsubishi’s Super Select, 4WD-High is speed-limited, and it’s not advisable to use it on the road.

That said, switching between 4WD and 2WD is easy and quick since there’s just a button on the dash for that. And if you’re leery about only having rear-wheel drive to use on the road, there’s still traction control and stability control to save your bacon.

Utility-wise, the B40 makes the most of its boxy shape with fold-and-tumble rear seats à la Honda Jazz, a swing-out tailgate, a flip-up rear window, and removable two-piece front roof panels. Hard plastic is used for areas that will get scuffed during an excursion, while cladding on the fenders and the underbody adds some additional protection. The floor carpeting is just inexpensive “mouse fur,” so there is no fear of getting it muddy.

At P2,368,000, the B40 has a lot of competition. Any of the 4×4 pickup trucks from Ford, Isuzu, Mitsubishi or Toyota literally offer more truck for the buck, while 4×4 variants of the Fortuner, the Montero Sport, the Terra, and the Everest cost several hundred thousand more but offer more comfort and space without the stigma of a Chinese brand.

But the B40 Ragnar’s compact size gives it an advantage on a trail, making it genuinely fun to drive in the right conditions. It also has standout styling that doesn’t give a damn about what haters will have to say. And for the right buyer, that may already be enough to seal the deal.