BAIC has missed their own deadlines to launch here. Have they left or are they re-strategizing?
Early last year, amidst the introduction of dozens of new Chinese car brands, the Malaysian automotive media landscape was swept up in the idea that BAIC would join the market too. The introduction of the BAIC brand to Malaysia had most of the hallmarks of an actual brand launch including product previews, showroom launches, distributor appointments, test drives, MOU signings, CKD plans, events with high-brow politicians, media engagements, factory visits from engineers and even the collection of bookings. However, here we are closing on the tail end of 2025 and the BAIC brand is nowhere to be seen in Malaysia.
To recount the actual timeline of events, let’s work backwards. We haven’t heard from this company in quite some time, but if you head to their official website you’ll find that the news section is still relatively active. The last official update was in late July 2025 when they delivered a BJ40 to a customer – strange, considering the car hasn’t officially been launched to the public yet. In June 2025, the VP of BAIC China, Mr. Gao Ming visited the BAIC Headquarters in Petaling Jaya. BAIC is also still conducting technical training sessions in Malaysia, with one post mentioning this as late as July 2025. Earlier in the year, they did a couple of TV spots and that’s about it.
In December of 2024, EP Manufacturing Berhad (EPMB), BAIC’s local manufacturing partner announced that it would begin CKD operations for the BJ40 and the X55 models from the Chinese brand by the first quarter of 2025. About 2-3 months earlier in October, BAIC shared their estimated pricing of the models. The X55 was projected to be priced as low as RM129K while the BJ40 was meant to come in at around RM188K. In the middle of 2024, we were contacted by the external PR company handling BAIC affairs and given the opportunity to test drive the X55 in is CBU form with Beijing branding.
A month before that, the company was mulling what its product lineup would be like in Malaysia. BAIC was planning a mix of ICE, PHEV and hybrid vehicles for our market, omitting EVs altogether. The company also said that pricing for the X55 and BJ40 would be confirmed by July 2024 with deliveries starting soon after.
Going back further to May 2024 the order books were opened for the X55 and BJ40 with most key specifications including engine, transmission and some equipment confirmed. A month before that, BAIC signed a 10-year contract with EPMB to assemble these two vehicles.
If we go back to 2023, we got the first signs that BAIC would enter the Malaysian market with guns blazing. In August 2023, they started exploring the possibilities with EPMB which led to the construction of the plant in Melaka that also assembles GWM products. Two years on, it only assembles GWM products.
So, what happened to BAIC? After all the fireworks, ribbon-cuttings, and grand promises, it seems BAIC’s Malaysian adventure turned into a masterclass in vanishing acts. Maybe they’re waiting for the end of 2025, when the EV game settles a little. Maybe the difference between BAIC and the other Chinese brands is that they simply started their plans for Malaysia too late and too publicly – their rivals may have been at the planning stages as soon as Geely and Proton became partners. Who knows? For now, we’lll just have to wait and see if the X55 and BJ40 ever gets an official launch.
