BAIC ORV eyes sales jump on products, user centric-strategy

BAIC Group Off-Road Vehicle Co is aiming to scale its sales to 300,000 units in 2026 and 500,000 in 2027, as its faster product rollout and deeper user engagement are turning the niche off-road brand into a mass-market contender.

The ambitious plans were announced following a successful 2025, in which it delivered over 200,000 units, registering a 38 percent surge year-on-year.

Of them, boxy off-road vehicles totaled 147,499 units, up 72 percent from the previous year. Over half of them were hardcore ones, nearly double 2024 levels, led by the BJ40.

Chairman Wang Hao said the results reflect the carmaker's broader shift toward a "user-oriented company", with product development and brand building increasingly shaped by direct engagement with owners and enthusiast communities.

He said private buyers accounted for 83 percent of sales last year, up 13 percentage points from 2024, a sign that the brand is moving beyond its historical image as a utility-focused off-road specialist and into everyday consumer use.

"The future competition is not about who is the toughest," Wang said. "It is about who understands real usage scenarios and delivers experiences that fit the times."

He cited the scenario of travelers driving through high-altitude regions as an example. For them, the biggest concerns are not performance limits, but oxygen deprivation and loss of connectivity.

In response, the carmaker launched a BJ60 variant last year with the world's first factory-installed, automotive-grade onboard oxygen-generation system and a satellite communication phone.

This year, the automaker plans to introduce six new or upgraded models, with at least one major launch each quarter, to further consolidate its position in the market.

The lineup will span hardcore off-roaders, light off-road SUVs and more urban-oriented models, marking a shift from reliance on single bestsellers to a coordinated product matrix designed to address distinct usage scenarios.

BAIC ORV also expects overseas markets to contribute a growing share of volume over the years.

Last year, around 60,000 vehicles were sold outside of China, and the figure is expected to grow to around 100,000 units in 2026.