Russian plant to produce BAIC off-roader

Russian automobile manufacturer Avtotor said on Tuesday that it will start manufacturing of Chinese carmaker's BAIC BJ40 off-roader at the Kaliningrad plant in July.

Preparations to production have already started, according to Russian news agency Tass.

It said that the company has already produced several off-roaders in a test mode, with preparations for the launch of serial production nearing completion.

Avtotor started to assemble cars from China's State-owned BAIC in April 2023.

Its BAIC X35 and BAIC U5 plus were the first models assembled at the plant.

The company plans to launch the production of seven models of the brand by the end of 2023, said Tass.

The BJ40 is one of BAIC's most popular models. Its high-profile buyers include Francois Steyn, a professional rugby union player in South Africa, and Keylor Navas, who keeps goal for the Costa Rica national soccer team and currently plays for Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League.

"Chinese vehicles used to be seen merely as modes of transport, so local customers wanted to buy them as cheaply as possible. But we are now moving upward with our competitive new generation products," said Patrick Yang, general manager of BAIC International Development Co.

Yang said the average price for BAIC's passenger vehicles sold overseas will rise to $14,000 this year from about $12,000 in 2022.