What happened to BAIC? This question came up in our team chat recently when discussing the influx of Chinese brands. The Beijing-based state-owned carmaker officially previewed its X55 and BJ40 Plus SUVs in May 2024, and announced that deliveries would start later that year.
Later that year, EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB) – which also assembles GWM models in Melaka (MGs will also roll off the line next year) – announced that it will begin CKD local assembly of the X55 and BJ40 Plus models in the first quarter of 2025. We’re now at the tail end of 2025 and there has been no news on BAIC. Till now.
In a press release announcing the launch of Phase 2 of its Melaka factory, EPMB said that pilot production for the BAIC X55 and BJ40 was completed in November, with full production slated to begin in January 2026. The Bursa-listed company said that its contract assembly deal with BAIC is a 10-year one. So, BAIC has not abandoned its plans for Malaysia, just that things have been delayed.
We don’t know the reasons behind the delay, but the X55 and BJ40 have actually been open for booking since May 2024, with prices estimated to start from RM129,XXX for the X55 and RM188,XXX for the BJ40.
The X55 is a C-segment SUV measuring 4,620 mm long and 1,886 mm wide, with a 2,735 mm wheelbase. That’s around the size of a Proton eMas 7 (4,615 mm x 1,901 mm, wheelbase 2,750 mm), which means it’s larger than a Proton X70. This BAIC is powered by a 188 PS/305 Nm 1.5-litre turbo-four paired with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox.
If the X55 looks every inch a modern SUV, the BJ40 Plus is an old-school body-on-frame 4×4 that looks like a Jeep Wrangler. This boxy off-roader comes with a 221 hp/380 Nm 2.0-litre turbo-four mated to an eight-speed ZF conventional automatic transmission and a Borg-Warner part-time 4WD system with 2H, 2L and 4L modes. Like the famous Jeep, the BJ40 has a detachable top cover and removable doors.
Check out the BAIC duo below – what do you think?
GALLERY: BAIC X55 in Malaysia
GALLERY: BAIC BJ40 Plus in Malaysia
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