Another new Chinese car brand is set to make its debut in Malaysia – BAIC (short for Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd.) will debut its BJ40 Plus and the X55 II in Malaysia by 2025, and the company has inked a 10-year contract with EP Manufacturing Berhad (EPMB) to locally assemble its cars in Melaka.
EPMB said its wholly-owned unit, PEPS-JV Melaka Sdn Bhd (PJVM), signed an agreement with BAIC last week, which is part of Beijing Automotive Group Co Ltd. Under the 10-year agreement, PJVM’s responsibilities include assembling and manufacturing the vehicles in Malaysia, ensuring that the assembly plant has a capacity of at least 5,000 vehicles per year by Sept 1, and at least 10,000 vehicles per year by March 2025, said EPMB in a bourse filing on Monday.
Under the agreement, EPMB and BAIC will produce right-hand drive (RHD) versions of the BAIC BJ40 Plus and the X55 II SUVs for the Malaysian market and other Southeast Asian RHD markets. EPMB Executive Chairman, Hamidon Abdullah said, “The strategic collaborations with original equipment manufacturers from China signify our commitment to charting a course towards better profitability for our stakeholders.”
The BAIC BJ50 Plus is a Jeep-inspired off-roader. It is powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine that makes 184 kW (250 hp metric) and 350 Nm. The engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and power is sent to all four wheels via a four-wheel drive (4WD) system. On its official website, the BJ40 is listed with 3 variants – Premium, Flagship, and Champion.
The X55 II, on the other hand, is an X70-sized SUV. It sources power from a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that outputs 138 kW (187 hp metric) and 275 Nm. The engine is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The X55 II is capable of a 7.84-second 0-100 km/h acceleration time.
BAIC will be one of the many new Chinese car brands coming into Malaysia, although no electric vehicles seem to be in the plan for the time being.
